Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) is shown against the Orlando Magic in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 50.73 DK - 54.72
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 41.75 DK - 44.36
We could see a lot of ownership from this Hawks-Spurs game for a few of different reasons, all of which we will get into here. For starters, playing the Atlanta backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray could be a stacking option because of how great a matchup they get here. San Antonio is the fifth-worst defensive efficiency team in the league this season while running the third-fastest pace. That’s a nice meeting point when we are stacking against them in DFS.
As far as the Hawks guards are concerned, the two control so much of the offense that the floor for each on any given night is very high even if it can be tough sometimes choosing between the two. Trae is averaging 25.6 points and 10.4 assists on the season with the three-point shooting actually ticking up a bit from last season.
Meanwhile, Dejounte has seen the scoring and assist numbers dip just a bit season-over-season with the minutes coming down just a tad as well. But he’s shooting a career-best 37.7% from beyond the arc and is still a candidate for a big minutes load as long as the game stays close. I like playing both of these guys on this slate and pairing them in cash could be the move.
Consider Bogdan Bogdanovic (FD 6100 DK 6000) along with these guys as well. He’s coming off the bench, but without Jalen Johnson in the lineup, Bog has been running about 30 minutes per game.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 42.11 DK - 45.4
The Knicks get a great matchup against the Pistons on Thursday with Detroit not just circling the drain, but at this point, all the way down in the bottom of it. They stink. Jalen Brunson has seen some price stagnation on FanDuel in the short-term which has him a value here on this slate.
He only took nine shots in 34 minutes against the Hornets on Tuesday and RJ Barrett coming back into the lineup does cut into the usage some. But Brunson is simply too cheap here with his efficiency and scoring ability. The biggest concern is probably a blowout with the Pistons just so so terrible.
Consider Jeremy Sochan (FD 5600 DK 5700) in this spot if Victor Wembanyama were to sit.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 34.11 DK - 36.9
One big piece of news we will be waiting on today is the status of Victor Wembanyama who is questionable for this game against the Hawks. Seeing as how this tag came in really early and that he hasn’t missed a game this season, I do think he’s a candidate to sit this one out. That would pass off a decent amount of usage and other stats to key guys in the Spurs lineup.
One of them would be Keldon Johnson who is averaging the second-most shots on the team this season after Wemby. His scoring is down from last season, which was to be expected though the efficiency is down some too with the Spurs still clearly trying to figure things out on the offensive end. But if Wembanyama sits here we will probably be playing a couple of Spurs at least.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 28.6 DK - 30.77
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 27.6 DK - 29.73
The main beneficiaries of the Jalen Johnson injury (from a fantasy perspective) have been De’Andre Hunter and Saddiq Bey, both of whom get considerable bumps in minutes and overall opportunity with an important wing out of the mix. Hunter had already been running with the starters but gets a safer minutes floor on a game-to-game basis now. He ran 40, 31, and 39 in the three games before the Cavs blowout, averaging 23 points a game in that stretch. He’s in line for a bunch of minutes again if the game stays close.
Meanwhile, Saddiq Bey entered the starting lineup in place of Jalen Johnson and if things break right really should be playing minutes in the low 30s at least. He’s rebounded the position well overall with his 5.8 per game number the best of his career. Would like to see the three-point shooting get back to the 40% he shot with Atlanta last season, but overall I think his price point is cash game viable in this matchup against the Spurs.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 32.31 DK - 35.12
Zach Collins might be a cash game play regardless, but he would move into lock status if Victor Wembanyama were to sit this game out. The scoring and rebounding expectation would instantly climb and the minutes floor would be plenty safe already. He’s close to a cash play even if Wemby were in the mix which tells you all you need to know about the situation.
Collins is averaging 14 points and six rebounds a game in just a shade under 30 minutes. He’s a double-double candidate if taking over the full center duties and these prices wouldn’t be anywhere close to the opportunity.
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 35.24 DK - 38.54
We finally saw the Warriors really tick the minute in the last game and it could be a sign of things to come. For starters, they are now without Chris Paul for at least this game. That’s, almost definitely, going to give the starters more run here.
Draymond Green cam back from suspension and ran 33 minutes, tallying eight points, six assists, three rebounds, and a couple of defensive stats. None of those numbers alone will wow you, but he can contribute across the stat line and it’s enough on FanDuel where the price is still very cheap.
If Jimmy Butler sat again, then Bam Adebayo (FD 9700 DK 9500) would be a smash play against the Pacers. We will keep an eye on that situation heading into lock.
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