Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) goes to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, in Washington. The Lakers won 108-104. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Today it's a standard Sunday slate with a bunch of potential value on the board. We'll be keeping a close ear out for injury news tonight as a couple potential pieces will have a domino effect. Relatively short slate coming though when the Lakers are on tap then we know where to start looking. Namely, their opponent.
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Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 45.4 DK Proj. Pts - 46.7
Anytime you can get a guy like Wall against the worst defensive team in the league then you basically have to do it. The Wizards are scrambling to make the playoffs (it's a longshot) and are incentivized to play guys like Wall major minutes. The Lakers aren't the fastest team in the league but they make up for it by being the worst on defense by a large margin. Even on a day with some expensive plays out there, Wall is looking like a great place to start with cash games.
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 36.16 DK Proj. Pts - 36.79
Besides the lack of communication and overall dysfunction of the Kings offense on a nightly basis, this guy is something to watch. He was battling a toe/foot injury early last week but I have no concern in that after seeing his stat line against Phoenix. Although the pace of the game was much faster against the Suns than it will be against Dallas, I still love his matchup especially against J.J Barea if Deron Williams sits. Regardless he’s one of the top tier point guards on the sheet for today’s slate, and he almost always exceeds his value.
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 24.01 DK Proj. Pts - 26.81
At only a $5000 price, he is a very safe starting point guard play on the night. His last few games have been either really hit or miss. With that being said, two of those 5 games he has seen 30+ point production and I certainly think he can meet his average of 20 against a Pacers team who isn’t stellar at guarding the point position. If you’re looking for a cheap play on a very slim slate, I see no reason not to play him and go expensive on another piece of your lineup.
With Deron Williams out again, J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton jump to the top of the list.
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 48.81 DK Proj. Pts - 51.53
Man. On. Fire. His 11,000 price is scary to invest roughly 20% of your team’s salary on. With that being said, his performance over the past week has been absolutely incredible. I thought Dwight Howard was a better play the other night against Toronto, and Harden continuously proves me wrong after every single game. He’s hands down the top SG on the board tonight, and his ceiling continuously is extremely high, no matter the matchup.
Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 26.71 DK Proj. Pts - 28.94
Remember what I was saying about the Lakers and their defense? It applies to shooting guard as well. LA is allowing about 15% more scoring and 8% more assists than league average to shooting guards. Beal is back to playing regular-ish minutes (a double OT game the other night against Minny included) and finding his shot around the perimeter. I love stacking him, Wall and Porter in this one because I think it's a great floor for a lower cost.
Opponent - SAC
FD Proj. Pts - 23.4 DK Proj. Pts - 26.98
The guy has been sent out A TON of minutes with the recent loss of Chandler Parsons. He is almost a MUST own in 50/50 contests, and his ceiling with all of those minutes for GPP play are definitely worth a shot. His salary is cheap enough where he doesn’t have to fill the stat sheet to meet value on a night to night basis. And as of this writing he also has the highest Points/Dollar ratio compared to anyone, at any position tonight.
Strongly consider Jordan Clarkson
Opponent - HOU
FD Proj. Pts - 41.2 DK Proj. Pts - 44.02
There is nothing really that attractive on the Small Forward slate tonight. I think while building a lineup, you’re going to have to target guys who play a ton of minutes and can produce on a consistent basis. A.K.A- Paul George. He’s the Pacers most reliable scoring threat, and can do everything you need across the board each and every night. I wouldn’t think twice about his price, as you simply can’t afford a no show of talent on a short slate like tonight.
Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 25.4 DK Proj. Pts - 26.36
Like I said with Beal, getting a Wiz stack going against the Lakers has a nice floor to it and Porter is part of that deal. He's completely reasonable in price for how many minutes he's getting and Washington's been able to mix him into the offense enough for the shot attempts to be there. Like every other position, the Lakers get housed by small forwards as well and Porter's mid range price works well with cash game safety.
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 25.04 DK Proj. Pts - 28.07
I often never find myself playing opposing matchups, but Ariza is the type of guy who can play a ton of minutes every single night. He may not light up the scoreboard with harden shooting majority of the shots, but his production on the glass as well as defensively is worth is sub-par price. I didn’t have a problem paying for him when he was in the 6,000 range, and I certainly don’t mind paying for him now. Get him active in all your lineups tomorrow night.
Opponent - SAC
FD Proj. Pts - 35.2 DK Proj. Pts - 37.43
I like to call this one; The Revival of Dirk. Have you seen what this guy has been doing lately? It’s like he just got to Dallas 10 years ago and has been tearing up no matter who the Mavericks have faced. He’s certainly getting older, which always gives me some concerns toward injuries and minutes he plays, but the level that he’s playing at is worth his play on both FD and DK until otherwise stated.
Opponent - WAS
FD Proj. Pts - 32.06 DK Proj. Pts - 32.77
Byron Scott has been rolling him out there with confidence over the short term and dude's been going double-double all over the place in his last three. He's averaging a 15/16 in that time frame and crushing these prices. Look for it to keep up tonight against a fast-paced Wiz squad without much in the way of interior defense.
Opponent - HOU
FD Proj. Pts - 23.23 DK Proj. Pts - 24.26
This guy has really impressed me so far this season. His usage is never in question and for a young guy he really adds a nice spark/compliment to the Pacers offensively. He is a tough physical power forward who for this mid-tier price is always a comfortable option. I frankly think his matchup against Houston is certainly favorable especially with all of the minutes that he plays, in what should be a very physical game inside. Gets enough looks in the offense
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 51.12 DK Proj. Pts - 51.73
What can’t this guy do? Dirk Nowitzki should be back in the lineup, but the quickness of Boogie and the lack of down-low presence on the Mavs is devastating if you’re trying to find a way to not play this guy. Besides his price being significant, he’s well rested and simply a game changer. You can make the case the offense runs through a play-maker like Rajon Rondo but honestly, the whole defense is aware of Boogie’s presence every second he’s on the court. His double-double consistency as well as triple-double potential no matter the matchup is what makes him the most appealing big man on the board.
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 33.04 DK Proj. Pts - 33.67
Remember the guy that said to play him against the Raptors? Yeah that was me. I loved him and the sad part is I still do. On a short slate, again I recommend going after guys who have consistent production. After his performance against Toronto, I consider him a very good play at the center position as I don’t think he will be heavily owned and I think he can have a very solid bounce back performance. He’s projected around 35 minutes, against a Pacers team who is so inconsistent on the defensive side of the ball. Get him active.
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View Comments
Yesterday's slate was a blood bath - looking for the value plays in the Spurs/Magic/etc was not the way to go. Hoping for better luck today.
David west got me 8x
boban 6x
Im quite happy with my spurs punts.
those were the ONLY 2
any news on Cousins Today it's talk of him Shutting it Down For The Season
The last few nights have been brutal, I assume this will be the trend until we get to the playoffs. I still appreciate all the work and info you guys spit out everyday, it's done right by me most of the season, so thanks!
Good luck to everyone tonight.
3 nights in a row with a dnp. May have to switch focus to baseball soon. Jon leuer misses last night because of stomach ache
alright what u guys think of for early only on fd
felton
barea
harden
mathews
ariza
george
turner
lee
cousins
I think it's a pretty good lineup
Im going w
Wall, rondo, harden, mathews, Barnes, cj miles, j Randle, dirk , and mejri....what do u think?
Sleights only a good play if Warriors do not go small?What do we think of Ellis as a GPP play?
Why not stacking Beal, Wall and Porter on optimizer?
Just didn't work out that way, mostly because Harden/ Matthews also so good at SG. Porter and Wall in top lineup though.
Did porter and beal miss their flight or something?
Beal got hurt.
BUM