Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (7) dribbles the ball up the court against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
It’s another jam-packed Friday slate of NBA action and there is plenty to like in terms of value on DraftKings and FanDuel.
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Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 42.26 DK - 42.95
With Terry Rozier out of the lineup, LaMelo became a very popular DFS play on Wednesday and man did the second-year guard ever pay off. In just 29 minutes, Ball went for 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He took a staggering 23 shots in that run with he and Gordon Hayward dominating the usage for the Hornets. I’m a little concerned with him not cresting over 30 minutes in a close game, but everything else about Ball lines up perfectly from a fantasy standpoint.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 44.06 DK - 46.23
We had Brogdon as a core play going into the first game of the season and though he got off to a slow start, it more than worked out. Against the Hornets on Wednesday, Brogdon finished with 28 points and 11 assists and that was even with less than efficient shooting from the field. With Chris Duarte starting for the Pacers, they do have some more scoring in the starting five, but the minutes on the Pacers’ starters were high even under Rick Carlisle and they should remain that way. Brogdon was a low-owned option on Wednesday and could be that way again on Friday. But he is a good play.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 31.57 DK - 32.45
Maxey got the start for the suspended/ holding out/ confusing Ben Simmons in the 76ers’ first game of the season and it was an overwhelming success. The young guard finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a complete performance. He was overwhelming chalk on that first slate, though the price has come up. I think he’s still a value against a Nets’ team that looked rough on the defensive end in the first game. Simmons is doubtful here and Embiid is questionable. There should be plenty of shots for Maxey in this one.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 37.61 DK - 37.41
It was a rough first outing for the Raptors and Anunoby, but I’m still very much a believer here. He played 34 minutes in the loss even though the Raps were mostly getting blown out. And he also put up 17 shots, second-most on the team behind VanVleet. The problem was that none of them went in. He went 5-17 from the field and 2-9 from three. That’s just run bad to start things off. I’m not off the train yet and think he is in for a big season without Pascal Siakam there early. Keep believing here. We are getting him at a great price on DraftKings.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 32.04 DK - 33.46
Kuzma made the most of his move to Washington in the first game of the season. Getting the start right out of the gate, Kuzma played 35 minutes and took 13 shots with his new team. The ultra-encouraging number though was the rebounds, ripping down 15 boards while also adding in three steals and a block. While these fantasy returns might be a little bullish, the 11 points look low with the usage so I think things even out some. He’s an excellent value on both sites, but especially on FanDuel.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 33.86 DK - 34.42
Barton struggled with some injuries last season which had him miss a bunch of regular season and playoff games. He looks fully healthy now and will pick up more of a usage load with Jamal Murray on the shelf with the knee injury. Barton took the second-most shots on the team (14) in the Nuggets’ first game of the season and finished with 20 points. He’s always been able to contribute across the stat line and looks poised to do that with Denver again this year.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 51.34 DK - 54.23
There was already a lot to like about Sabonis going into this season and he put a lot of it on display in the first game of the season. Against the Hornets, he dropped in 33 points and added 15 rebounds while also shooting six threes. The offense did run a little differently than last season, but he’s still as actively involved as any big man in the league. The price came up a little on both sites, but not enough. Washington looked plucky in their first game of the season with a lot of new personnel, but this is still a good matchup for the Pacers.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 38.95 DK - 37.63
Robert Williams, the Time Lord, played a staggering 45 minutes (35 in regulation) in the double-overtime loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. For an injury-prone (ish) guy this is a little alarming, but for fantasy purposes it’s amazing. He finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight(!) defensive stats (five blocks, three steals). If this is the new world order for his run, then he is way, way too cheap on DraftKings especially. The defensive stats give him such a high floor and there is double-double potential every game now.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 40.37 DK - 40.59
His playoff deficiencies aside, Gobert remains an excellent fantasy option many nights because of the rebounding and defensive upside. He put both on display in the first game of the season grabbing a ridiculous 21 rebounds against the lowly Thunder. OKC missed a ton of shots, which won’t be the case with every opponent, but Gobert should be good for a steady diet of boards all season regardless.
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