Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks to pass during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in New York. The Bucks won 111-107. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 37.38 DK - 39.16
Amen Thompson will get the start again for Fred VanVleet who will be out the next four games for the Rockets. He was massive chalk last time out, and easily paid off with 13 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. It’s one reason the price skyrocketed in just a short period of time.
It wasn’t nearly enough on DraftKings, where he’s going to be one of the highest-owned players once again. On FanDuel, its closer considering he’s in the $7K range, but is still a play with a fine matchup and high minutes floor as long as the game stays close.
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 31.13 DK - 32.66
The Hornets unloaded some players at the deadline and are still going to be without LaMelo Ball going into this game. Cody Martin should start in the point guard slot once again and is coming off scoring 19 points while adding eight assists, and five rebounds last time out. Against Milwaukee here, this isn’t all that close of a call considering the price only moved slightly. The Hornets stink, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t find fantasy value, and Martin is a clear play here.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 36.6 DK - 37.73
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 32.01 DK - 33.5
Some weirder plays, especially where Council is concerned, but the 76ers are really down bodies after the trade deadline. They shipped out Patrick Beverley, Jaden Springer, Danuel House, and Furkan Korkmaz in a variety of deals. Plus they are still without Nic Batum, Robert Covington, De'Anthony Melton and, of course, Joel Embiid.
That just means there are tons of minutes available for this team on Friday until some of the new faces can find their way into the building.
Tyrese Maxey (FD 9600 DK 9200) is also in play of course, though things have been a struggle without Joel Embiid. But Atlanta is a bad defensive team and this game has a high total.
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 48.52 DK - 52.26
Again, the Hornets stink. But that hasn’t affected Miles Bridges performance too much in the short term with LaMelo Ball out of the mix. He’s put up back-to-back games of 40+ points, taking 19+ shots in six of his last seven games as well. The usage is more than there, even in games where Charlotte gets wrecked. I’m fine with these prices and he’ll play major minutes if they can at least keep the game a semblance of close.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 44.14 DK - 47.17
It looks like Zion Williamson is going to sit this game out because of the foot contusion, meaning we should get a steady helping of Brandon Ingram here. The last time Zion sat out, Ingram went for 24 points on 9-19 shooting against the Rockets. He also chipped in 10 rebounds and four assists. His usage climbs with Zion off the court and the DraftKings price is especially tempting.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 69.95 DK - 73.26
The Bucks struggled against the Timberwolves on Thursday evening, eventually losing by 24 without Damian Lillard on the court. As of this writing, Lillard is questionable, though I’d be interested in playing Giannis almost no matter what. Charlotte ranks dead last in terms of defensive efficiency this season and it’s not all that close at this point. Meanwhile, Giannis has about as high a fantasy floor as it comes so even dealing with these price points isn’t all that far-fetched considering the matchup.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 33.04 DK - 35.97
Jabari Smith Jr. had some rough games recently with Rockets blowouts and foul trouble, but got back on track last time out, playing 39 minutes and tying for the second-most shots on the team. He finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in the loss to the Pacers. The DraftKings price is look low here and he sees a usage uptick with FVV out of the mix.
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 36.49 DK - 38.12
This is a risky play because of potential foul trouble against Giannis combined with the possibility of a blowout. The Hornets are currently +14 dogs to the Bucks. But the Hornets shipped out PJ Washington at the trade deadline and really only have Nathan Mensah behind Richards on the depth chart. He’s stunk the last couple of games, but does have double-double production in his range of outcomes.
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