Damian Lillard has been a scoring machine over the last four games
How many of us are rostering Anthony Davis after scoring 89 fantasy points against the Detroit Pistons? Hint: I will be! With a five-game slate tonight, let’s jump right in!
Vegas Odds – Against the Spread – Over/Under Points Total
- ORL(-5) @ PHI -203
- NO @ WAS(-3) -211.5
- HOU @ UTA(-4) 200.5
- SAC @ DEN (PK) -219.5
- BKN @ PRO(-11) -205.5
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Point Guard
Brandon Jennings (ORL): $3,900 @ PHI
As we all know, Brandon Jennings has the potential to have a breakout game, especially if he is given the minutes. Since being traded to the Orlando Magic, Jennings has played back to back 25-minute games giving him the opportunity to score in double digits, resulting in fantasy scores of 25.6 and 26.3.
That’s a great way to start off his journey in Orlando since he scored at least 6x his value. With more playing time and opportunity in Orlando, you can expect Jennings to continue his high level of play for his price.
Damian Lillard (POR): $9,500 vs. BKN
There is $300 left in the salary so you CAN roster John Wall, which I will do as well. Between John Wall and Damian Lillard, you can’t go wrong. Both players average over 40 fantasy points (Wall with 41.6 and Lillard with 40.4). I am having more faith and confidence in Lillard tonight because he has scored over 30 points in four straight games!
At the beginning of the year, I picked Lillard to win the scoring title and with his recent performances he could start to make his way back into the talk as he sits in fifth place in the scoring title race. The main reason I like Lillard tonight is because he is playing in the last game of the night. He will be my anchor to hold down my lineup.
Lately, I have been trying to play a star player or at least two solid players to hold down my place in the winnings. It’s safe to say that Damian Lillard is a great anchor.
Shooting Guard
C.J. McCollum (POR): $7,400 vs. BKN
Sticking with the last game, why not go with the dynamic duo in Portland. C.J. McCollum has been an excellent Robin to Damian Lillard’s Batman. With the Brooklyn Nets ranking as the second-worst team at defending opposing SGs, McCollum should be able to score more than 20 points. When he scores more than 20 points, he tends to score at least 30 fantasy points to come close to hitting value.
I can foresee McCollum scoring around 40 fantasy points if the Nets can keep this game close. However, it is predicted to be a blowout.
I am not 100% sold on McCollum, but again he can help anchor the lineup to stay in the winnings or put you up in the winnings. Pivot to Victor Oladipo as he has been playing great of late or Will Barton as he has a great matchup against the Kings who give up the second-most fantasy points to SGs in the last five games.
Evan Fournier (ORL): $5,400 @ PHI
In the last six games, Evan Fournier has seen an average of 39.2 minutes of action. With the departure of Tobias Harris going to the Detroit Pistons, Fournier is set to take on a bigger role. Fournier has six games in a row of scoring 5x his value, and he is doing it across the board.
His shooting is inconsistent, but his effort is what drives his fantasy production as he only scored nine points against the Dallas Mavericks but managed to pull down six rebounds to go along with eight assists, scoring 27.2 fantasy points. Let’s look for Fournier to feel the rhythm and shoot better tonight to help drive his fantasy line above 30 points.
Small Forward
Danilo Gallinari (DEN): $7,100 vs. SAC
I think I am getting tired of playing Danilo Gallinari because I roster him all the time! He is a great play, especially on a small slate with limited options. At this point, we know what to expect from Gallinari, around 40 fantasy points for a good game and about 25 for a bad game.
He won’t break your bank, and he won’t break your lineup like he would if he was more expensive. The Sacramento Kings rank as the worst team at defending the SF position, allowing 47.7 fantasy points over the last five contests. These two teams met up just last week so we should have a good idea of what to expect from this game and, with Gallinari scoring 27 points with 36.6 fantasy points, it is safe to roster him up!
Maurice Harkless (POR): $4,400 vs. BKN
All lineups need that value player and today that is Maurice Harkless. Over the last five games, Harkless has scored in double digits in all five games to go along with one double-double. During that span, he scored more than 5x his value in four games to go along with a huge 40.1 fantasy point night.
Harkless is hot right now, so now’s the time to take advantage. At the price of $4,400, he is a safe play who should score 5x his value.
Power Forward
Aaron Gordon (ORL): $6,100 @ PHI
I am loving Aaron Gordon. This kid has five games in a row of double-digit rebounding helping him to score 5x his value. He has the potential to score and bring down double-doubles, and I do not think we are far away from seeing that happen, consistently.
The Philadelphia 76ers struggle against opposing PFs as they rank as the fourth-worst, allowing 43.5 fantasy points this season. With Tobias Harris being traded to the Pistons, Gordon can step up to fill in on both ends of the floor. At $6,100, he may be a bit pricey, but it is safe to say he can score 30 fantasy points on a nightly basis.
Anthony Davis (NO): $10,300 @ WAS
I usually stay away from “Mr. Glass” because he gets hurt every game but after seeing his last performance, it reminded me of last season when he was the talk of the week every week, and he was priced at nearly $12,000. Hopefully, he is back to form, and we can see big nights from him again. When a star player gets into the groove of things, he is matchup proof.
There is not much to say with Davis as we all know the pros and cons of playing him. If he stays healthy, then you can expect a good game, but in the back of your mind you worry about him being injured. Roll with the hot hand and look for another big game.
Center
Nikola Jokic (DEN): $5,600 vs. SAC
I recently read an article that showed the figures for winning lineups and how much was spent on each position. Surprisingly, the winning lineups spent an average of about $6,500 on the center position. Not that you should only play cheap centers, but it is interesting to see those figures.
I really like Nikola Jokic against the Sacramento Kings because the Kings have let up the most fantasy points to opposing centers in the last 10 games. Jokic has the capability to score big numbers, and he seems to perform better at home. His biggest numbers in the last 10 games have come when the Nuggets are at home.
In his last game against Boston at the Pepsi Center, he scored 44.6 fantasy points from 23 points to go along with 13 rebounds. He will have a tough matchup against DeMarcus Cousins, but with the Kings defending bigs poorly, I see Jokic having another big night at home.
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Steven Fullmer is a correspondent at FantasyPros. You can also find his work at DraftShot.com and follow him @StevenMFullmer.
