Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid in action during an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 46.68 DK - 49.8
Harden is coming off a season-low six points on Tuesday but that doesn't concern me for several reasons. First of all, he had been elite prior to that dud averaging 22 points, 12.2 assists, and 6.6 rebounds over the previous 12 games while tallying over 50 fantasy points nine times(53.9 DK/52.6 FD average). The other reason I am not concerned with a one-game sample is that the 76ers get the best matchup on the slate against the only team ranked outside the Top 20 in defense. The Blazers have also struggled even more in the short term giving up an average of 120 points per game over their last four. All things considered, Harden is a terrific building block in all formats.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 32.98 DK - 33.05
Targeting shooting dependant guards is not always the optimal route in cash games but we have a smaller slate on Thursday and it's hard to ignore Trent's form post-Christmas break. Take out the dud against the Hawks last week, and he is averaging 17.3 shots per game(8.5 per game from behind the arc) and has tallied 18 or more points each of those 11 games while averaging 37 DraftKings points per game. Minnesota is a tougher matchup here but at least it's a pace-up game(MIN 8th in pace) which has me on board with Trent's mid-tier price in all formats.
Also Consider: Duane Washington(PHO) as a GPP play who likely starts again if Chris Paul is out
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 33.73 DK - 33.53
The Suns continue to run short-handed with Booker, Payne, Shamet, and Okogie already ruled out with Chris Paul in the questionable/doubtful category. This likely means another heavy run of minutes for Mikal Bridges who can be boom or bust at times but has provided us with more boom than anything lately tallying 40 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. The Nets are no pushover defensively ranking 6th overall in efficiency but on a smaller slate we just can't ignore the massive opportunity and minutes floor that Bridges provides. I will have exposure in all formats.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 34.61 DK - 33.99
The Raptors are healthy at the moment and what surprises me the most is how they are sustaining multiple players who are providing excellent fantasy value. My favorite and probably the safest of the bunch has been Scottie Barnes who is providing a near-elite balance in terms of fantasy returns averaging 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 blocks+steals in the month of January(9 games). Like most of this slate, the matchup isn't great but the T-Wolves are without KAT and possibly Gobert which boosts Barnes rebounding a ton. Lock and load in all formats.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 33.61 DK - 35.85
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 29.46 DK - 30.94
I mentioned above how Minnesota is short big men at the moment with KAT still weeks away from a return and Gobert is in danger of missing his second straight game after being ruled out last night. Enter some PTS/$ value starting with Naz Reid who could be in line for another start. Going back to mid-November, he has made five starts playing 26 to 40 minutes in four of them while overall averaging over 35 fantasy points per game which includes a dud vs the Bulls where he played just 12 minutes. For Anderson, he has started consistently going back to late Novemeber but hasn't hit his stride until recently where he has now tallied back-to-back games with double-doubles and averaged 34.6 DK points per game over his last six. Stay tuned for news as one or both of these guys could be in play in all formats.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 55.36 DK - 57.
There are only a few elite fantasy players on this slate and Joel Embiid, who is arguably having a career season, is one of them. He has been especially good over the last couple of months averaging 35.5 points. 9.9 rebounds, and a whopping 58.9 DraftKings points per game over his last 19 going back to the start of December. Like I mentioned with Harden above, the 76ers get the best matchup on the board tonight against Portland's 22nd-ranked defense that also gives up the 5th most fantasy points to centers. Fire up Embiid in all formats.
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