Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) pushes the ball up the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 50.64 DK - 55.3
Two of the four worst defenses square off in this game with Pistons-Hornets coming in with a 240 over/ under. We are unlikely to get much in the way of ball-stopping here and LaMelo Ball is almost certainly going to be one of the highest-owned plays on the slate. The minutes have been 36 or higher over the last week or so and he’s a triple-double threat in every game. Over the last four he’s averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Plus he’ll get after it with some steals as well. This is a pretty easy play.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 21.37 DK - 23.16
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 30.92 DK - 33.93
De’Arron Fox is out for the Kings on Friday when they play the Pacers and this should be a spot to roster some guys in his absence. Davion Mitchell should get the start though it could be Malik Monk who we see with even more opportunity. The latter has a 29.8 usage rate with Fox off the court this season, easily the highest on the team and even coming off the bench has seen bigger minutes with this group. The price is low enough on both sites to take the moderate risk even if he isn’t running with the starter.
Meanwhile, Mitchell is coming at the stone minimum on DraftKings and should be at least starting. That’s worth it from a punt play perspective. The fantasy elements of his game aren’t overwhelming so there’s at least some risk, but he’s cheap and should see a dramatic increase in minutes here.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 37.3 DK - 39.48
It looks like Tyrese Haliburton is going to sit out on the second half of the back-to-back after returning from injury so that should slot TJ McConnell back into the starting lineup. Though it tailed off a bit after a torrid start, McConnell still has tremendous upside even at these prices because of his ability to kind of get after it in all phases of the fantasy game.
Against a weak Sacramento team that wants to play fast, the price on FanDuel for TJ is almost too low to pass up if he’s in the starting lineup once again. Sure, it’s a little tougher with the Pacers getting healthier outside of Haliburton, but he’s still a play.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 39.26 DK - 43.07
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 27.44 DK - 30.37
The Spurs are going to be without both Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan going against Philadelphia tonight. That’s going to put them at a severe disadvantage and there’s a reason they are +10 home dogs against the 76ers. But without two of their more consistent (for whatever that is worth on this team) players, there should be more opportunity in the rest of the lineup.
Keldon Johnson is one of the few guys who can be “trusted” to play real minutes on this team, averaging around 33 on the season. That’s good news and his price isn’t through the roof knowing that there is a usage bump coming because of the state of the team. He’s putting up 23 points a game over the last two months and has started taking threes at volume.
Meanwhile, Josh Richardson started the second half for Tre Jones last game and could start this one as well. He finished with 29 minutes, taking 13 shots which was the second-most on the team. The balanced line of 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists definitely plays here even if the matchup against the 76ers is suboptimal.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 30.07 DK - 31.65
Jalen McDaniels should draw the start for the Hornets on Friday with Gordon Hayward doubtful for this game. He’s played steady minutes off the bench this season even if the fantasy production has been anything but consistent. For instance, against the Bucks the guy went for 15 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes and then followed that up with zero points and two rebounds in 26 minutes in the next game against the Bulls. It’s up and down to say the least. But this is a great matchup and if the minutes are going to be in the mid-30s then I think he’s worth the play.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 60.03 DK - 62.35
The 76ers could really beat down on the Spurs here, coming in at -10 road favorites against one of the worst teams in basketball. While we might have to worry about some blowout risk, Joel Embiid is on an MVP tear and is able to pile it on in limited minutes. He’s averaging an unbelievable 33.5 points per game on the season to go with 10.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks+ steals. The Spurs aren’t able to offer much in the way of resistance, having the NBA’s worst defense on the season. Embiid makes for a very easy spend-up option here.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 52 DK - 56.12
With Fox out of the lineup, it’s worth noting that Sabonis doesn’t see really much of anything in the way of a usage bump (22.3% from 22%) but the matchup against the Pacers is a good one so he still rings in as a strong play. This game has a 237.5 over/under and Indiana has the fifth-worst defense in the league. Sabonis is able to contribute across the stat line and the sub-$10K price on FanDuel is particularly intriguing especially at a power forward position that is typically on the weaker side of things.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 34.84 DK - 36.2M
Precious Achiuwa should remain in the starting lineup against Houston and is still offering DFS value even at increased price points. The last game was a bit of a whiff, but this is a guy who had double-doubled in five of his previous six games, averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds in that span. The Rockets are a bad team on defense and I think even in the middle tier Precious is worth a cash game play.
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