Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic, left, of Serbia, looks to pass the ball as Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, in Denver. The Nuggets won 127-120. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 55.06 DK - 57.17
The two most expensive guards on the slate face off against one another tonight and both provide an elite floor/ceiling combination. With Memphis playing on a back-to-back, I slightly lean Luka here coming off 50+ fantasy performance in game one and h wasn't even that efficient shooting 10 for 23 but made up for it going 13 for 13 from the free throw line while adding nine rebounds and six assists. He now faces a Grizzlies team that I mentioned is playing on a back-to-back and has given up over 110 points in both of their games. As long as the price remains under $11K, Luka is going to be a core play for me in all formats.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 33.12 DK - 35.44
This will be the third time writing up Tyler Herro this season for the DFSR crew and it continues to baffle us why the price hasn't gone up yet. He was excellent on opening night giving USA 6x return on both sites and was even better last night putting up a near 7x return. He led the Heat with 21 shots putting gup 25 points and adding six rebounds and three assists while playing 36 minutes. The matchup doesn't jump off the page as the Raptors are an above-average defense but considering they are playing a back-to-back on the road and Herro's is just coming way too cheap, I am on board in all formats.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 41.98 DK - 43.79
While the Cavs ended up losing their first game, management had to be thrilled about their huge off-season deal for Donovan Mitchell. He led the team with 21 shots and a 36% usage rate while posting a monster 50-point fantasy game. The price has gone up on DraftKings but if he continues to play at this level there is a good chance he will be a consistent 10K player on both sites this season. Tonight, he faces a Bulls team that is playing on a back-to-back while the Cavs have had a day to rest. Mitchell is a core play for me on both sites with his best value coming on FanDuel where the price remains in the mid $8K range.
Strongly Consider: Ja Morant(MEM) who has been playing at an MVP level to start the season or for some value, John Konchar(MEM) if Dillon Brooks remains out
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 41.02 DK - 42.63
The Celtics entered the season as a favorite to win the NBA championship and have gotten off to a terrific start beating two other strong contenders in the Heat and 76ers. What I like most about their team from a fantasy standpoint is a large portion of the shots are concentrated to two players and one of them is Jaylen Brown. He is a little more shooting dependent than Tatum but comes cheaper and has started red-hot shooting 62% on 21 shots a game and has topped 45 fantasy points in both games. That is the production we expect from a $9K+ player and while he won't continue to shoot the lights out, he is also likely to add a few more rebounds and assists. This feels like a buy-low against the Magic tonight, especially on FanDuel so lock and load in all formats.
Also Consider: DeMar DeRozan(CHI) who is off to a hit start and provides a very high floor with his elite usage and contributions in multiple categories
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 33.78 DK - 36.56
Banchero is giving the Magic everything they had hoped for when they drafted him first overall this past June. He is playing a ton of minutes(34/35) and not leads the team with a 32% usage rate but has been a beast for fantasy points with 20+ points and 9+ rebounds in both games while adding seven assists and five blocks. This is a back-to-back spot and he faces a tough Boston defense but the price only came up $200 on DraftKings and he is performing like an 8-9K player. I will be buying low before the adjustment and locking the high floor/high ceiling into my lineups in all formats.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 27.64 DK - 29.85
Aldama is in his second season in the league and has stepped into a starting role early in the season with Jaren Jackson out until December. While the shooting took a step back last night(3 for 11) he continued to provide value in multiple areas picking up nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks and ended up with 31 DK/34 FD points. That is a 6-7x return at his current prices which, like seems to be the theme of this article, is a buy-low early in the season. Aldama is once again projected to be a top PTS/$ value on this slate and a core play for me in all formats.
Also Consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo(MIL) as an elite pay-up option facing a weak Houston defense
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 62.03 DK - 65.91
It is clear once again this season that our system is in love with Jokic and it isn't hard to see why as he is looking to become just the fourth player in NBA history to win three straight MVP's joining the company of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird. After a pedestrian fantasy effort in the Nuggets opener, Jokic exploded last night for his first triple-double of the season dropping 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. What did the sites do? They lowered his price as he now enters an elite matchup against the Thunder who just allowed Gobert and Towns to combine for 35 points, 22 rebounds, and nine assists. He is projected slightly below Giannis in raw points but at a slightly lower price, stands out more from a PTS/$ perspective and is our top overall play on this slate.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 27.71 DK - 29.39
If you are looking to go a bit cheaper at the center position, Zubac makes a ton of sense coming off a monster first game of the season. He played 35 minutes and while he only took six shots, he made them all and more importantly provided elite value with secondary stats adding 17 rebounds and five blocks. While I don't expect another ceiling game from him, the price is still in a good spot, at least on DraftKings, to be considered a core play in close matchup against a below-average Kings defense.
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