This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The NBA schedule is a bit different this weekend, with 11 games on both Friday and
Sunday but only five games on Saturday. It also seems that Friday and Sunday have
the games that project to be higher scoring, so expect to see some lofty totals atop
the leaderboards in DraftKings' GPPs.
While the upcoming weekend doesn't have quite as many obvious injury-related
value plays as the previous weekend, there are still some fantastic bargains to be
had, with a couple of players approaching must-roster status for Friday night.
The Knicks-Magic game at MSG is chock-full of fantasy options, as a bunch of the
players carry surprisingly low price tags, and Orlando has been playing at a very fast
pace. The Magic have given up 100+ points in seven consecutive games, with both
teams going over 110 points in three of their last five contests. Orlando doesn't
really offer any sneaky options, but Elfrid Payton ($5400), Victor Oladipo ($6900)
and Nikola Vucevic ($8700) all offer a nice combination of ceiling and floor. I
wouldn't recommend using all three in a GPP, but there's nothing wrong with
picking a pair. The Knicks have a couple of strong plays on the cheaper side, namely
Langston Galloway ($4100) and Jason Smith ($3900), both of whom topped 30
minutes and 25 DK points in New York's previous two games.
The New York-Orlando game might normally have some appeal for stacking six or
seven players from the contest, but with Friday's slate featuring plenty of other
attractive matchups, I'll probably stick to three or four. OKC-ATL (o/u 208), CHI-
DAL (207), BOS-DEN (208), HOU-PHO (220) and SAC-GS (218.5) all carry
over/unders above 205.
For injuries, the biggest news comes from Portland, where LaMarcus Aldridge
(thumb) will likely miss the next six-to-eight weeks, leaving a ton of minutes and
shots to go around. With Nic Batum (wrist) also uncertain, it looks like Damian
Lillard and Wes Matthews will be very busy, which could provide a nice stacking
opportunity for Saturday's difficult matchup with the Wizards. You wouldn't
normally use both guys from a starting backcourt against Washington, but the
Blazers are running short on offensive options, and a good portion of Matthews'
many three-pointers come from Lillard assists.
I also expect the injuries to solidify Chris Kaman's minutes in the 25-to-30 range,
while Thomas Robinson, Dorell Wright, Meyers Leonard, Steve Blake and C.J.
McCollum could all make for reasonable bargain-bin options. For Saturday, I'd
probably look toward Robinson and Leonard, with the Blazers facing Washington's
Nene-Gortat duo up front. Blake and McCollum are decent punt plays in the event of
a Batum absence, but you can probably do better.
Elsewhere, Kobe Bryant (shoulder) may be done for the season, which would
benefit Nick Young ($4200), Wes Johnson ($4300) and Wayne Ellington ($3500) in
the fantasy game. However, Young is the only attractive option at those prices, and
the Lakers may be playing scrubs by the fourth quarter this weekend, with games
against the Spurs (Fri.) and Rockets (Sun.). On second thought, you could make a
decent case for Ellington, who is most likely of the three to get significant run in the
fourth quarter of a blowout.
Looking to some less notable injuries, Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas (calf) is
questionable for Friday's game in Philadelphia, with Amir Johnson ($4600) and
Patrick Patterson ($3800) the potential DraftKings beneficiaries. On the one hand,
Johnson has logged 32 minutes in each of the last three games, with Valanciunas in
the lineup. On the other, Patterson is far more likely to get run in a blowout, and the
Raptors are favored by 11.5 points. Even if Valanciunas plays, both Patterson and
Johnson are actually reasonable options. In the event of a Valanciunas absence, I'd
lean more toward Patterson.
On the Philadelphia side, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (knee) may miss another game.
While there's no bargain-bin option that would thus become viable, Mbah a Moute's
absence would likely leave more minutes for Nerlens Noel ($5300), Robert
Covington ($5400) and Jerami Grant ($3000). Grant's eight-block performance is
not sucking me in, but it's hard not to like Noel and Covington at those prices.
Also worth keeping an eye on is Denver's Kenneth Faried, who is questionable for
Friday's game against the Celtics because of an illness. If Faried sits, J.J. Hickson
($5200) could be looking at 30-plus minutes in a fantastic matchup. Hickson
averages just shy of one DraftKings point per minute, and he already has four
double-doubles in January
That's all I've got for now. Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming
weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings…
Point Guard
Derrick Rose, CHI (Fri. at DAL, Sun. vs. MIA), $7300 – Rose only played 30
and 27 minutes in Chicago's last two games, which belies the fact that his minutes
restriction has been lifted. Both of those contests were blowouts, and Rose logged
36, 33 and 37 minutes in his previous three appearances, with 43.5, 57.75 and 50
DraftKings points to show for it. Not only is Rose averaging a very respectable 31 DK
points over 29.3 minutes this season, but also he's been far more efficient over his
last six games, averaging 41.4 points over 32.1 minutes. With Friday's game likely to
at least be reasonably close, Rose could easily log 35-40 minutes against a team
that's been very friendly to opposing point guards this season. Sunday's matchup is
obviously far less favorable, but Rose is an option in any matchup for as long as his
price stays in this range.
Other options:Stephen Curry, OKC (Fri. vs. SAC, Sun. vs. BOS),
$10,100; Elfrid Payton, ORL (Fri at NY, Sun. vs. IND) $5400; Langston
Galloway, NY (Fri. vs. ORL, Sat. at CHA), $4100; Patty Mills, SA (Fri. vs.
LAL, Sun. vs. MIL), $3400; Damian Lillard, POR (Sat. vs. WAS); Jarrett
Jack, BKN (Sat. at UTA); Chris Paul, LAC (Sun. at PHO)
Shooting Guard
James Harden, HOU (Fri. at PHO, Sun. at LAL), $10,800 – It really wasn't
supposed to be like this, but luckily for the Rockets, Harden is entirely capable of
putting an otherwise mediocre roster on his back. Ranked first in scoring average,
sixth in minutes, sixth in usage rate and 11th in assists, Harden is a good bet to top 50
DK points anytime the Rockets are expected to play a close game. Friday's contest in
Phoenix is ideal, as the game projects to be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair between
two teams that are evenly matched. The Suns are favored by just two points, with
the game carrying a whopping 220 over/under. Sunday's contest is much more
likely to be a blowout, but Harden still has massive upside if the Lakers can keep
things close.
Other options:Klay Thompson, GS (Fri. vs. SAC, Sun. vs. BOS),
$7900; Victor Oladipo, ORL (Fri. at NY, Sun. vs. IND), $6900; J.R.>
Smith, CLE (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. vs. OKC), $5000; Kyle Korver, ATL (Fri.
vs. OKC, Sun. vs. MIN), $4900; Nick Young, LAL (Fri. at SA, Sun. vs. HOU),
$4200; Avery Bradley, BOS (Fri. at DEN, Sun. at GS), $4100; Wesley
Matthews, POR (Sat. vs. WAS); Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (Sat. vs.
DET, Sun. at SA)
Small Forward
Carmelo Anthony, NY (Fri. vs. ORL, Sat. at CHA), $8900 – Anthony's season
may be winding down, and while his knee is a legitimate cause for concern, the Knicks
clearly want to get something out of him until he's shut down for the year.
Surrounded by borderline NBA players, Melo put up 46.75 and 54.25 DK points over
36 and 40 minutes in his last two games. I don't think it makes any sense to play him
that much, but I wouldn't bet against the Knicks doing the same thing again. With
the Magic playing at a much faster pace over the past couple of weeks, Anthony
should have plenty of scoring opportunities. However, I'll be looking elsewhere
Saturday, especially if Anthony tops 35 minutes in Friday's game.
Other options:Kevin Durant, OKC (Fri. at ATL, Sun. at CLE),
$10,600; Trevor Ariza, HOU (Fri. at PHO, Sun. at LAL), $5600; Wilson
Chandler, DEN (Fri. vs. BOS, Sun. vs. WAS), $5500; Solomon Hill, IND
(Fri. at MIA, Sun. at ORL), $3600
Power Forward
Brandon Bass, BOS (Fri. at DEN, Sun. at GS), $3300 – Bass has been eating
into Tyler Zeller's minutes, and the veteran finally replaced the youngster in the
starting lineup for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers. After logging 24, 20, 23
and 27 minutes in his previous four contests, Bass went off for 38 DK points over 31
minutes in Portland. While I'm not counting on 30+ minutes or 35+ DK points this
weekend, Bass should provide a fantastic return on his near-minimum salary in
Friday's top-notch matchup with the Nuggets. Sunday's matchup is much tougher, so
you may want to look elsewhere, if Bass' price goes to $4000+.
Other options:Anthony Davis, NO (Fri. at MIN, Sun. vs. DAL),
$11,100; Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. at NO), $6400; Taj
Gibson, CHI (Fri. at DAL, Sun. vs. MIA), $6100; Robert Covington, PHI
(Fri. vs. TOR, Sat. at MEM), $5400; Jason Smith, NY (Fri. vs. ORL, Sat. at
CHA), $3900; Greg Monroe, DET (Sat. at MIL, Sun. at TOR)
Center
Timofey Mozgov, CLE (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. vs. OKC), $5100 – While it's
probably unwise to have complete faith in the stability of Mozgov's playing time, the
Russian center logged 33 and 40 minutes in his last two games, producing 40.75 and
37.25 DK points. Cleveland won both of those games by 14 points, and LeBron James
gave Mozgov credit for playing a major role in the Cavs' recent turnaround. Though
the matchups are pretty tough this weekend, Mozgov should be able to provide 25+
DK points in both games, with the potential to do a whole lot more.
Other options:Nikola Vucevic, ORL (Fri. at NY, Sun. vs. IND),
$8700; Al Horford, ATL (Fri. vs. OKC, Sun. vs. MIN), $7200; Tyson
Chandler, DAL (Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. at NO) $6200; Andrew Bogut, GS (Fri.
vs. SAC, Sun. vs. BOS), $4600; Chris Kaman, POR (Sat. vs. WAS);
DeAndre Jordan, LAC (Sun. at PHO)
