Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) brings the ball up court in the first half during an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 52.42 DK - 53.35
There are a number of strong point guard options on this Thursday slate, but it’s hard to get away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on either site. He draws one of the best DFS matchups around against the Indiana Pacers who are tied for the fastest pace in the league. The game total is sitting at a whopping 247, significantly above every other game on the slate save one.
SGA has put himself in the MVP discussion by averaging 31 points, 6.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 steals + blocks. It’s an overwhelming line stacked with a game that could be a track meet.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 45.97 DK - 48.49
The Thunder get to play the Pacers, and the Knicks run up against the Wizards. Washington is one of the best DFS matchups around, running the fastest pace (tied with the Pacers) while also ranking second-to-last in defensive efficiency. It’s the perfect meeting point when trying to round out DFS rosters. Jalen Brunson is coming off back-to-back 30-point games in the last two and is averaging career-highs in points and assists. Sitting below $9K on both sites, he’s a cash game play for sure.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 30.85 DK - 33.39
We will need some cheaper options for this slate in order to roster the SGAs and Brunsons of the world. Kevin Huerter (mostly) fits the bill here, coming in the $5K range on both sites. He’s reentered the Kings’ starting lineup for the last two games, playing 39 and 26 minutes, respectively.
Foul trouble bit him a bit last game, but in general he’s been solid, putting up 23 shots in that span. With a fast-paced game coming against the Pacers, the shot volume should be there for Huerter who definitely needs to knock down threes in order to hit value.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 39.25 DK - 41.44
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 21.72 DK - 23.35
The Grizzlies are obviously a total mess right now, having lost Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart in just about a week’s time. That’s opened up a bunch of minutes for other guys on the roster with Luke Kennard and Vince Williams now firmly in the starting lineup.
From a fantasy perspective, Vince Williams Jr has been the clear winner, able to put up well-rounded fantasy lines when given the time and freedom on the court. He’s coming off 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks+steals against the Warriors, an improbable Grizz win. Even with the price climbing some, I see him as a safer play on this slate, though, in an obviously bad matchup.
Meanwhile, Kennard has also been running with the starters, and his value is almost strictly tied to whether he can knock down threes. He’s shooting 40% from beyond the arc on more than five attempts per game, which will need to hold at the minimum for him to stay a value.
All in all, these guys plus GG Jackson II (FD 6400 DK 4000) make for solid plays because the Memphis situation is so messy right now.
OG Anunoby (FD 6400 DK 6000) and RJ Barrett (FD 6800 DK 6600) swapped teams, but are both solid middle tier values on this slate.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 51.65 DK - 55.78
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 41.02 DK - 42.68
As we said with Brunson, the Knicks are in such a great spot here against the Wizards and having exposure to them is going to be critical (and probably popular) in cash games. The other piece of the Knicks is that their minutes are as safe (and robust) as they come. Randle is averaging 36 minutes per game on the season and has played more than that in six of his last nine games.
In that stretch, Randle is averaging 27 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists during that stretch. He should be able to handle the Daniel Gifford-less Wizards in this matchup.
And then there is Isaiah Hartenstein, who is unbelievably playing even more minutes than Randle. He’s run 40+ in two of the last three games and is operating as both the Knicks starting, and backup center at this point.
He doesn’t get many shots, but dude pulls down all of the rebounds. Hartenstein has 11+ rebounds in seven of the last eight games with two 20 spots mixed in there. It’s been awesome, and he’s criminally cheap on DraftKings.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 24.17 DK - 25.96
Marvin Bagley came over to the Wizards in the trade that sent out Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to the Pistons. Combine that with Daniel Gafford being out for this game, and we could see Bagley get the start at center.
If that was the case, then even in a new situation, he would be a value play on both sites, but especially DraftKings. We will have to keep an eye out for this news, but considering when the game is being played, we should know before lock.
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