Los Angeles Clippers' James Harden (1) makes his way down the court during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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James Harden
FD - $9300 DK - $9200
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 48.79 DK - 53.06
No Kawhi Leonard for the Clippers, and we already know Paul George left in the offseason for greener pastures (presumably) in Philadelphia. That leaves James Harden as pretty much the whole offense at this point, with a couple of slight exceptions. He will run the show with the scoring and assist numbers likely to spike early in the season at the bare minimum.
Heck, he dished out 12 assists in just 23 minutes in the Clips final preseason tuneup. He does have some wings around him and a center in Zubac who can run the pick-and-roll. The Clippers might be down bad here, but Harden is still a relatively easy play.
Cade Cunningham
FD - $8700 DK - $8600
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 44.51 DK - 48.23
The Pistons are coming off a historically bad season with the extended losing streak, etc., but they get a somewhat new lease on basketball like this around. New front office. New coach. And some slight roster upgrades around Cade Cunningham. He gets a bit more shooting around him with Tobias Harris starting and Tim Hardaway Jr. coming off the bench. Plus, Isaiah Stewart is now the backup center instead of being an ill-matched power forward.
This game against the Pacers has the highest total on the slate, and we want pieces of action. Cade makes for a high-floor play.
Tyrese Maxey
FD - $9600 DK - $9000
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 42.72 DK - 46.08
No Joel Embiid and no Paul George to start the season for the 76ers, who begin a possible championship run (though doubtful) banged up. The show should turn over to Tyrese Maxey against the Bucks.
Maxey is already priced up considerably so you aren’t getting any kind of discount here, but because Philly has a lot of shots open, he could be a popular play in cash games.
Last season, Maxey has a 32% usage rate with Joel Embiid off the court, easily the highest on the team. It should be the case again here with the assist numbers maybe holding because Andre Drummond makes for a nice pick and roll target.
Norman Powell
FD - $5100 DK - $5800
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 31.14 DK - 33.54
Just like James Harden, Norman Powell stands to see more minutes and shots in this current Clippers setup. Powell had a 24% usage rate with Kawhi and PG off the court last season, and that was even with Russell Westbrook around.
They’ve cleared the deck here, and his price on both sites is solid, considering the presumably very safe role. He’s a bit of a better deal on FanDuel, but you can run him in both spots.
Cameron Johnson
FD - $5600 DK - $5500
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 31.43 DK - 33.59
The Nets have been trying to trade Cameron Johnson, but he’s still on the team to start the season. Though Brooklyn is in the tank, CJ should see steady minutes out of the gate with the team trying to boost his trade value. He’s reliant on hitting threes, and we did see a flash of the upside in the final preseason game when he dropped 32 points on 11-21 shooting (7-14 from beyond the arc). The Nets get a good matchup against the Hawks and Johnson could have the second-highest usage after Cam Thomas.
Jerami Grant (FD 6500 DK 6300) is coming at a solid price on both sites and should have a high floor here.
Scottie Barnes
FD - $8900 DK - $8900
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 48 DK - 50.44
He’s coming at a really solid price on both sites, and the Raptors are going to be without RJ Barrett in this game. The Cavaliers aren’t the best matchup in the world, but Barnes has such a tremendously high floor, considering he scores fantasy points in just about every way. He’s coming off a season averaging 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.8 blocks+ steals. It really doesn’t get much better than that at these salaries.
Andre Drummond
FD - $8000 DK - $7000
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 44.73 DK - 46.73
Andre Drummond on opening night at $8000 and $7000 respectively? Yes, indeed. That’s what happens when Joel Embiid is out of the mix and the 76ers are a bit desperate for bodies and size. Drummond has massive rebounding upside and even 20-20 potential in the right game script. He’s among the best ever on the boards, and we know from a fantasy perspective that this guy can absolutely fill it up per minute. He’s a lock on DraftKings in cash, though it’s a bit closer on FanDuel.
Zach Edey
FD - $5300 DK - $6200
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 32.62 DK - 33.02
We usually don’t want to run rookies on the first night of the season with a big slate, but with Zach Edey we can make an exception. He’s going to start at the center for the Grizzlies, and with Jaren Jackson Jr. out, there’s a solid minutes on the floor and an upside on his playing time. He looked competent in the preseason, averaging 13 points and seven rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. We’ll take it, considering the run should increase here, and the Jazz aren’t a strong opponent.
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