Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives the lane in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Saturday, March 26, 2016. The Raptors won 115-91. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
After a jam-packed Wednesday night, the NBA has left us with just 3 games on tonight's slate. There are only a few guys to pay up for and plenty of value to choose from. All 3 games should remain close and there isn't 1 game that stands far above the rest. Let's jump in and take a look at the top plays at each position.
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Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 28.94 DK - 28.04
After a juicy Wednesday NBA slate, we have just 3 games on the main slate. There's another game earlier in the day, but we'll be ignoring that one. We kick things off at PG with some injury-dependent value. Lowry is officially questionable, but has looked closer to doubtful. In his absence last game, Delon Wright player 29 minutes and put up 33 fantasy points. It was a tough match-up with a Heat team that plays slow and does a decent job against PG's. tonight, he'll draw Isaiah Thomas and no rim protection. LeBron should be all over DeRozan and there will be plenty of usage to go around. If Lowry is out, bank 28-35 minutes and 25+ fantasy points for Wright. The ceiling is a lot closer to 50 and very realistic. His price has slightly risen, but he can be played on either site.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 26.22 DK - 26.52
With Milos Teodosic and Austin Rivers both out in the last 2 games, Jawun Evans has played 39 and 36 minutes. He struggled against the Warriors last night (18 FP), but put up 43 and 30 fantasy points the 2 games prior. The Warriors are always a weird match-up and even more so with guys like Livingston and Iguodala playing most minutes at PG. Tonight, they face off with a porous Kings defense. They're league average against PG's on paper, but De'Aaron Fox has a long way to go as a defender and he doesn't have the best help behind him. Evans is far from reliant on any 1 stat and has done a good job of keeping himself involved even after the first pass. Point Guard is weak on this slate and Evans is a stone lock for cash value if he gets those minutes again. Make sure Teodosic is ruled out and plug Evans into your cash games.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 45.99 DK - 46.4
There are 2 ways to pay up at SG. DeMar DeRozan and Lou Williams. After putting up 50 real-life points against the Warriors in 35 minutes just last night, I don't think he sees a full allotment of minutes tonight. It's entirely possible he does with Griffin out and it's why he's still an elite tournament play, but I prefer DeRozan. With Lowry expected to miss, he's going to get 20+ shots and is in a solid match-up. LeBron is a tough defender, but don't think he stays on DeRozan until the 4th. D-Wade and J.R. Smith will be on him for most of the game and he will have a chance to have a big one. Even on LeBron, this is one of the leagues best pure scorers and he's missing his point guard. The game is expected to stay close and you know DeRozan will want to represent on TNT against the EC Champs. You can lock in 35+ fantasy points with the upside for 60 if it remains close and is high-scoring.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 23.74 DK - 24.13
Ginobili sat out last game for rest purposes, which is nice to see. It means he has a concrete role in the offense and will be looked upon for his 18-25 minutes every night. He's always going to procure when on the floor and it just comes down to how hot from the field he is. He put up 40 and 34 fantasy points in the last 2 games. He couldn't miss from the field and posted just enough peripherals to push him over the edge. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is regarded as a good defender, the Lakers rank 3rd worst against shooting guards. It has a lot more to do with him not having. A single rim protector behind him. In any sense of the word. They are simply an easy team to score on that don't give many variations of pure man to man defense. Ginobili should have no problem putting up 20 fantasy points and has the upside for many more. He's not the most exciting roster, but he's cheap and at one of the weaker positions.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 55.79 DK - 56.63
Now for the only true superstar on this entire slate. With LaMarcus Aldridge being the 2nd most expensive, LeBron is the only guy who comes in over $10k. For this reason alone, he's going to be popular. When you combine that with a strong match-up and a close game, he should be in every single lineup. The Raptors don't really have any true SF, so DeRozan will split time with Powell/Anunboy there. None of them have the size to slow LeBron and he will dominate from the opening tip. He's extremely easy to fit across the board and I really don't see the merit in a fade. The position is ugly as a whole and LeBron could easily outscore the field by 40. He is expensive, but there's plenty of value on this slate and you won't find a lineup of mine with James. Let's hope some of the field stays away because of a bad last game.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 28.96 DK - 27.76
With Kawhi already ruled out, this is an easy one. Kyle Anderson is obviously a very volatile player, but he's going to get the minutes and the match-up is excellent. His usage has jumped over 15% the last 2 games even though he has not put the ball in the basket. If he can get his above-average jumper to fall, the damage will be done. He's getting the opportunity to handle the ball as well for the 2nd team and has done a very solid job. His price is still fair across the industry and he'll only need you in the mid 20-s to hit value in cash. Small forward is one of the least enticing positions, with an obvious pick at the top, none of these cheaper options should be more than 30% owned. Anderson is always annoying to roster, but the usage and minutes are locked in against a bottom 5 defense. Do with that what you will.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 29.11 DK - 27.87
Pascal Siakam was already picking up 15-20 minutes on most nights, so the loss of Serge Ibaka is going to do wonders. He will easily get over the 30 mark and could approach 40 if playing well. We know they don't like playing the centers (Val, Poeltl) big minutes and Siakam has shown the ability too easily in the past. The match-up with Cleveland is always an intimidating one, but they rank 21st against Power Forwards and don't have much of any paint presence. Siakam is one of the easier plays on the entire slate as a minimum-priced option that is locked into 30+ minutes and 10+ shots. If you fade this play in any format, you're playing with fire. You'll more than likely get burned.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 43.89 DK - 43.51
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 22.04 DK - 22.51
The Spurs offer up 2 power forwards tonight at 2 very different price points. On the high-end, LaMarcus Aldridge is back to being the focal point of the offense with Kawhi Leonard out. He's put up 48 and 54 fantasy points in each of the last 2 games and now sees his best match-up yet against the Lakers. Kuzma and Nance are both undersized at the 4 and LMA is a guarantee to do damage against either. His price is high, but there are only a few guys to pay up for and he is right there. As for Davis Bertans, he's been seeing big minutes recently and is always producing when given the opportunity. Over the last 4 games, he's seen 27, 27, 31, and 30 minutes. He hit value in every game and has finally gotten his price over $4k. With Kawhi out once again, you can bank on 28+ minutes and 20+ fantasy points. I still prefer Siakam for the value, but don't hate pairing them up and paying up elsewhere. Both of these guys are elite plays in all formats that I'll have plenty of.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 44.02 DK - 45.01
With just 3 games on the board, Center isn't great. We have a few options to pick from, but it's often a lot better. DeAndre Jordan is the most expensive of the bunch and certainly our favorite. With Blake Griffin out, he makes his presence felt in a huge way. He's been over 15 rebounds in most games without him and has been flashing some 20+ real-life point upside. He's hit 50 fantasy points in 2 of the last 4, but draws his real appeal in consistency. Over the last 19 games, he's been over 30 FP in 18. Over 40 in 6 of them. He sees a match-up with a Kings squad tonight that will warrant his size and attention. Willie Cauley-Stein is a decent defender, but the Kings rank 29th against the Center position for a reason. Book Jordan for 35+ fantasy points with the upside for another 50 burger. His price is still fair on both sites and doesn't need to be questioned until he gets over $9k.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 35.7 DK - 38.62
There's no doubt that Kevin Love has been playing terribly inconsistent. He saw just 20 minutes in 2 of the last 4 games and hasn't been stretched over 30 in a week. With that being said, we know how involved he is in this offense and his price is depressed. To be clear, he's far from safe, but could easily go and pull 50 fantasy points in an average performance if given the minutes. The Raptors rank 21st against centers and should be even worse with Serge Ibaka out of the lineup. Valunciunas and Poeltl will both struggle getting to the perimeter and Love will have a huge game if he can get his deep shot to fall. Under $7k on FanDuel, I'm forcing him into my tournaments.
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View Comments
11 players showcased & a person couldn’t duplicate picking this many terrible plays on this small of slate ever again. Better odds winning the lottery.
Horrible f’ing picks today the absolute worst I swear