Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic, left, of Serbia, looks to pass the ball as Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, in Denver. The Nuggets won 127-120. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
It's rare to see a small Saturday slate but here we are. We actually have just six games in total, with five of them making up the main slate. That means we're going to omit the Houston-Charlotte matchup which means we get to avoid the James Harden chalk with Russell Westbrook out. It does leave the player pool extremely limited with no player above $10,300 on DraftKings but let's go ahead and get into our favorite plays of the day!
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Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 37.37 DK - 38.49
The Rookie of the Year frontrunner has a ton of motivation right now. Not only does he have Zion Williamson storming up behind him for that award, Morant is also in charge of holding on to the eight-seed in the west, That's a lot to put on a kid's shoulders but his 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game averages show that he's up to the task. His numbers have been even better recently, scoring at least 28 DraftKings points in five-straight while averaging 37 fantasy points per game in that span. That's even more intriguing when you consider the fact that Atlanta ranks 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 25.49 DK - 26.48
These price tags are truly insulting. While Conley did get off to a terrible start, he's been a different player since returning from injury. In fact, Conley has at least 28 DraftKings points in 10 of his 11 games since re-entering the starting lineup. That's the guy that we became accustomed to in Memphis and it's clear that he's finally starting to find his form with his new team. The matchup against Detroit is nice too, with the Pistons ranked 21st in defensive efficiency. All of that means he should be north of $6,000 and it's hard to understand how he's below $5,000 on DK.
Jeff Teague (FD $3800 DK $3900) would be a great option if Trae Young (sickness) is out again.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 31.05 DK - 32.36
The shooting guard position is pretty ugly on this slate, so, let's ride a couple of value plays. Bogdanovic is just that, playing some of the best basketball of his career since being moved into the starting lineup. Over his last 16 starts, Bogey is averaging 25.4 DK points per game. He's actually got at least 24 fantasy points in six of his last seven games in total en route to a 28-point average. That tells us that the youngster if getting more comfortable in this expanded role and that's big news against a Portland team that sits 27th in defensive efficiency. These are two teams with subpar defenses battling for the final playoff spot in the west and that's why you'll see a ton of recommendations from that game in this article.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 30.15 DK - 30.81
With Jaren Jackson Jr and Brandon Clarke both injured, Brooks is firing up shots at will. What adds to his role is the fact that Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were traded too, leading to Brooks averaging 20 shots per game across his last five fixtures. That monster shot total has led to 25.4 DK points per game in that span and it's scary to think how good he could be if he improved on his 40 percent field goal percentage. That could definitely happen here though, with Atlanta surrounding the most fantasy points in the league to opposing shooting guards this season.
Jordan McRae (FD $3800 DK $4500) has been a per-minute monster throughout his short career and could be looking at an extended look for a weak Pistons roster.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 36.81 DK - 37.52
Harris is pretty much the go-to guy in Philly with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson all sidelined. With those three off the floor, Harris is leading the team with a 27 percent usage rate while averaging 1.23 DK points per minute. That role increase has led to Harris averaging 38.4 DraftKings points per game across his last 12 outings. It's also evident when you see that he's taking 17.6 shots per game in that span across 36 minutes of action. All of that is fantastic against a Golden State team that owns a 26th OPRK against opposing SFs.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 27.16 DK - 28.13
Barnes can be a frustrating player at times but our projection system often finds him as a nice value as a result. It's been right more often than not recently, with Barnes averaging over 28 fantasy points per game across his last 11 outings. That's a great total from a player below $5,000 and the hate has simply gone too far for a player who's pretty solid. It's his role that's made his such a solid option, averaging 11 shots and 36 minutes played in that span. Getting to face Portland is the icing on the cake though, with the Trail Blazers owning the third-worst defense in the NBA.
Kyle Anderson (FD $4200 DK $4100) is one of the only wings remaining on this beat-up Memphis roster, which should guarantee him 25-30 minutes.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 35.76 DK - 35.47
Horford has been a different player with Joel Embiid off the floor this season and it's truly bizarre that these DFS sites haven't adjusted to his expanded role. Since Embiid's most recent injury, Horford is averaging 36 DK points per game across 33 minutes of action. That's pretty much on par with what he did earlier in the season, averaging 33.6 fantasy points per game in the nine-game absence for Embiid in January. The simple fact is, Horford gets more usage, touches, minutes, shots and rebounds in the absence of Embiid and it makes it really bizarre that he remains below $7,000. What also makes it strange is the matchup, with Golden State sitting 24th in defensive efficiency.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 30.27 DK - 30.93
This is one of the last times we'll be able to ride Bjelica because Richaun Holmes is expected back shortly. It's actually the absences of Holmes and Marvin Bagley III that have made Bjelica so valuable, with Nemanja averaging 27.4 DK points per game for the season. That's all you can ask for from a player priced so reasonably, as he should play his usual 30 minutes here. The best part of all of this might be the matchup though, with the Trail Blazers allowing the most fantasy points in the league to opposing power forwards. That's clear when you see that Bjelica is averaging 34 DK points per game in their three meetings so far this season.
Mike Scott (FD $4300 DK $4300) has been starting the last two games and that alone makes him a good option in the low $4,000s.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 48.08 DK - 50.09
We've had a ton of value plays throughout this article, so, let's pay up at center for Jokic. The Denver big man has simply been one of the best players in the league the last two months, averaging 24 points, 10.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks over his last 27 games played. That equates to 52 DraftKings points per game which means Jokic should be a five-figure player. That looks even better when you consider that Cleveland surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season while ranked 29th in defensive efficiency.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 37.81 DK - 39.54
With JJJ and Clarke both injured, JV should continue to feast on the boards. While a couple of blowouts have limited his production, Valanciunas is averaging 14.8 points and 18.8 rebounds over his last four games played. He's doing that damage in fewer than 29 minutes of action, with three of those games being decided by 17 points or more. That means he could play 35 minutes if this game stays competitive and that's truly scary with Atlanta owning a 30th OPRK against opposing centers this season. That was crystal clear when JV provided 15 points and 15 rebounds in their one meeting earlier this season despite playing just 25 minutes.
Rudy Gobert (FD $8300 DK $7600) has been a double-double machine all season and should roll right through a 21st-ranked Pistons defense with Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin.
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