Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Lineup construction is always fascinating on slates like this, though, and we still have a ton to discuss. With that in mind, let's kick things off with some cheap point guards!
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Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 37.44 DK - 39.5
Reggie can be tough to trust, but he's the focal point of this Clippers offense right now. That's not exactly the best thing for Lo Angeles, but it's massive for Jackson's fantasy value. What's made him so good are the absences in LA, with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell all out for the Clips. That has led to Jackson leading the club with a 28 percent usage rate while playing 35 minutes a night. He's also the primary ball-handler and regularly takes 20 shots a game! All of that usage has led to Jackson scoring at least 29 DraftKings points in six straight games, en route to a 37-point average. That should be easy to duplicate here, with Houston ranked dead-last in defensive efficiency and points allowed. In this matchup last week, Reggie registered 40.3 DK points in one of his best performances of the season.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 27.33 DK - 27.61
Burks has had a rollercoaster season in terms of production, but it's easy to understand why. He was relegated to bench duties when Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose were both around, but he's now the starting point guard in NY with both guys out. He actually received 34 minutes in his first start on Friday, and that's pretty much the guy we've seen all year. In fact, Alec is averaging 29 DK points per game across 35 minutes a night in his 22 starts this season. That's all you can ask for from a $5K player, especially when you need some cheap guys to help fill in studs like our next recommendation!
Russell Westbrook has been terrible recently, but his $8K price tag makes him a decent option with his triple-double upside.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 49.16 DK - 50.96
It's just a matter of time before Booker is above $10,000 on each site. The simple fact is, he's running the Suns offense without Chris Paul. He was already averaging nearly 25 shots per game before CP3's injury, but he's now doing all of the ball-handling as well. With Paul off the floor, Book leads the team with a 34 percent usage rate while averaging 1.3 DK points per minute. His numbers have been even better recently, scoring at least 43 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games. He's also providing a 48-point average in that span, and we love that he's averaging 38 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in his two meetings with the Jazz this season.
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 38.7 DK - 40.86
We feel like Hart never gets the credit he deserves. This is one of the best stat-stuffers in the NBA, and he was one of the most productive fantasy players with limited usage in New Orleans. We love that since he's got a career-high usage in Portland, stepping up in the absence of Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic. That's led to Hart scoring at least 26 DK points in 11 straight outings, generating a 38-point average in that span. We certainly don't expect Denver to slow him down, with the Nuggets owning a 22nd OPRK against opposing wings. Not to mention, Josh is averaging 31 DK points per game in his two meetings with the Nugs this season.
Terance Mann is in the best stretch of his career right now and gets the best matchup in fantasy basketball.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 59.72 DK - 60.64
King James has earned the King monicker for a reason. This dude is the best player my young eyes have seen, providing a 40-point floor for the last 20 years. That's certainly been the case this season, with LBJ scoring at least 38 DK points in all but one game this season. The outlier was a game where he got injured, but he was well on his way to that threshold yet again. He's actually been even better recently, averaging 55 DraftKings points per game across his last 35 outings. That's scary for New Orleans because King James' usage and production should be on the rise with Anthony Davis out of the lineup.
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 27.52 DK - 28.92
KPJ is not a small forward, but FanDuel continues to keep him eligible there for some reason. We'll go ahead and take advantage of this mistake because getting a primary ball-handler in at this position is a considerable boost. Porter is in one of the best stretches of his career right now too, scoring at least 28 DK points in 11 of his last 13 games. He's also flirting with a 40-point average in those 11 outings, showing some of the upside that made him an $8K player at times last season. The matchup with LA is brilliant, too, with the Clippers owning a 25th OPRK against opposing ball-handlers. The only real concern is an ankle injury, but if he doesn't end up playing, don't be afraid to pivot to Jalen Green with an expanded role.
Talen Horton-Tucker has played at least 24 minutes in five straight games and remains too cheap below $5K with AD sidelined.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 30.92 DK - 32.59
All the same things we said for Reggie ride with Morris. The Clippers are missing their three best offensive players, and it's left Morris and R-Jax as the key pieces to this offense. Morris has been the primary scorer, scoring at least 35 DK points in two of his last three games. He's actually scored at least 35 fantasy points 15 times this season, and that's a fantastic total from a guy who's only played 37 games on the year. We believe reaching that 35-point threshold is more likely in this matchup, with the Rockets ranked first in pace and dead-last in total defense. Morris showed us why last week, tallying 27 points, five rebounds, and three assists en route to 40.3 DK points against Houston.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 18.83 DK - 19.24
Wow, this is how bad the power forward position is. I honestly looked through this position for about 10-15 minutes before deciding on Bagley, and I want to clarify that this is a GPP play only. The Pistons acquired this top-pick at the trade deadline, and it looks like he'll get every chance to succeed for this weak frontcourt. That alone should guarantee him 20-25 minutes, with Bagley averaging 24 DK points per game across 25 minutes a night over his last 10 games played. That's really all you can hope for from such a cheap player, and we certainly don't mind that he faces a Charlotte club that ranks second in pace and 28th in total defense.
Someone on Portland needs to play in their frontcourt, so don't forget about Greg Brown and Trent Watford.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 56.27 DK - 58.69
The Joker is the best play on every slate. I watched the entirety of the Nuggets game on Saturday, and he looked terrible. In a "terrible" game, Jokic recorded a triple-double! That shows you just how ridiculous this dude is, providing fantasy points at ease. In fact, Jokic leads the NBA with 60.4 DK points per game, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That makes him tough to fade on such a short slate, especially against a Portland team that ranks 28th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points allowed. They posted those ugly numbers when they were at full health, and many people believe they have the worst roster in the NBA without Lillard, McCollum, Covington, Powell, and Nurkic.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 25.45 DK - 24.65
This one pains me because Howard could easily let us down, but it's hard to overlook what he did in the Lakers most recent outing. The big man got a rare start, providing 14 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks en route to 44.5 DK points. That led to an absurd 15X game, which is one of the best per-dollar performances of the season. We have to believe he's earned another start after that, and we love his per-minute averages for the season. Dwight is averaging 16 DK points per game across 14 minutes a night for the year, and as long as he plays at that rate, he's impossible to fade in a 25-minute role. Not to mention, he gets to face a Pelicans team that ranks 20th in total defense.
Mason Plumlee has at least 23 DK points in 14 of his last 15 games while averaging 28 DK points per game, which is terrific from a guy sitting around $5K.
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