Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey reacts during the NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. The Jazz won 120-109. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 49.42 DK - 52.78
The Philadelphia 76ers will still be without Joel Embiid in this game, leaving a ton of usage to Tyrese Maxey and some others on the team. Maxey’s usage is 32.6% with Embiid off the court this season, coming off a 39-point overtime game against the Hawks that saw him take 29 shots before it was all said and done.
He’ll have another shot at a volume-scoring game against a top-10 pace team in the Kings, who rank bottom-10 on the defensive end.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 41.96 DK - 44.61
The Rockets draw a dream matchup against the Pistons on Friday, with Detroit among the worst teams we’ve really ever seen. They got off the epic losing streak and have started a new one. The Pistons are the second-worst defense in the league and really can’t stop anyone.
Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet has seen the usage tick up over the last couple of games, taking 19 and 22 shots, respectively. He’d seen things really dip before that, averaging just 10.25 shots per game over the previous four. But seeing as how this is a smash spot for the Rockets, I’m willing to trust the short-term sample and the opponent to have FVV in the cash game mix. The price is right on both sites.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 29.24 DK - 31.4
Tre Jones was a popular play last time out. Now that’s he locked into the starting point guard duties for the Spurs. It was a bit disappointing, finishing with 11 points, five assists, and two rebounds, but that was in large part because the minutes were buzzed off in a San Antonio blowout of the Pistons. Here, things should remain closer against the Hornets who are also a good matchup, playing the third-worst defense in the NBA.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 39.81 DK - 42.24
Along with Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris is another big fantasy beneficiary of Joel Embiid being out on Friday. He goes from a 20% usage guy on the season to 24.1% with Embiid off the court and sees bumps in the rebounding and assist rate as well. The minutes could be pressed towards 40 as long as the game stays close, and the total on this game is very enticing. Overall, stacking Tobias with Maxey feels like a very high-floor cash play, with no one else on Philly outside of Kelly Oubre (off the bench) ticking into that usage for the team.
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 28.94 DK - 31.43
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 26.77 DK - 30.27
The Grizzlies could be headed for the tank here with Ja Morant lost for the season and Marcus Smart set to miss significant time. That’s left a ton of minutes and shots up for grabs on this team though there’s also the chance they get completely crushed in games as well.
Luke Kennard and Vince Williams will be in the starting lineup here, which means a lot considering their current price points. Kennard needs to hit his threes to make value, while Williams has a bit more of a well-rounded fantasy line. Overall, I think both come in as good lower-middle tier guys who help as punty kind of salary filler with higher floors because of the situation.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 49.76 DK - 51.9
Like we said with Fred VanVleet, the spot against Detroit is such a great one for the Rockets and really the only thing we are worried about here is whether it’s a blowout with starters sitting most of the fourth. Other than that, it’s full steam ahead on a Houston stack where available.
Sengun has been amazing this season, averaging 21.6 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per game with much of the offense running through him when things are going well. The Pistons don’t have much in the way of resistance when it comes to stopping opposing big men, either. The price is too low on both sites.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 30.3 DK - 32.99
Nikola Jovic should stick in the starting lineup for this game against the Magic and is coming off one of his better outings of the season. He put up 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 38 minutes against the Thunder which represents amazing output for his price points. The salaries hack ticked up a bit in the short-term with more minutes, but he’s still a value here.
If Rudy Gobert is out again then Karl-Anthony Towns (FD 8700 DK 8200) would be almost a lock in this situation.
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