DeMarcus Cousins has scored at least 50 DKP in eight of his last 10 games
Nine games greet us on Wednesday and it’s shaping up as a good slate as there are plenty of studs in action tonight. Let’s take a look at a tournament lineup for DraftKings.
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Point Guard
Damian Lillard (POR): $8,200 @ CHA
The Hornets have consistently struggled against opposing point guards, and this is shaping up as a good spot to target Lillard. His salary is down right now, as he’s struggled a bit since returning from an ankle injury. This game is pegged to be fairly close, as the spread is currently under five points, which should ensure a full workload for Lillard.
Other Notables:
- Russell Westbrook (OKC): $12,100 @ GS
- Stephen Curry (GS): $9,000 vs. OKC
- Kyle Lowry (TOR): $8,500 @ PHI
- Jeff Teague (IND): $7,600 @ SAC
- Darren Collison (SAC): $5,300 vs. IND
- Sergio Rodriguez (PHI): $4,600 vs. TOR (if T.J. McConnell is out)
Shooting Guard
Garrett Temple (SAC): $3,900 vs. IND
Ty Lawson is currently questionable to play as he’s dealing with an ankle injury, and if he can’t go, it should open up more playing time for both Temple and Darren Collison. I’m siding with Temple for a couple of reasons, which are price and leverage. I think Temple will come in at bit lower owned than Collison, and at his current salary, output of six times his current salary isn’t out of the cards.
Other Notables:
- James Harden (HOU): $11,700 vs. MIL
- DeMar DeRozan (TOR): $8,300 @ PHI
- Nicolas Batum (CHA): $7,400 vs. POR
- Eric Gordon (HOU): $5,700 vs. MIL (check status)
- Victor Oladipo (OKC): $5,500 @ GS
Small Forward
Kent Bazemore (ATL): $4,400 @ DET
The Pistons have struggled to defend recently, which speaks volumes to the absence of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. While he can’t guard all five spots, his ability to defend the perimeter takes a lot of pressure off of the other defenders. With that in mind, Bazemore is in a good spot tonight for this reason as well as an increase in playing time. The departure of Kyle Korver has given Bazemore a bit more security, and he’s been able to crack 33 DKP in consecutive games. Now is a good time to buy before his price rises even more.
Other Notables:
- Kevin Durant (GS): $9,900 vs. OKC
- Paul George (IND): $7,700 @ SAC
- Jae Crowder (BOS): $5,600 vs. NY
- Trevor Ariza (HOU): $5,500 vs. MIL
Power Forward
DeMarcus Cousins (SAC): $10,600 vs. IND
Cousins has scored at least 50 DKP in three straight games, and eight out of the last 10. This high floor is worth paying up for tonight, as he draws a good matchup against the Pacers. Indiana ranks 26th in team rebounding rate, and they’ve been below average in terms of defending opposing big men. This game has a spread of just one point, so look for a full workload for the big man tonight.
Other Notables
- Anthony Davis (NO): $11,000 vs. ORL (check status)
- Draymond Green (GS): $7,900 vs. OKC
- Enes Kanter (OKC): $7,000 @ GS
- Terrence Jones (NO): $6,700 vs. ORL (if Anthony Davis is out)
- Ersan Ilyasova (PHI): $5,400 vs. TOR
- Pascal Siakam (TOR): $3,000 @ PHI (if Lucas Nogueira and Patrick Patterson are out)
Center
Nikola Vucevic (ORL): $6,600 @ NO
The Pelicans are a poor rebounding team (29th), and with Vucevic rejoining the starting lineup, this is a good spot to utilize him. He has sputtered just a bit over the last two games during this long road trip, but those were some more difficult matchups. The asking price for Vucevic is fair, and I look for him to bounce back after a couple of subpar outings.
Other Notables
- Joel Embiid (PHI): $8,400 vs. TOR
- Al Horford (BOS): $6,900 vs. NY
- Jonas Valanciunas (TOR): $5,900 @ PHI
Guard
Jodie Meeks (ORL): $4,500 @ NO
If Evan Fournier remains on the shelf with a foot injury, I expect Meeks to remain in the starting lineup. If this holds true, he’d be a fine source of salary relief tonight. His ability to hit three-point shots gives him an added boost with DraftKings’ scoring, and with a strong likelihood of him seeing at least 30 minutes, he should have plenty of chances to exceed value.
Forward
DeMarre Carroll (TOR): $5,300 @ PHI
Carroll was a bit of a letdown last night against the Nets, but he’s in a good spot to bounce back tonight. The Raptors are dealing with a couple of injuries in their frontcourt, as Patrick Patterson and Lucas Nogueira are both questionable to play. If one of both of those players are out, Carroll could be looking at extended run as he will likely be asked to spend some time as a stretch four.
Utility
Tobias Harris (DET): $6,400 vs. ATL
The Pistons return home after a long trip to the west coast, and this looks to be a spot for Harris to produce tonight. Jon Leuer has returned to practice, but even if he does play, Harris’ minutes should be secure. Harris should fly under the radar tonight, and he’s a fine tournament play as a result.
My Lineup
- PG – Damian Lillard (POR): $8,200 @ CHA
- SG – Garrett Temple (SAC): $3,900 vs. IND
- SF – Kent Bazemore (ATL): $4,400 @ DET
- PF – DeMarcus Cousins (SAC): $10,600 vs. IND
- C – Nikola Vucevic (ORL): $6,600 @ NO
- G – Jodie Meeks (ORL): $4,500 @ NO
- F – DeMarree Carroll (TOR): $5,300 @ PHI
- UTIL – Tobias Harris (DET): $6,400 vs. ATL
Help yourself out by checking out our NBA Optimal Lineup for today’s slate
Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Adam, follow him @DraftStars_Adam. You can find more of Adam’s work at DraftStars.net.
