Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) pushes the ball up the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 51.05 DK - 54.94
The Hornets are somewhat shorthanded with regular role players in this game with Gordon Hayward and Cody Martin, to name two, out of the mix here. Last game that left a lot of minutes to the starters, and that should once again be the case again on Friday. LaMelo put up a whopping 25 shots last game (a loss to Cleveland) and finished with a team-high 33 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists. The price is way, way too low on FanDuel for this matchup considering the opportunity he has right now. I suspect he’s one of the highest-owned players on the slate on that sight, and possibly on DraftKings as well.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 47.13 DK - 52.08
The Hawks have definitely stumbled some this season but are clawing their way back into the playoff mix, going 7-3 over their last ten with Trae Young putting up some huge performances in that stretch. Over the last five games, Young is averaging 30.4 points and 10.4 assists per game while running about 35 minutes. The floor is pretty high on Young here and the Spurs just traded away one of their better point-of-attack defenders in Derrick White. I like the price on both sites really even if the DraftKings salary is pushing $10K. Over there you will probably have to make a few tougher choices, but Young is definitely in the mix here.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 37.77 DK - 40.63
I suspect we will be stacking some Hornets on this slate considering the team is pretty shorthanded right now and they have shown the willingness to run the starters major minutes. There are a lot of mouths to feed for sure, but the prices on each guy, given the minutes upside, still warrant plays almost across the board. Rozier has run 39 or more minutes in five of his last six games, among the most in the league during that stretch. He’s put up 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists in that stretch with the shooting a bit below his season averages. I think he is priced on the lower end on both sites and he should see a lot of minutes once again.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 26.75 DK - 28.31
The Spurs shipped off Derrick White and some other pieces at the trade deadline on Thursday and could be a bit shorthanded here on Friday. It looks like Vassell will slot into the starting lineup in the backcourt alongside Dejounte Murray and could see a minutes increase along the way. He’s coming off an 18-point game that saw him take the third-most shots on the team (16) behind only Murray and Keldon Johnson. I like the spot for him here against the Hawks who still rank 27th overall on defense this season. The price is especially cheap on DraftKings where he’d be a near-automatic play if he’s in the starting lineup.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 42.21 DK - 44.49
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 35.07 DK - 37.37
As I said, we are going to be loading up on the short-staffed Hornets against a Detroit Pistons team that is playing the 25th-ranked defense on the season who run an above-average pace. Bridges is another candidate to push 40 minutes here considering his versatility and has shown the ability to pour it on fantasy-wise when the time is right. He’s scored 22+ points in each of the last two games and piled on the defensive stats in the short-term as well, putting up 10 blocks+steals total in the last three games. He’s another Charlotte guy coming underpriced on FanDuel especially, but I don’t mind the price on either site.
And with Oubre, I get that this seems like a glut of Hornets coming your way, but as I said, no team has a higher minutes’ floor across the board for their starters than this group. Oubre did draw the start for the injured Gordon Hayward last time out and was able to score 19 points in his 36 minutes. The issue was that he didn’t do all that much else, totally just four rebounds and zero assists. He’ll need to be better around the periphery to still be worth a play at these prices. But he’s shown in the past that it can happen and he’s able to get after it on the defensive end, especially with the steals.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 59.54 DK - 61.89
Though the Philadelphia 76ers made an NBA-shattering trade on Thursday, it really doesn’t change their overall look going into Friday. Sure, they are without Seth Curry, and to some degree Andre Drummond, but the outlook for Joel Embiid doesn’t change all that much here. He’s got an easy matchup against the OKC Thunder and the dude has just rolled this season, putting up MVP-like numbers or 29 points, 11 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.4 blocks+steals per game. Sure, the price is all the way up there now, but he has such a high floor and the state of the overall offense for the 76ers doesn’t scream a team that will just blow them out in this one.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 31.83 DK - 33.54
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 23.41 DK - 25.26
The Pistons stink. That’s for certain. But they shipped off Trey Lyles, Cade Cunningham is still injured and for now, there is at least some minutes' opportunities around the guys who are still left. Grant was a popular play on FanDuel on Thursday against the Grizzlies coming so cheap on FanDuel and was able to perform, putting up 37 fantasy points in his 29 minutes. Meanwhile, Olynyk did see 21 minutes off the bench even in the moderate blowout. He scored nine points and added seven rebounds with a couple of assists. He’s been very solid on a points-per-minute basis this season and would offer a chance at a punt opportunity at a very weak position. Most nights the Pistons are going to be at risk of a blowout, and this game is not different. But they are running against the fastest-paced team in the league in the Hornets who play defense in the bottom 25% of the league.
Strongly consider P.J. Washington (FD 4800 DK 5200) even coming off the bench. He played a lot of minutes in that role last time out.
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