Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Phoenix. The Suns won 115-97. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 40.44 DK - 42.51
This is a weird, three-game slate here on Saturday with all three tilts having pretty wide spreads. So we could be looking at some blowout risk across the board. I still think Paul has a pretty high floor here all things considered against a Pacers’ team that is in the bottom third in terms of defensive efficiency. Paul has double-doubled in three of the last five games with points and assists while adding in a ton on the defensive end as well. The Suns are -12.5 home favorites here against a beat-up Indiana team so we could see CP3 get buzzed off in the fourth if things get out of hand. But that’s the case with about every game here.
And for what it’s worth, Cameron Payne (FD 4100 DK 4600) makes for something of an interesting cash hedge on a short slate. He plays enough minutes (for the most part) to not totally crush you in a regular game. And if it gets out of hand he’d likely be running the 4th quarter minutes as well.
If Jrue Holiday (FD 7900 DK 7700) is in the starting lineup (finally) and not limited then I think we can take the risk on his price. The issue is they are on the back-to-back here and he could rest. George Hill (FD 4600 DK 3400) would become moderately interesting in that scenario.
And we aren’t likely to know the status of Malcolm Brogdon (FD 6600 DK 7400) before lineups lock. He is coming very cheap on FanDuel especially, though has been injured a ton. If he were to sit then Keifer Sykes (FD 4200 DK 3600) would make a good punt play on both sites.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 42.18 DK - 45.88
Booker has been amazing this season, especially over the last month or so. Over his last six games, he’s averaging 30.5 points per game while pitching in rebounds and assists along the way. And the scoring is coming even though the shooting hasn’t been all that efficient in the short term. He’s only 32% from beyond the arc in that stretch, getting help in the scoring category by getting to the line more than usual. It’s all added up to still pouring in the points and he could do that again here against the Pacers. The Suns' guards offer a better chance for lineup building than, say, Giannis only because they are coming cheaper and you can pair them together.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 30.55 DK - 33.86
One thing to note about Giddey here is that he’s mostly blowout proof in that when the Thunder are getting smoked, he’s mostly getting his run no matter what. In the last two, OKC has lost by about 20 in each and Giddey played 33 minutes in both games. That’s a great sign actually for what we can expect here against Cleveland. In terms of teams getting waxed, which might be the theme here, Giddey’s production should be okay. He’s double-doubled in two of the last four games and over the last month is averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. The line is so balanced that you also aren’t relying on just one piece of production to get you there on the prices.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 61.58 DK - 64.7
On this short of a slate he’s going to be a very tough fade even with the context behind the possible blowout. The Bucks are on the back-to-back so there is a chance we really need to keep an eye on if they plan on resting anyone, though I would think Holiday would be the first to go in that scenario. Regardless, if Giannis is playing then we are getting about the highest floor there is in fantasy basketball. He’s put up 30 or more real points in four of the last five games with double-digit rebounds in seven of the last ten. The price is in the stratosphere for a reason and he just provides so much safety. It’s better to take the risks at the lower end of the salary tier and try to fit Giannis rather than go the other way.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 22.3 DK - 23.31
Even with Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert possibly returning to action, I think we can play Craig here in cash on the short slate. He’s drawn the start for Indiana over the last two games and likely will again here on Saturday. He shot poorly in the first one but turned it around against the Warriors in the overtime win on Thursday. Craig finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in his 34 minutes and I think we can expect similar run in this one. The DraftKings price is a bit more palatable.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 32.96 DK - 33.46
With Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner both on the shelf, Goga Bitadze drew the start last game and was on his way to major, major minutes before getting himself ejected. He had 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists at that point and was crushing value. The price has really come up here game-over-game which makes the decision a little closer. I still think he’s basically a lock on DraftKings because that salary didn’t correct nearly enough. But FanDuel could be a problem. There’s a world where this turns into a blowout and he falls well short of the number. But with so few options, I think we just need to take the risk.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 37.05 DK - 37.64
Evan Mobley has seen the price drop here over the short term and now he’s something of a bargain on FanDuel especially. Most of this has been because the rebounds have dropped off some over the last couple of weeks. Sharing the court more and more with Jarrett Allen will do that, but he just isn’t getting on the glass as much. That being said, he’s still taking double-digit shots per game and has been averaging more than two blocks+steals over the last nine games. This helps keep the floor on the higher side all things considered.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 35.96 DK - 38.57
Portis has maintained a solid fantasy floor this season almost no matter what the Bucks’ personnel has been in any given game. This is on the back-to-back for Milwaukee but I’m not all that concerned about his run here. If anything, the team opts to rest some of its other key guys (Giannis, Jrue, Middleton) in an effort to save them in what could be a blowout against the Kings. I think that puts Portis in line for more production if they go that route. But if not, I’m still fine running him here in cash based on the performance.
Still have to consider JaVale McGee (FD 4400 DK 4400) even though the last two starts for DeAndre Ayton have been less than ideal.
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