Tonight’s medium-sized slate features seven games over on FanDuel. The slate has some big injury news at the top of the prize pool, as Anthony Davis remains questionable with an elbow injury that cost him three of the past four games. Right below him, James Harden is set to return to the Rockets’ lineup after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury.
With both players minutes likely to be in question, I will largely be avoiding both and looking to build a somewhat balanced lineup. Here are a few plays at each position that I will be targeting on tonight’s slate.
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Point Guard
Goran Dragic (MIA): $6,300 at ATL
The numbers are in on the Atlanta Hawks defense and – it’s not good. They have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Dragic is coming off a down game against the Hornets, but prior to that, he had posted an average of 32.2 fantasy points across six games. While those numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, Dragic has proven to be a consistent fantasy option with a high floor. At a relatively modest price tag, he makes for a safe play on tonight’s slate.
Tonight’s medium-sized slate features seven games over on FanDuel. The slate has some big injury news at the top of the prize pool, as Anthony Davis remains questionable with an elbow injury that cost him three of the past four games. Right below him, James Harden is set to return to the Rockets’ lineup after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury.
With both players minutes likely to be in question, I will largely be avoiding both and looking to build a somewhat balanced lineup. Here are a few plays at each position that I will be targeting on tonight’s slate.
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Point Guard
Goran Dragic (MIA): $6,300 at ATL
The numbers are in on the Atlanta Hawks defense and – it’s not good. They have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Dragic is coming off a down game against the Hornets, but prior to that, he had posted an average of 32.2 fantasy points across six games. While those numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, Dragic has proven to be a consistent fantasy option with a high floor. At a relatively modest price tag, he makes for a safe play on tonight’s slate.
Damian Lillard (POR): $9,700 vs. LAL
With a 237.5 total, the final game on tonight’s slate between the Blazers and the Lakers might be the most attractive one to target. The Lakers have consistently shown little interest in playing defense this season and that has come across in the 47.2 fantasy points they have allowed to opposing point guards this season (23rd in the NBA). Lillard is no stranger to having monster games and has two games of 58 or more fantasy points already this season. While he hasn’t reached value in three straight games, Lillard is in a prime spot to bounce back in tonight’s likely shootout against Los Angeles.
Honorable Mention: Kemba Walker (CHA): $9,300 vs. CLE
Walker will take the floor against a Cavaliers team that ranks 30th in defensive efficiency rating this season. He carries a monster 33.6% usage rate and is right up there with Damian Lillard as a top play at the point guard position. If there is some value that opens up throughout the day, using a Lillard/Walker combination at point guard is a top option.
Shooting Guard
Zach LaVine (CHI): $8,400 vs. HOU
While James Harden‘s return is bad news for the Bulls, it should be great news from LaVine’s perspective on the offensive end of the floor. Harden’s DRPM rating from the 2017-2018 season isn’t horrendous, but he has often shown little interest in playing defense on a nightly basis. The Rockets are 21st in fantasy points allowed to SGs and LaVine has been the focal point of the Bulls’ offense throughout the early part of the season. LaVine has put up an average of 42.6 fantasy points in his past two games which were tougher matchups. He should have high upside again in tonight’s game.
Dwayne Wade (MIA): $4,700 at ATL
Wade’s production has been all over the map in the early part of the 2018-2019 season, but his minutes have consistently been in the high twenties. The key stat to look at so far this season is Wade’s 25.1% usage rate. Even at 36 years old, he is dominating the ball on offense. The Hawks are ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed to SGs this season and Wade’s price point makes him a solid value on tonight’s slate.
Small Forward
A lot of people are going to be inclined to pay up for LeBron James tonight, but I will largely be fading him in his matchup against the Blazers. He has been excellent to start the season, but there are a few options in the mid-to-low range of the salary spectrum at small forward that makes a fade relatively justifiable.
Rudy Gay (SAS): $6,800 vs. NOP
Gay has been a surprisingly consistent cog in the Spurs’ offense this season and one that has often been overlooked behind DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. At a significantly cheaper price tag than both, I will be taking a few shots on Gay in tonight’s home game against the Pelicans. The Pelicans’ defense is ranked 27th in defensive efficiency as a whole and would be severely weakened if Anthony Davis misses another game. Gay has averaged 36.4 fantasy points over his past three contests and should keep it rolling again tonight.
Sam Dekker (CLE): $4,500 at CHA
With Kevin Love out of the Cavaliers’ lineup for an extended period of time, they will be relying heavily on their young players on a nightly basis. Dekker has been drawing the start at small forward over the past three games and he has responded relatively well so far. He has averaged 25.5 fantasy points per game and has a plus matchup against a Hornets’ team that is ranked 24th against SFs so far this season. His upside is relatively limited, but at $4,500, Dekker grades out as a solid value on tonight’s slate.
Power Forward
Brandon Ingram (LAL): $6,900 at POR
For the sake of running back the Blazers’ game with someone not named LeBron James, Brandon Ingram is my favorite option to fill the void. Ingram hasn’t really had a blowup game to this point, but his sub-$7k price tag and 26.1% usage rate in a high-powered offense are a recipe for success. The Blazers rank 24th against opposing power forwards on the season and Ingram has shown that he is capable of having big games in the past.
Kyle Kuzma (LAL): $6,600 at POR
One of my favorite ways to gain an edge in DFS is rostering two players from the same team at the same position. Ingram and Kuzma will both see right around 30 minutes in tonight’s game and most people will try to decide between one or the other if they’re thinking about rostering a Lakers’ power forward. Let’s take both. Kuzma has averaged 31.4 fantasy points over the past two games with Ingram in the lineup and the Blazers’ 24th ranked defense against power forwards should be exploitable. He is an upside play.
Center
Clint Capela (HOU): $8,400 at CHI
Capela has been catching fire over the past three games with an average of 43.3 fantasy points per game. Even with James Harden returning to the lineup on Saturday night, Capela still has upside in a matchup with the Bulls’ 24th ranked defense against centers this season. The Bulls also rank 27th in rebounding efficiency this season, so Capela should have no trouble dominating the glass on both ends of the floor tonight.
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Jay Brancato is an NBA fantasy contributor for FantasyPros. You can follow him on Twitter @jay_brancato.
