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)
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Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 47.58 DK - 52.2
Lillard has really struggled out of the gate this season with the shooting just not coming around through his first four games. He’s hit only 17% of his three (6-35) and is shooting just 33% from the field. It’s been a rough go of it though the Blazers have weathered part of the storm and are 2-2. It’s just not realistic to think that this keeps up for Dame and regression in the form of made baskets should be on its way. With that in mind, the price on FanDuel is just kind of a joke at this point. This is a guy taking 18+ shots a game, playing a ton of minutes, and is just one of the best players in the league. Buying all day here with the early season run bad.
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 54.85 DK - 60.75
Luka really struggled to get going against the Spurs on Thursday, not registering his first rebound or assist until near the end of the second quarter. He bounced back big in the second half though and ended up finishing with 25 points, five assists, and three rebounds. That line is underwhelming, but again almost all of it came in the third and fourth quarters. If Kirstaps Porzingis sits again then I think we can play Luka again no problem even at these prices.
If Lebron James sits again then Russell Westbrook (FD 9400 DK 9700) basically becomes a must-play for the third-straight game. We might not have this injury news ahead of time which could make it a tricky spot.
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 27.93 DK - 30.95
Brunson, like Luka, is more in play if Kristaps Porzingis sits out. In the last two games, the first one in which Staps left early with the injury, Brunson has averaged 15 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in just around 30 minutes per game. He’s well-equipped to pick up some of the scoring slack if Porzingis isn’t in the mix and can play alongside Luka for long stretches because of his ability to slash and get to the basket. Again, we need to wait on the status of Porzingis for this one, but if the latter is out then Brunson is in play.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 36.06 DK - 40.48
The usage has definitely been there for Graham early in this season, averaging more than 14 shots per game and almost nine from three. He’s shooting about 40% from behind the arc and should be in line for about 35 minutes in this one. I love the price on DraftKings especially and paired with Ingram the two have a high floor in an excellent matchup against the Kings. The middle-tier pricing could look weird for some, but I think this is value on both sites.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 43.01 DK - 47.02
The Pelicans stink, but Ingram is enjoying, at least from a fantasy perspective, the spoils of not having Zion Williamson around to start the season. Ingram is playing more than 37 minutes per game and taking a career-high 22 shots. He’s been ultra-efficient from behind the arc, knocking down 48% of his threes. Plus the rebounds are up to 7.6 per game, easily the best mark of his career. The Kings remain one of the best matchups around considering they are near the bottom in terms of defensive efficiency and continue to play at a top-5 pace. Everything is lining up for Ingram to be a high-floor play in this one.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 40.15 DK - 41.86
Anunoby now qualified as a shooting guard on FanDuel, making some of the decisions there a bit easier. We’ve been bullish on O.G. to start the season, especially with Pascal Siakam on the shelf. From a process standpoint, this has been correct with Anunoby seeing a big uptick in usage this season, averaging more than 17 shots per game (12 last season). But with the increased shots we’ve seen a decrease in efficiency and he’s shooting just 38% from the field. If that creeps back up then there remains big upside. This is a dude taking more than eight threes per game and knocking them down at a 37% clip. He has the makeup for a high volume scorer and we are still buying low here.
I’m piling together power forward and center on this slate because a few of these guys qualify for both and all are values depending on the site.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 50.37 DK - 54.5
The Nets have been killed on the glass this season and that could mean a great spot for Sabonis here. Brooklyn allows some of the most second-chance opportunities and opponent offensive rebounds. Sabonis is playing a ton of minutes (there are some OT games in there) and averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Rick Carlisle’s scheme doesn’t give him all of the same opportunity as before, with those per-minute numbers all down since last season. But this is still a guy with a great fantasy floor in a solid matchup against the undersized Nets.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 33.05 DK - 35.24
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 28.94 DK - 30.43
Barnes has come in right away and been a fantasy contributor for the Raptors since the jump. The lottery pick is putting up 17 points and eight rebounds a game while playing more than 35 minutes. It’s an impressive start and the future is bright for Barnes. He’s still coming a bit too cheap on both sites and his small forward eligibility helps on FanDuel as well. Orlando is playing a top-10 pace this season and has the second-worst defensive efficiency in the league. This is a great matchup for the Raptors and Barnes is a solid mid-tier value.
Meanwhile, Achiuwa has been solid in the starting center role for Toronto since coming over from the Heat in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade. He’s double-doubled in three of his first five games and is playing just about 30 minutes per. He needs to get work done on the interior to pay off, but the prices on both sites don’t make this all that risky of a play.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 45.33 DK - 48.47
Without Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas has stepped in and controlled the glass for the Pelicans. Is New Orleans any good? No. But Jonas has had considerable fantasy success with his new team. He’s averaging a whopping 17 points and 15 rebounds. And one could make the case he’s running bad on the shooting with the 41% FG% down considerably from his 56% career mark. In a good matchup against the Kings in what should be a high-scoring game, we are getting him at a value on both sites.
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