Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo drives against Charlotte Hornets' Jeremy Lamb during an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Saturday has plenty of action on the hardcourt for FanDuel and DraftKings. There are some teams on back-to-backs and others with new-look offenses. Let's get into all of the plays.
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Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 32.93 DK - 33.16
Lonzo is a good cash game option simply because he scores his fantasy points in a variety of ways. The Bulls have looked very good to start the season and Ball has a strong showing on Friday. He dropped in a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in 35 minutes. The stats weren’t as strong in the first game against these very same Pistons, but I think that could have been an outlier for how the Bulls want to play. The FanDuel price is a little too low on Ball here.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 36.24 DK - 37.89
It wasn’t an amazing fantasy performance for Kyle Lowry in the Heats’ first game of the year, but he also didn’t need to do all that much because Miami smoked Milwaukee basically from the jump. He will, for sure, be a bigger part of this offense going forward and we are buying at a discount on FanDuel especially. The Pacers have let it up on defense through their first two games this season and are coming on the back-to-back. There’s a lot to like about the Heat in this matchup and it might start with Lowry.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 34.96 DK - 35.99
He was only able to get up nine shots against the Bulls on Friday which would typically be an issue for Alexander-Walker because he is so scoring dependent in terms of fantasy production. But he was able to contribute in other ways, racking up four steals and five rebounds that helped him, ultimately, pay the day. This should be a high-scoring game against the Timberwolves and it stands to reason we get back to at least double-digits shot attempts for NAW.
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 30.87 DK - 30.46
With Dillon Brooks out of the starting lineup, Melton has slotted in as a wing and was effective, from a fantasy standpoint, in the first game of the year. He took 14 shots, the third-most on the team, and finished with 20 points. From his track record, there is a good chance the four rebounds and three assists were on the low side as well. This is a good enough matchup against the wing-heavy Clippers and Melton is coming far too cheap on DraftKings at under $4K.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 57.83 DK - 59.94
Anytime he’s on a slate you have to consider him in cash games. That’s just the way it is with Giannis who is among the best fantasy producers, and players we’ve ever seen. The second game of the season was a struggle for the Bucks, getting blown out by Miami. But that shouldn’t be the case here against the Spurs. Giannis is a near-guaranteed double-double with monster upside thanks to the defensive stats and the offense running through him as well. Look, I don’t really need to make the case for why this guy is a good fantasy play. It’s often just whether or not you can afford him. Tonight, I think you can.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 43.48 DK - 45.12
The team results have been bad for the Pelicans in the first two games of the season without Zion Williamson. They’ve lost both in rather unconvincing fashion. But one thing that’s been a positive, from a fantasy perspective is the usage for Ingram. He’s taken 26 and 20 shots respectively in the first two games and that kind of opportunity is still going to be there at least in the short term. I think he’s a totally fair price on both sites considering what the Pelicans are dealing with in terms of personnel and how much opportunity Ingram has in the offense.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 43.84 DK - 44.5
The Pacers have allowed a ton of points to the opposition to start the season and now are coming on the back-to-back following the overtime loss on Friday. Bam put up a 20 point, 13 rebound line in just 23 minutes against the Bucks on Thursday. He should be looking at full run in this one assuming the Pacers can keep it close. With the latter’s offense, I think they can. Adebayo, had he played the full game against the Bucks would be much more expensive on this slate.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 26.91 DK - 26.43
Barnes is coming way too cheap on DraftKings and the Raptors sure seem like they are going to play the rookie major minutes this season. In a blowout win on Friday night over the Celtics, Barnes put up a monster line, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds. His 17 shots were the second-most on the team behind on Anunoby. He nearly double-doubled in the first game as well and got his run even in the quasi-blowout. This game is on a back-to-back so there is some risk, but Barnes has a high floor at these prices.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 51.44 DK - 54.32
If you are looking for another pay-up, top-tier option after Giannis, I think Towns is the way to go. He was awesome in just 29 minutes on Wednesday, going for 30 points and 10 rebounds against the lowly Rockets. He shot 11-15 for from the field and Houston had no answer for KAT in the blowout. This honestly could be more of the same with the Pelicans looking pretty bad through the first two games. If New Orleans can keep it close, then I think we see mid-30s minutes for Towns and the chance to really crush this DraftKings price.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 41.5 DK - 43.74
Valanciunas has failed to put it all together for a game through the first two Pelicans’ outings, but I think it is coming. In the first game, he struggled from the field going 3-19 and scoring just nine points. On Friday, he was super efficient but only took 11 shots. He’s averaged 10 boards in the first two and I think that should continue here against the Timberwolves. I love the matchup and think they will want him on the court a bunch again to deal with Minnesota’s size. The price is way too low on FanDuel still but isn’t likely to stick that way.
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