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 - SA
Proj Pts FD - 50.26 DK - 54.51
LaMelo Ball has been back from injury for three games, and we are starting to see the minutes tick back up, a good sign for his fantasy floor on a nightly basis. Per minute, the dude has been great, averaging 26 points, 5.7 assists, and six rebounds in fewer than 30 minutes per. That’s fantastic, and now he’ll get a Spurs team playing some of the worst defense in the NBA. The DraftKings price is way too low. We can consider stacking the Hornets at their current price points.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 43.32 DK - 46.51
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 36.52 DK - 39.13
Trae Young is going to sit this game, so stacking Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic is going to be the play in cash games where possible. These two see hue usage bumps with Trae off the court. Murray goes from 25% to 29%, and Bogdan climbs to 24% as well. Both stand to see minutes upticks as well and should be the starting backcourt in this one. These are pretty easy plays, considering the context. And though the matchup against Miami isn’t the best in the league, the other considerations more than makeup for it.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 34.98 DK - 37.31
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 32.57 DK - 34.94
Victor Wembanyama is going to sit out this game against the Charlotte Hornets, meaning the rest of the Spurs will stand to see a significant uptick across the board when it comes to fantasy production. Devin Vassell is a clear winner in that respect with the usage going from 22% on the season to 26% when Wemby is off the court. They’ll need his scoring in this one. He should have plenty of shot volume against a bad defensive team in the Hornets.
Also, Tre Jones comes with a higher floor now that he’s firmly planted in the starting lineup. He’s had double-digit assists in each of the last two games with the minutes clocking in around 30 in the new role. The usage should tick up some with no Wemby in the lineup. I like the DraftKings price more than FanDuel, but do think he’s in play on both sites.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 39.89 DK - 42.81
While LaMelo Ball being back certainly impacted some fantasy prospects of the other Hornets players, there’s still a case to play these dudes against the Spurs on Friday. The DraftKings prices are too low, almost across the board, and Miles Bridges has a very high minutes floor. He’ll press toward 40 in close games, which this game could be, considering both teams stink. The Hornets are on a six-game losing skid, something they are surely looking to reverse. This is a good spot to roster Bridges, even with the rebounds and assists taking a bit of a hit with LaMelo back.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 29.95 DK - 32.32
Playing Buddy Hield on Thursday was a bit cleaner because of all the Pacers who were out. That’s not going to be the case with here on Friday, with Tyrese Haliburton likely back and Pascal Siakam joining the mix. But Hield should get the start at shooting guard for Indiana still and is a cheaper FanDuel play if he can run minutes in the 30s. This game starts later, so there’s some risk with timing, but on FD, he likely fits as a cash play.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 30.63 DK - 33.39
We are going Spurs-heavy here, which makes sense, considering a source of so much fantasy production is going to be out of the lineup. He isn’t the starting point guard anymore (thank goodness), but he’s still starting, and the minutes have been consistent and predictable as long as the Spurs are keeping the games close. He’s averaging 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 steals+ blocks over the last eight games. Plus, the last time Wemby sat, Sochan led the team in shots with 15. Signs indicate him being a solid DraftKings play in the low $5K range.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 28.76 DK - 31.55>
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 19.34 DK - 19.02
One of these guys is going to get the start for Victor Wembanyama tonight, though at the time of this writing, it’s not clear who that will be. Because this game starts at 7PM EST, we will have the news well in advance. Zach Collins has sat out since December 29th but is questionable for this game. If he were to come back and start, there would be some minutes limits concerns, but he’s also got a high floor as well. Strongly consider Jabari Walker (FD 5600 DK 5500) who should stick in the Portland Trailblazers starting lineup.
Saddiq Bey (FD 5800 DK 5500) is also interesting with Trae Young out.
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