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The NBA Pulse is constructed to give daily fantasy enthusiasts insight to the most popular picks in a game slate, assessing their viability along the way. In other words, this column is designed to gauge the daily fantasy world's opinion as a whole. We will then take it a step further, telling you when to “join the herd" and when to pivot elsewhere.
Buzz is calculated on a 1-10 scale by considering numerous daily fantasy media outlets picks and general conversation on forums/twitter.
POINT GUARD
Russell Westbrook tops the buzz-meter once again, and it is considerably easier to fit him in tonight (given the value plays from Golden State). I'd lock him into majority of lineups, expecting a bounce-back vs Minnesota.
Chris Paul is everyone's favorite pivot from Westbrook, but it seems like chasing points from my perspective. He's listed as a game-time-decision with a knee and ankle issue. There's no telling how effective he'll be if he goes. Pass for me.
Shaun Livingston is gaining momentum as a value play. He has been solid in a reserve role, so you can feel confident deploying him with the starting gig. I'm not fading for cash games (or most tournament lineups).
Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, and Mo Williams were getting early buzz; however, some of that has been stifled by the Golden State news. Of those three, Mo Williams is the one to target – given a likely higher usage rate with Al Jefferson out.
UNDER THE RADAR: Jeff Teague in a fast-paced matchup at Phoenix.
| PLAYER | BUZZ |
| Russell Westbrook | 8 |
| Chris Paul | 6 |
| Shaun Livingston | 5 |
| Kyle Lowry | 3 |
| Goran Dragic | 3 |
| Ray McCallum | 3 |
| Mo Williams | 3 |
SHOOTING GUARD
Not much of a surprise here, as the red-hot Dwyane Wade tops this SG list. He's one of the more confident options of the night. Overall, the SG position doesn't contain many well-priced options, so paying up for Wade may be the best choice for cash games.
Note the “buzz disparity" between Wade and DeRozan. This could create a nice low ownership % for tournaments; especially given DeRozan has a similar projection.
It appears that some people may be chasing JJ Redick's monster game, but I will not be amongst that crowd. He's a streaky shooter, and you can't rely on production from the peripheral categories….especially considering the jumping price point.
Avery Bradley is the route I will likely choose in cash games, given a friendly price and great matchup.
UNDER THE RADAR: As mentioned before, DeMar DeRozan provides a nice tournament spinoff from Wade.
| PLAYER | BUZZ |
| Dwyane Wade | 7 |
| JJ Redick | 5 |
| Avery Bradley | 5 |
| Eric Bledsoe | 4 |
| Kyle Korver | 3 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 3 |
SMALL FORWARD
Rudy Gay appears to be the most popular play, but Harrison Barnes may give him a run for his money once it's all said and done. Both make fine complements to each other on FanDuel, but I may rather go with Nicolas Batum over Gay in that spot (Gay has a much more favorable price on DraftKings).
From here, guys like Tobias Harris, Gerald Henderson, and Danilo Gallinari are okay cash game fillers, but more secondary picks than anything.
Draymond Green is an interesting tournament selection on FanDuel, while cash game playable for a generous price on DraftKings.
UNDER THE RADAR: DeMarre Carroll in a fast-paced matchup at Phoenix. Most people got burned by him last time, but the blowout limited his minutes. This game environment suits his playing style nicely.
| PLAYER | BUZZ |
| Rudy Gay | 7 |
| Nic Batum | 5 |
| Harrison Barnes | 5 |
| Tobias Harris | 5 |
| Draymond Green | 4 |
| Gerald Henderson | 4 |
| Danilo Gallinari | 4 |
POWER FORWARD
Marvin Williams was the value flavor of the day, but now David Lee has joined the conversation in a starting role. They could be an adequate duo if you are looking to go cheap at PF.
Pau Gasol is the favorite expensive play tonight, and I agree with that line of thinking. I'd much rather have him over LaMarcus Aldridge, but I'm less likely to spend heavy at PF tonight.
Nikola Mirotic is receiving a moderate amount of buzz. I really liked his price on FanDuel, and had him as a primary play. However, the emergence of Williams/Lee creates some opportunity risk.
UNDER THE RADAR: Nobody is talking about the red-hot Nerlens Noel. I really like his price tag on DraftKings + the inherent upside for tournaments.
| PLAYER | BUZZ |
| Marvin Williams | 8 |
| Pau Gasol | 7 |
| Kenneth Faried | 5 |
| David Lee | 5 |
| Nikola Mirotic | 5 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 4 |
| Brandon Bass | 3 |
CENTER
It's DeMarcus Cousins, then the rest. I tend to agree on DraftKings, where DMC comes especially cheap. It's a more difficult decision on FanDuel with a heightened price point.
Nikola Vucevic is the best pivot off Cousins, sitting on a great matchup vs Boston. I'm more included to go that route on FanDuel, with a wider pricing disparity.
Bismack Biyombo is the cheap play if you are going that route. He should start and see 28+ minutes with Al Jefferson out. He holds some foul trouble, but still represents the best option at this price range.
UNDER THE RADAR: With all the attention on Cousins and Vucevic, Al Horford appears to sneak under the radar tonight.
| PLAYER | BUZZ |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 9 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 6 |
| Bismack Biyombo | 5 |
| Robin Lopez | 4 |
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