Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 39.79 DK - 42.76
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 24.04 DK - 26.69
CJ McCollum has been a popular play over the last couple of games, but that’s been contingent on Brandon Ingram being out of the lineup. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether Ingram will sit again on Thursday with the knee soreness, but he has been ruled out on the earlier side for each of the last two games.
McCollum sees a big usage and on-ball uptick, taking 17 and 21 shots in each of the last two games. And now he’ll be facing a Pistons team that is middling in terms of pace and actually slightly above average in defensive efficiency. With CJ, make sure the Brandon Ingram news is set before clicking the button.
Additionally, Jordan Hawkins would fall into this same kind of contingent spot as McCollum if Brandon Ingram were to sit. Hawkins got the start in each of the last two games, playing 35 and 37 minutes each.
The rookie was a chalkier play on Wednesday and got up a whopping 19 shots though struggled with efficiency making only four. He would be close to a lock at his current pricing on both sites if he were to start again so we will need the news on Ingram first.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 34.22 DK - 35.77
After drafting Anthony Black and keeping Cole Anthony, it was thought that Markelle Fultz could struggle a bit with playing time this season. But that hasn’t been the case, especially in the last couple of games going 32 and 33 minutes respectively. He doesn’t shoot threes, but is able to maintain a higher fantasy floor because he does get to the rim and rebound the position well.
He’s yet to put it all together in one bigger game this season, but there’s reason to expect it at some point. The Jazz have been the third-worst defensive efficiency team so far this season and this is a good spot for the Magic.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 29.35 DK - 31.46
With the James Harden trade, the Sixers also sent out PJ Tucker in the deal which does have some implications for this squad. Namely, Kelly Oubre will get the start at the power-forward slot, at least for the time being. He’s had a solid opening run for Philly since the off-season free agent signing, getting up close to 13 shots per game, averaging 19 points and four rebounds.
He’s 0-10 from three over his last two games also, which is set to regress of course. We are getting him at a solid discount with minutes that should push up and over 30 minutes in this game.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 25.96 DK - 28.51
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 25.72 DK - 26.99
The Suns are still without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, meaning the minutes for these wings has been steady and safe over the opening stretch of the season. That should continue here in the follow-up game to the Sun's crazy loss to the Spurs on Tuesday. That was Grayson Allen’s best game of the season, going for 19 points and seven boards in 37 minutes. He’s shot better than 43% from beyond the arc so far and should see plenty of run tonight.
Meanwhile, Josh Okogie should remain in the starting lineup, though his production can be a little more hit or miss. He isn’t a candidate to play as many minutes as Grayson Allen though is coming cheaper on both sites. All things considered, there are some shots for him in this offense, but he does need a little more luck for things to break right.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 57.63 DK - 60.4
In terms of payups, it’s tough to beat Joel Embiid on this slate. Dude is coming off the MVP season and has been a monster in the first three games already. He’s putting up 31 points, 10.3 rebounds and four blocks+steals per game. Not many other players are able to maintain this type of floor on a game-to-game basis, but Embiid isn’t like many other players. The James Harden distraction is over now, the team looks slightly different and Embiid should continue to dominate. Don’t plan on fading him in cash games for this slate.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 43.5 DK - 45.77
Zion Williamson was a popular FanDuel play on Wednesday, and for good reason. His price had stagnated early in the season and the PF is traditionally tough to fill on that site to begin with. The key bounce back piece for Zion on Wednesday was the rebounding coming back some, grabbing 10 boards against the Thunder.
That hadn’t been there in the first few games. It’s still a concern that the defensive stats are nearly non-existent, registering just two steals and no blocks through the first four games. It’s tough to tell if that’s just bad luck or a sign that he doesn’t have a ton of juice on that end. Either way, he’s still a play here at the FD pricing and the defensive stuff could just be bonus.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 29.52 DK - 31.87
Playing Marvin Bagley III has everything to do with whether Jalen Duren is back or not for this one. Duren sat on Wednesday and Bagley got the start in his place. He played 33 minutes and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and a couple of blocks. That feels like the low end of expectation on those minutes were they to happen again. Keep an eye on this injury news throughout the day.
Strongly consider John Collins (FD 6200 DK 5600) on both sites.
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