Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives around Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto, left, in the first quarter during an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
If you love DFS chaos, this is the slate for you. We've had three postponements already, and it's scary to think how much will change in the next 24 hours. What's even more concerning is the fact that we have nearly 10 teams on the second half of a back-to-back set. That causes even more mayhem, and this slate will be all about following the news. With that in mind, let's get into it!
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Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 51.78 DK - 54.54
With Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum missing games, Lillard is an easy pick. He's actually got a usage rate north of 30 percent with those guys off the floor, regularly averaging 35 minutes and 20-plus shots a night. That monster role has led to some ridiculous production, scoring at least 48 DraftKings points in 13 of his last 14 games. That monster floor looks even more enticing when you consider that New Orleans ranks 28th in defensive efficiency, plummeting down those standings over the last three weeks.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 35.3 DK - 36.43
Murray didn't play a great game by the eye test on Tuesday, but he somehow finished with a monster fantasy game. He had nine turnovers but still provided 25 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in one of his best stat-stuffing games of the year. The nine turnovers are actually slightly encouraging because it shows just how much usage he's getting right now with Denver being so shorthanded. They're currently without Monte Morris, Paul Millsap, and Will Barton, which should force Murray into another monster game. The matchup might be the best part of this play, though, and we'll discuss that more later.
If Facundo Campazzo gets another start, don't overlook him in Denver.
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 54.7 DK - 56.08
It's extraordinary to see Beal below $10,000 on both sites. This dude is leading the NBA in scoring and dropping 50 fantasy points on a nightly basis. In fact, BB has at least 40 DraftKings points in 22 of his 23 games this season, averaging exactly 50 fantasy points per game. That's really all you can ask for from a four-figure player, and he should have no problem duplicating that floor against a Denver team that ranks 21st in total defense. They also happen to be playing shorthanded and in the second half of a back-to-back set, making their defense even harder to trust.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 27.11 DK - 26.74
Mann has quietly had a really solid year for the Clippers, and he's been very productive whenever Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been out of the lineup. They're also without Patrick Beverley, forcing Mann into the starting lineup and 30 minutes of play. If you look at the six games Mann has played at least 25 minutes, he's scored at least 20 fantasy points in all of them en route to a 26-point average. That's a huge total from a $4K player, and it looks even better when you see his 28 DK points across 37 minutes on Monday. We also don't mind that he's a young guy who probably won't be affected if this game is a blowout, which is definitely a possibility.
Don't forget about Lou Williams running the Clippers offense too.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 48.2 DK - 47.49
Can we give Jimmy Buckets some credit? This dude has come off the COVID list and is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He's actually scored at least 44 DK points in eight of his nine games since returning, averaging 22.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in that span. We've never seen him play a distributor role like this, and he should continue to do it with Goran Dragic sidelined. What adds to his intrigue here is the matchup, with Golden State ranked second in pace and 19th in points allowed. They've also surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards, and that's really what Butler plays in this role.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 46.78 DK - 47.47
Grant's numbers have been dropping a bit recently, but he's been too reliable to be this cheap. We're talking about a guy who's scored at least 28 DraftKings points in all but three games this season, leading to a 39-point average. How often do you see a player below $8K averaging 40 fantasy points? That alone makes him attractive, but we love this matchup too. Chicago currently ranks third in pace while sitting 27th in total defense. If this game stays close as we expect it to, look for a massive shootout with Grant and Zach LaVine going back and forth.
Michael Porter Jr had a nightmare game on Tuesday, but the Nuggets need him to do more with so many players sidelined.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 30.84 DK - 27.05
Noel is eventually going to get to $6,000 on both sites. We say that because he's starting for the injured Mitchell Robinson, playing 30 minutes a game in this role. This is a dude who provides about 1.2 DK points per minute for his career, and if he gets 30 minutes a night, we should be looking at a 30-point floor. That's usually what you see from a $6,000-$7,000 player, and it's crazy that he's hovering around $5K here. Orlando's 20th-ranked defense doesn't really hurt either, and the fact that they're missing so many offensive weapons could lead to Noel providing double-digit rebounds and a handful of blocks and steals.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 31.39 DK - 33.01
Green was a disappointment on Tuesday, but we're going right back to the well. Denver is currently missing Paul Millsap and Will Barton, opening up tons frontcourt minutes for Green. He actually played 28 minutes on Tuesday, and if he does that again, we love him at this price. We say that because this is a dude who's averaging 21 DK points per game in just 20 minutes a night for the season. If he continues to provide a fantasy-point-per-minute, he could go off for 30-plus here in the expanded role. The matchup is simply the icing on the cake, though, with Washington playing at the fastest pace in the NBA while ranked 29th in defensive efficiency.
Serge Ibaka could be asked to do more with George and Kawhi both sitting.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 58.5 DK - 60.88
This is such an easy pick! Jokic is the league leader with 60 DK points per game, and half of his team is missing. That means the best player in fantasy will see an expanded role, which was on full display when he collected 43 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 16-of-23 from the field on Tuesday. Getting 23 shots and 37 minutes like he did on Tuesday looks like the floor here, and he could easily post a 40 percent usage rate in this spot. That's horrifying for a team like Washington, surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers while owning the ugly defensive statistics mentioned in the last write-up.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 28.61 DK - 29.42
Olynyk never gets the respect he deserves in terms of price. This guy has been solid all season long, and he should really be closer to $6,000. The crafty big man has actually scored at least 23 fantasy points in eight of his last nine games, providing over 30 DK points in a handful of games this year. That's a crazy total from a sub $5K player, and one has to believe he'll be asked to do more with Dragic still sidelined. The matchup only adds to his value, with Golden State running at the fast pace mentioned before while playing a lot of small-ball. That's a recipe to success for an undersized big like this!
If Al Horford plays, he's a great option. If not, don't forget about Isaiah Roby, around $4K!
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