A lot of action on this prime Saturday, as 24 teams are playing with the first game starting at 5:00 PM E.T. The biggest injury for this Saturday would be to Anthony Davis as he’s still nursing a finger injury that’s kept him out of the last two week of games. Players should also keep an eye on Chris Paul as he’ll most likely sit out of the game against Utah given that it’s a back-to-back.
The salary is set at $60k per usual but my lineup had no room for an extra budget as I used all of the $60k allowance.
The most notable player left out of my lineup has to be LeBron James (LAL): $10,900 @ GS. James is just coming back from a five-week hiatus in which he dealt with a minor groin injury. He’s also getting the Warriors on the road in what should be a revenge game for Golden State as they look to redeem themselves from an embarrassing Christmas Day defeat.
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Point Guard
Trae Young (ATL): $7,400 @ PHO
If anyone was looking for a baby “Steph Curry”, then Young would be the one to pick. He’s been on absolute fire over his last four games in which he’s averaged 27 points per. He’s also coming off of an insane performance against the Jazz in which he finished with 46.1 FP. He’s a great play on Saturday as he faces off against the struggling Suns, whom still haven’t figured out their solution to their point guard problem. Start Young and expect somewhere north of 30 FP from him in this one.
A lot of action on this prime Saturday, as 24 teams are playing with the first game starting at 5:00 PM E.T. The biggest injury for this Saturday would be to Anthony Davis as he’s still nursing a finger injury that’s kept him out of the last two week of games. Players should also keep an eye on Chris Paul as he’ll most likely sit out of the game against Utah given that it’s a back-to-back.
The salary is set at $60k per usual but my lineup had no room for an extra budget as I used all of the $60k allowance.
The most notable player left out of my lineup has to be LeBron James (LAL): $10,900 @ GS. James is just coming back from a five-week hiatus in which he dealt with a minor groin injury. He’s also getting the Warriors on the road in what should be a revenge game for Golden State as they look to redeem themselves from an embarrassing Christmas Day defeat.
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Point Guard
Trae Young (ATL): $7,400 @ PHO
If anyone was looking for a baby “Steph Curry”, then Young would be the one to pick. He’s been on absolute fire over his last four games in which he’s averaged 27 points per. He’s also coming off of an insane performance against the Jazz in which he finished with 46.1 FP. He’s a great play on Saturday as he faces off against the struggling Suns, whom still haven’t figured out their solution to their point guard problem. Start Young and expect somewhere north of 30 FP from him in this one.
Jerryd Bayless (MIN): $5,800 vs DEN
Bayless has to be my value play for Saturday night as he’s reaping the rewards of all the point guard injuries that the Timberwolves have dealt with over the past month. Rose is again a GTD and Teague is sitting this one out once again which means that Bayless is in line for more minutes and more points. In their absence, Bayless has averaged 37 FP over his last four and is just coming off of an impressive 51.4 FP performance against the Grizzlies. He’s a low-cost option at the point guard position and he also offers very high-upside as he can get even more minutes if the Wolves keep Rose out of this one.
Shooting Guard
Khris Middleton (MIL): $6,700 @ WAS
Middleton might have some extra incentive to impress in this one as he’s coming off of his first selection to an All-Star game. He’s been quite steady this year as he’s averaged nearly 32 FP per game on the year and has put together a nice four-game run in which he’s averaged 31.3 FP. He’s the Bucks’ second scoring option and that should continue against a Wizards team that is struggling to remain relevant. He’ll most likely either draw Brad Beal or Trevor Ariza but that shouldn’t scare people away as Giannis will take up most of the Wizards’ attention as he’s done all season-long.
Malik Beasley (DEN): $4,700 @ MIN
Beasley or Bayless have to be the best value-plays on the night as they’re both prospering due to teammates’ injuries. Beasley is also coming off of a career-night in which he scored 35 points with five triples. He’s getting more playing time with the injuries to Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, and that should continue once again on Saturday night as both of those players are unlikely to play which means that Beasley will once again draw another start. He’s averaging nearly 30 FP per game over his last four games and that is what players should expect once again against a horrid defensive team in the Wolves.
Small Forward
Tobias Harris (LAC): $8,300 @ DET
The small forward position is usually the toughest of all the positions when selecting teams, but it was relatively easy for Saturday’s slate of games. Harris is the most cost-effective option for what he’s been doing all year-long. Harris has averaged 36.5 FP per game on the year and has put together a nice four-game stretch in which he’s averaged 40.4 FP which included a 39.6 FP performance and 54.1 FP just this week. He draws the porous Pistons defense in this one who has struggled to stop the small forward position all season and that trend should continue as Harris comes into town on fire.
Josh Richardson (MIA): $6,300 vs IND
Richardson is a strong play on Saturday night as the Pacers come into town with a four-game losing streak. Richardson has been the most consistent player for Miami this year as he’s proving to live up to his contract. Richardson has averaged 30.8 FP per game on the year and is coming off of an impressive 32.2 FP against the Thunder on Friday night in which he scored 18 points and also added four rebounds and three assists. Start Richardson and expect somewhere near the 30 FP that he’s averaged on the year.
Power Forward
Draymond Green (GS): $7,300 vs LAL
Green is surprisingly cheaper than expected for this Saturday’s game against the Lakers in what should be a great matchup. He’s also coming off of a strong game against the Sixers on Thursday night in which he had 47.6 FP. In the last three games in which Green has been active, he’s averaged 40.8 FP which is great return on his $7,300 price tag. His scoring stats are that impressive as he’s just scoring seven points per game but his defense, rebounding, and playmaking masker him the great play he is.
Kyle Kuzma (LAL): $6,000 @ GS
Kuzma is considered to be probable for the game against the Warriors, but reports have come out stating that he’s most likely going to play given that he only played 23 minutes. He’s missed two of his past four games but that shouldn’t alarm players as Kuzma is a great play in this one because the Lakers will need someone other than LeBron James to score for them. In his past two games against the Warriors, he’s scored 19 and 16 points respectively. The power forward position is one of the toughest positions to choose from on Saturday as there were a lot of expensive options that could’ve produced more than Kuzma but then that would take away from the rest of the team. Include him in your lineups today as he’ll most likely make you a happy player.
Center
Jahlil Okafor (NO): $7,500 @ SA
Okafor has to be my favorite player in my lineups on Saturday night. He’s reaping the benefits of all of the Anthony Davis drama surrounding the Pelicans at the moment and he’s played pretty well in the two weeks that Davis has missed. He’s averaged 38.4 FP per game over his last four games. The best part about Okafor is that there are no other centers on the Pelicans that will be competing for his minutes. He’s one of the cheapest options in terms of centers and gets to face off against the Spurs who have no real defensive centers on their roster. Okafor should be one of the focal points for the Pelicans not only on Saturday night, but for the rest of the season as Davis might be held out for the remainder of the season.
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Sam Farahbakhsh is a correspondent for FantasyPros.
