This is probably the strangest week of the season based on how many games are being played each day. It feels like we either have three games or 12 every other day this week, making it really annoying as a DFS player. We’ve mentioned before how we love the slates with 6-7 games, and we don’t have many of those this week. In any case, we’re going to keep grinding and conquer this small slate.

After a massive 12-game ledger on Monday, we’re down to just two games for this card. Breaking down two games is about as easy as it gets, but it’s not effortless to play these slates. There’s chalk that everyone will use, and capitalizing on the cheap guys is more critical than ever. There’s still a lot to discuss, though, so let’s go ahead and get started!

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Schedule and Odds

MIN at NYK (MIN -2) O/U: 212.5
This is the game we want to stack. It should be a close one between two inconsistent teams, and it’s going to be where most of the fantasy value comes from.

DET at GSW (GSW -14.5): O/U: 215.5
We have one of the best teams in the NBA facing the club with the worst record. It wouldn’t be shocking if it’s over before the fourth quarter, and it has me fading all the Pistons players.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Kemba Walker (knee) Questionable
• Derrick Rose (ankle) OUT
• Nerlens Noel (knee) Questionable
• Cam Reddish (ankle) OUT
• Jerami Grant (hand) OUT
• Kelly Olynyk (knee) OUT
• Frank Jackson (COVID) OUT
• Stephen Curry (hand) Questionable
• Draymond Green (calf) OUT
• James Wiseman (knee) OUT
• Gary Payton Jr (back) Questionable

Core Plays

Karl-Anthony Towns (C – MIN): $10,200 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
KAT should be in every lineup out there. The big man has scored at least 38 DraftKings points in 17 straight games, generating a 48-point average in that span. That sort of consistency is impossible to overlook in a two-game slate, especially with the Knicks surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers. In his two most recent games against the Knicks, KAT is averaging 22.5 points, 16 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game.

Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $9,200 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
Randle has regressed after a 2020-21 All-Star campaign, but he’s going to be tough to fade on such a short slate. The southpaw has scored at least 36 DK points in 18 of his last 21 games en route to a 40-point average in that stretch. That reliability is enormous in such a short slate, and we certainly don’t mind that Minnesota ranks fifth in pace and 18th in points allowed. Despite shooting 5-of-20 from the field in their first matchup earlier this season, Randle still dropped 37 DK points!

Cash Game Considerations

Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $10,600 DraftKings, $10,600 FanDuel
It’s unclear if Curry will be ready to play here, but the MVP candidate is an easy choice if he does suit up. The sharpshooter has scored at least 27 DraftKings points in all but one game this season, providing a brilliant 44 DK points per game. That should be easy to duplicate with Golden State being such massive favorites, and this is the sort of dude that can go off, even if he only plays three quarters. The matchup with Detroit is dandy too, and we’ll discuss that more later on!

Patrick Beverley (PG/SG – MIN): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Pat-Bev has quietly been really good this season, and it’s hard to understand why these DFS sites are keeping his price tag so low. The feisty guard has scored at least 23 DK points in 13 straight games en route to a 31-point average. That floor and average are both absurd from such an affordable player, and you better believe that Beverley will be playing as hard as even in a place like Madison Square Garden.

Alec Burks (SG – NYK): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
With Walker and Rose both nicked up, Burks has picked up a ton of ball-handling duties in NY. He’s actually started the last six games without those guys, averaging 33 fantasy points per game in that span. His stat-stuffing in the last two games is a good indicator of how important he is to this offense, collecting 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists in those two outings. He did that damage with fewer than 10 shots in each game, and it’d be scary to imagine how good he could be if he takes the 15 shots we’ve become accustomed to!

GPP Targets

R.J. Barrett (SG/SF – NYK): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Don’t look now, but Barrett appears to be breaking out! This dude was one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA through the first two months, but something has changed recently. In fact, R.J. has at least 26 DraftKings points in nine straight games, accruing a 37-point average in that span. His minutes and usage have been on the rise along with his production, and we can’t count out a Top-3 pick having a breakout at 21-years-old. We also love that Minnesota surrenders the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards as well.

Otto Porter Jr (SF/PF – GSW): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
It was unclear who would step into the Draymond role, but OPJ looks like the guy. Porter was a stud just a few years back, and he’s returned to that player recently. Over the last 12 games played, Otto is averaging 30 DraftKings points per game. Most of that damage came with Draymond on the floor, with Porter scoring 36 or more DK points in the last two games without DG.

Jordan Poole (SG – GSW): $6,000 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
There’s a chance that Curry could be rested here after dealing with a minor hand issue, and if that’s the case, Poole would be the play of the day. JP actually leads the team with a 31.3 percent usage rate with Curry and Draymond off the floor, averaging 1.1 DK points per minute. The simple fact is, he could be looking at 20 shots and 40 minutes if that ends up happening, making him the best GPP play on this slate.

Value Plays

Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Robinson is quietly turning his season around. An injury to Nerlens Noel is the thing that’s really kept him rolling, keeping Mitch-Rob on the floor as much as possible. In fact, Robinson has played at least 25 minutes in 11 of his last 12 games, recording double-doubles in three-straight outings. That playing time should continue to oppose a guy like KAT, which was on full display when Robinson dropped a season-best 44 fantasy points in their one matchup earlier this season.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
Looney has really stepped up in the absence of Draymond Green. The big man is averaging 6.6 points, 11 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals over the last four games played. That might not sound like much, but it equates to nearly 30 fantasy points per game. That’s a massive total from such a cheap player, and we love that he faces a Detroit team that ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency and 24th in points allowed.

Advantageous Pricing

• Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $9,200 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
• Patrick Beverley (PG/SG – MIN): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
• Otto Porter Jr (SF/PF – GSW): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Jaden McDaniels (PF – MIN): $3,500 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
• Saddiq Bey (SG/SF – DET): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
• Cade Cunningham (PG – DET): $7,500 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
• Hamidou Diallo (SG/SF – DET): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
• Cory Joseph (PG – DET): $5,200 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
• Isaiah Stewart (C – DET): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel

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