There are 11 games on the FanDuel main slate tonight. There are a number of key injuries and potential of players sitting tonight. You will definitely want to be monitoring the news today. Additionally, even though there are 11 games, many of them have blowout potential so you’ll have to give some thought to possible game flow.
The Golden State-Los Angeles Clippers game has a 225 total. The Utah-Washington and Detroit-Brooklyn games are projected to be the lowest scoring as they both have 205 totals.
There are 14 players (that are not already ruled out) in the $9,000+ range. There are plenty of stars in action tonight so this can be a fun slate. The Greek Freak and Boogie are the two highest priced at $11,700 and $11,600, respectively.
I know that this is a value article but firing up DeMarcus Cousins if Anthony Davis sits and Russell Westbrook is not the worst thing that you can do. Cousins is a stud, whose usage is through the roof when Davis is out. He has six straight double-doubles. Westbrook has earned 54+ FanDuel points in 11 of the last 12 games. He only had 59.8 last night in a tough loss to Portland. He allegedly left the arena without talking with reporters. A mad Westbrook could be scary for the Timberwolves.
If you are going to fit a star or two into your lineup tonight then you will need to find some salary relief. Here are 9 plays that are worth considering as you set your lineup for tonight’s slate of games. Remember to check the news and injury reports, especially in the 30 minutes prior to lock. Use all the information available to you to make the best decision possible for your lineup. Good luck and have fun!
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Point Guard
Shabazz Napier (POR): $4,200 at HOU
If Damian Lillard sits again tonight on the back-to-back, then fire up Shabazz as much as you can at this price. He is the best value on FanDuel tonight. If Lillard were to play, then he is still fine, just not an automatic free space plug-and-play. In Portland’s last nine games, Shabazz has played 30+ minutes in seven of those games. In those seven games, he has averaged 36.3 FD points. Like I said, plug-and-play at $4,200!
Dwight Buycks (DET): $3,700 at BKN
Buycks has been a pleasant surprise for the Pistons in the last week. He has been very solid off the bench. From a fantasy perspective, he has averaged 17.4 FD points in the last five games. If you are going really cheap at PG (though I rarely recommend that with this position – or Center, for that matter), then Buycks is an interesting option. He is not without risk, however. This game is projected to be a low-scoring affair. Additionally, even though I think Stan VanGundy is a good coach, it is not always clear what he will do with his rotations so it makes it hard to predict from a fantasy perspective.
Shooting Guard
Wayne Ellington (MIA): $4,300 at IND
Ellington has earned 29+ FanDuel points in four of his last nine games. He “only” had 26.6 last night in a very slow paced game at Toronto. He is a great play tonight if Tyler Johnson sits again. He had 26.4 FD points back in November against Indiana. Ellington can get hot for the Heat.
Tyrone Wallace (LAC): $3,600 at GSW
Who? Exactly. But if you are going to go really cheap, Wallace is a decent option in a game that should be high-scoring and a blowout. That means opportunity for the guy who just called up from the G-League after averaging 22 PPG this year. In his two games as an NBA player, he had 27.6 FanDuel points on Saturday and then 19.9 FanDuel points on Monday. The Clippers have a number of injuries right now and we are not certain who will see the minutes in different situations. CJ Williams will probably see a few more minutes but he is more expensive. Plus, even though has played well, he is not guaranteed to get you any more productivity. For the price savings, I’ll take Wallace.
Small Forward
Thabo Sefolosha (UTA): $4,600 at WAS
People are still down on Thabo because he sat out last Wednesday’s game and cost a lot of people with the goose-egg on the fantasy roster. This is good for GPPs because his ownership should be lower. This is a position where you could save a lot of money in roster construction by going with Thabo and Gerald Green (who I’ll talk about in a minute). Thabo has averaged 30.4 in his last four games. That is a 6.6x value. We’ll take that even though this game is expected to be a slower paced game. The matchup is also good with Washington ranking 27th in DVOA.
Gerald Green (HOU): $4,500 vs. POR
Green has really taken advantage of his opportunity with Harden out. He has averaged 20.1 real-life PPG in his last six games. The GREEN-light offense is definitely in effect with him down in Houston. I think he is still under-priced but that is mainly because he is coming off the bench. He is averaging 26.6 FD points during this stretch on 27 MPG. I’ll take a point-per-minute player.
Power Forward
Frank Kaminsky (CHA): $4,800 vs. DAL
I don’t know which version of Frank the Tank will show up tonight. I do like the idea of him going against a bad rebounding Mavericks team traveling on a back-to-back. Kaminsky has clearly taken over the PF position over Marvin Williams but he has not even reached 20 FD points in his last two games. In the two games prior, he earned 34.7 and 35.1 FD points. He is not automatic whatsoever and comes with risk but this could be a good spot for him as they come off of a 4-game road trip. In fact, Dallas gave up 30.6 FD points to Aaron Gordon last night. I know, Gordon is really good and that proves nothing. Except that Mo Speights also had 32.2 FD points. Seriously, Mo Speights!!!
Quincy Acy (BKN): $3,600 vs. DET
He is a risky play, especially in a slow-paced game against the Pistons. He doesn’t have much upside so the risk might not be worth it, but if you are looking for a near min-priced play then he is a consideration. Acy has reached 5-6x value in four of his last eight games. That is not great but it is better than other players at this price. If you are going to jam in Westbrook and Cousins then you’ll need to take a chance somewhere in your lineup. I am crossing my fingers that a different value play opens up sometime during the day, however.
Center
Bam Adebayo (MIA): $3,700 at IND
As I have already mentioned, if Anthony Davis sits then I am all-in on DeMarcus Cousins. As usual, on a big slate like tonight, you don’t mess with the Center position. You play a stud on FanDuel where you only get one Center. Jokic, Drummond, and KAT are all in pretty good spots but FOMO. I have the fear of missing out on Cousins and don’t want to fade him the night he goes for 70+. True, it is unlikely but it does happen. More importantly, he has the highest floor and without a doubt has the highest ceiling (especially with Davis out). But this is a value article, so I guess I have to talk about a value option in case you are one of those people who doesn’t really care about money. Today’s wasted roster spot that I am contractually obligated to talk about is Bam Adebayo. If you don’t have FOMO and, instead abide by the YOLO mentality, then we might as well go with Bam Bam! He had 53.5 FD points last night in a slow-paced game at Toronto. This after averaging 7.6 FD points in the previous four games, but hey maybe lightning can strike twice with Bam. Have fun. YOLO!
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Jamy Bechler is an NBA fantasy contributor for FantasyPros. His DFS twitter is @WinningDFS101 and his website is www.FantasyFocusFootball.com. Even though he offers his advice on players and contests, after additional information and consideration, he may end up using different players and strategies than what he recommends.
