Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic against the Golden State Warriors during an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 45.79 DK - 49.14
Friday’s NBA slate is all about managing injuries and determining whether we will have enough information before lineups lock. For the Kings, that might be tough seeing as how they start at 10PM EST and we could be waiting on the Domantas Sabonis news. Sabonis was sick last game, so it’s not an injury and there’s a better chance that he returns. Unlike some of the other guys in the Kings’ lineup though, I think you can feel okay running Fox even if Sabonis is back in the lineup. The Thunder play the 4th-fastest pace in the league and this game has a monster 239 total. There are other Kings considerations if Sabonis is out, but Fox should be on the safer side no matter what.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 44.6 DK - 49
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 30.44 DK - 33.43
Playing Darius Garland and Caris LeVert on this slate is obviously predicated on whether or not Donovan Mitchell sits this one out. He didn’t play on Wednesday against the Grizzlies and this guard tandem held it down from a fantasy perspective. Garland finished with 24 points and 14 assists in his 39 minutes while LeVert put up 23 points, six assists, and four rebounds in a whopping 43 minutes.
And that was against Memphis who have the best defensive efficiency in the league. Now they’ll play Golden State who sit 16th and play the 6th-fastest pace. This game is early so we should have the injury news prior to lock.
He got ejected on Thursday, but I still can talk myself into Ben Simmons (FD 7500 DK 7000) in this game if the minutes are going to be in the 30s.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 34.65 DK - 36.63
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 24.6 DK - 26.03
The Warriors are coming on a back-to-back here after going to overtime against the Celtics on Thursday so it will be interesting to see what happens here. We already pretty much know that Klay Thompson is going to sit out resting on the b2b which will leave some minutes in the starting lineup. That should put Donte DiVincenzo in there to start, though I suppose there’s some chance they go back to Kevon Looney instead. If Donte is in there with the starters, then I think he has a high enough floor at these prices.
And then there is Andrew Wiggins who ran major minutes on Thursday so there’s a chance they manage his minutes on the back-to-back as well. He’s getting up 15 shots a game since his return from injury and the minutes are headed in the right direction. He’s actually struggled from three in that time, shooting only 24% from beyond the arc at almost seven attempts per game. That’s actually served to keep the price relatively in check. I like him as a play here even in a rough matchup.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 21.81 DK - 23.88
The Nets are still struggling but Harris did get things back on track from his own shooting perspective on Thursday evening, going 4-4 from beyond the arc in the loss to the Suns. He’s coming very cheap on both sites and Brooklyn will need his shooting here once again. He needs to knock down the triples to hit value, but over his career, that’s been his c calling card.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 62.73 DK - 66.52
Making the case for Jokic is pretty easy in that, well, he’s amazing. Jokic is having another MVP-level season and it would probably take something weird (like voter fatigue) for him not to win. He’s averaging 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on the season with that latter stat a career-high. He’s also shooting his best from three and has kept his scoring up despite taking fewer shots. If there’s a spend-up on this slate, it’s Jokic against a Pacers team ranked 25th in defensive efficiency.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 43.48 DK - 42.05
The Grizzlies face off against the Lakers on Friday in the game with the highest total on the slate. While Jaren Jackson Jr. is coming a bit on the pricier side for his minutes, it’s with good reason, especially on FanDuel. The guy is an absolute blocks machine, averaging 3.7 per 27 minutes over the month of January, and that’s about on par for what he’s done over the course of the season. The scoring can come and go which makes him a bit riskier, and there is some moderate blowout concern as well. But it’s hard to argue with his upside.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 22.48 DK - 22.68
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 20.87 DK - 20.86
The Knicks are going to be without Mitchell Robinson for the foreseeable future and that’s going to open up center minutes for this squad in the short term. Where they go is something of a wait-and-see, but it stands to reason that both Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims see considerably more run. Hartenstein started the second half last game when Mitch-Rob was out, but it was Sims who played more minutes for the game at 21. Both are lower ceiling options at power forward/ center, but they are both coming cheap as well which puts us in an interesting spot. Let’s see who ends up starting but I think both make for punt plays on this slate.
If Domantas Sabonis is out again then Richaun Holmes (FD 4500 DK 3500) becomes almost a must-play on both sites.
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