Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons receives a pass during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in Portland, Ore., Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 35.34 DK - 39.23
Damian Lillard is going to be out for some weeks and the Blazers will now have to turn to the rest of the team to make up for it in the usage department. While bad for Dame and the team, it’s good for us from a fantasy perspective. Facing off against the Rockets, it means we are getting value in a bunch of places in this lineup. We got a glimpse of this last season when Simons, over the last couple of months averaged 24 points and six assists while he ran the whole show. This team is different now and it won’t all go his way, but he’s still underpriced on both sites considering Dame isn’t in the mix here. And he draws a great matchup in the Rockets.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 40.2 DK - 40.55
With LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier out, the Hornets have needed to rely on Dennis Smith Jr, and from a fantasy perspective, the guy has delivered. Over the last two games, in the starting role, he’s averaging 16 points, eight rebounds, and 2.5 steals. That’s enough to get it done on his DraftKings price at least and he makes for another strong cash game play at point guard while the near-entirety of the Hornets’ backcourt remains out.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 39.04 DK - 41.59
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 26.71 DK - 28.99
Speaking of the Blazers, we might be in a spot where we are stacking these guys even on a bigger slate of games. Josh Hart has been one of the fantasy surprises this season though it might not be in the areas you would think. Sure, the 11 points a game is nice, but it’s the 9.4 rebounds a game that’s really shocking. He’s putting in balanced lines and should see the usage tick up some here with Lillard out.
Meanwhile, rookie Shaedon Sharpe could join the starting lineup in this game (it could also be Justise Winslow). Either would be values in this game. Sharpe has only played 16 minutes a game up until this point, but he’s already shown the ability to score on this level and his per 30 numbers have him averaging right around 15 points and six assists. He would make an excellent punt play if he got the starting nod.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 65.87 DK - 69.2
It’s not hard to make the statistical case for playing Giannis even in matchups that aren’t the best. On Friday he’ll draw the Knicks and is coming off of a 43 point, 14 rebound game against the Nets on Wednesday. In fact, in the first three games of the season, Giannis is averaging 36 points and 13 rebounds. Will that completely keep up? Of course not, but it shouldn’t trail those numbers all that much. On a day where we are going to be able to grab some Blazers value in the mid-range, we should have enough left over to fire Giannis in cash game lineups.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 35.54 DK - 37.49
It hasn’t been totally consistent for Oubre even with LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier out of the lineup, but he’s playing a lot of minutes and has a high usage rate with the Hornets guards out of the mix. He’s taken 18 and 20 shots respectively over the last two games and put up 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in that stretch as well. Against a younger Orlando team, I think we could see this up and down and the court and it opened at a 224.5 over/under.
Strongly consider Josh Richardson (FD 4800 DK 5400) once again. He’s starting for Devin Vassell who remains out.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 36.02 DK - 37.64
It will be interesting to see what happens with Jerami Grant over the short-term with Damian Lillard on the shelf. Statistically, his time in Portland has been relatively low impact and he’s averaging 16 points and just under four rebounds per game with just over double-digit shot attempts. Even though much of the usage likely goes Simons and even Sharpe’s way, there should be at least a moderate increase in attempts from Grant and that’s going to play at these prices. Plus, the matchup is choice against the Rockets.
Strongly consider Jusuf Nurkic (FD 6800 DK 7200)
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 38.86 DK - 42.51
Though Paolo Banchero is now (rightfully) the talk of Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr. has had a strong start to the season with double-doubles in three of the first five games. And unlike last season, the minutes are steadily sitting over 33 per game. That’s a lot of safety for a guy who has a great floor with how he contributes in the fantasy realm. Even without LaMelo, Charlotte is running the 6th-fastest pace in the league, making them a great matchup once again.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 40.56 DK - 42.44
Porzingis draws a good matchup against the Pacers who though they have Myles Turner back are still firmly headed for the tank this season. They are playing the second-fastest pace with the worst defensive efficiency. That’s easily the fantasy sweet spot we are talking about and will be a team to target all season. Sharing the court with Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma does limit the fantasy upside on Staps, but he’s still been productive in his minutes, putting up 17 points and eight rebounds through the first four games.
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