This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Before we get to DraftKings' player picks for NBA weekend No. 4, there are a few teams worth keeping an especially close eye on, largely because of injuries that present opportunities for cheap players to put up big numbers.
The first such team is the Bulls, with guards Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Kirk Hinrich (chest) both seemingly in danger of missing Friday's game in Portland. Rose has already missed the last three games, while Hinrich just recently suffered a chest contusion in Thursday's game against the Kings. If neither is able to play, point guard Aaron Brooks ($3800) figures to get the start and top 30 minutes, which would make him one of the top discount options of the night.
The undersized Brooks has worn out his welcome in other places because of lousy defense and questionable decision making with the ball, but he's never been hesitant to shoot, and is actually quite good at it. He typically provides mediocre production for a point guard on a per-minute basis, and he's been true to form this year, with 18.6 DraftKing points over 19.4 minutes per game.
Brooks isn't the only Bulls player with the opportunity to benefit from injuries, as power forward Taj Gibson ($5900) will get a third consecutive start, if Pau Gasol (calf) is again unable to play. True, Gibson's price has already spiked, but I still think he's worth a long look. He logged 41 and 34 minutes in Gasol's absence the last two games, which means he's now averaging 38 minutes in his four starts this season, compared to just 26 MPG in seven appearances off the bench.
Unfortunately, the Bulls are one of the few teams with just one game this weekend, giving us just the one opportunity to take advantage of the injuries.
Meanwhile in Memphis, the Grizzlies have home games against the Celtics (Fri.) and Clippers (Sun.) this weekend, after a team-wide stomach virus held five players out of Wednesday's hard-fought loss to the Raptors. The Griz responded by leaning heavily on their three star players, as Mike Conley ($7600), Marc Gasol ($8200) and Zach Randolph ($7800) each had 38+ minutes, 19+ points and 10+ rebounds.
I suspect Memphis will have enough healthy players to ease up a bit this weekend, but if not, all three of the stars make for strong plays. I especially like Randolph against the Celtics on Friday, and may use him even if the Griz are back to full strength.
The third team that has me intrigued this weekend is the Charlotte Hornets, one of the league's more disappointing squads early in the season. I couldn't care less that they're off to a 4-8 start, but it's surprising to see both Kemba Walker ($6800) and Al Jefferson ($7900) struggling in comparison to what they did last season.
While there are clearly some team-wide issues to work out in Charlotte, there's not any reason to expect significant regression from Walker or Jefferson. I'll happily roster both players (though not necessarily in the same lineup) while their prices are down, especially for Friday's game against the Magic. Sunday's game in Miami is obviously less appealing, but Kemba at sub-$7000 just seems too good to pass on.
Lastly, and this may be a bit obvious, both of Minnesota's starting guards will be strong plays this weekend. Mo Williams ($4600) just took over the starting point guard role, and Kevin Martin ($5700) has little choice but to launch a ton of shots. They face the Spurs on Friday and Kings on Saturday, with both games played at home.
Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings…
Point Guard
Rajon Rondo, BOS (Fri. at MEM, Sun. vs. POR), $7800 – One thing that always grabs my attention is a player who costs $5000+ and is averaging better than five DraftKings points per $1000 of salary. Such players won't always be good options, but in many cases, they're among the top plays of the day. Rondo easily fits the bill, as his current rate of 41.4 DK points per game seems entirely sustainable, given what he's done in the past. He's one of the few players who can provide solid value while falling short of his season-long numbers, so even a matchup with Memphis won't scare me away.
Other options:Steph Curry, GS (Sat. vs. UTA, Sun. at OKC), $9800; Reggie Jackson, OKC (Fri. vs. BKN, Sun. vs. GS), $7700; Kemba Walker, CHA (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. at MIA), $6800; Trey Burke, UTA (Fri. at GS, Sat. vs. NO), $5500; Mo Williams, MIN (Fri. vs. SA, Sun. vs. SAC), $4600
Shooting Guard
Nick Young, LAL (Fri. at DAL, Sun. vs. DEN), $3600 – Swaggy P probably won't come so cheap by Sunday, but a lovely matchup with the Nuggets should still leave him as a perfectly viable option. He's sure to be a popular pick Friday night, after recording 26.25 and 26 DraftKings points in his first two games of the season, with 28 minutes of court time in each contest. There will be plenty of shots to keep both Young and Kobe Bryant happy, as the Lakers quite obviously lack other scoring threats.
Other options:Kobe Bryant, LAL (Fri. at DAL, Sun. vs. DEN), $8900; Jimmy Butler, CHI (Fri. at POR), $7200; Klay Thompson, GS (Sat. vs. UTA, Sun. at OKC), $7200; Kevin Martin, MIN (Fri. vs. SA, Sun. vs. SAC), $5700; Kyle Korver, ATL (Fri. vs. DET), $5600; Alec Burks, UTA (Fri. at GS, Sat. vs. NO), $5100; Gary Neal, CHA (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. at MIA), $3000
Small Forward
Tyreke Evans, NO (Fri. at DEN, Sun. at UTA), $7400 – I've admittedly been a bit hesitant to buy into Evans' fast start, but it's getting harder and harder to bet against him, especially with two favorable matchups on the way. He's offered an ideal blend of floor and ceiling this season, with no fewer than 27.5 DraftKings points in any game, and three performances of 40+. Also, while it hasn't actually happened yet, Evans is posting the kind of numbers that make a triple-double (or three) inevitable.
Other options:Kawhi Leonard, SA (Fri. at MIN, Sat. vs. BKN), $7200; Nicolas Batum, POR, (Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. at BOS), $6700; Josh Smith, DET (Fri. at ATL), $6500; P.J. Tucker, PHO, (Fri. at PHI, Sat. at IND), $3600
Power Forward
Nerlens Noel, PHI (Fri. vs. PHO, Sat. at NY), $5500 – After playing three consecutive games off the bench while working his way back from a sprained ankle, Noel returned to the starting lineup Wednesday against the Celtics, producing 30.5 DraftKings points over 34 minutes. He's no lock to reach the 30-minute mark again, but I still like his chances for a double-double in what should be a fast-paced game between the 76ers and Suns. Noel may be somewhat underrated because his averages have been dragged down by the three appearances off the bench, not to mention the fact that he logged just 17 minutes during the game in which he suffered his injury.
Other options:Anthony Davis, NO (Fri. at DEN, Sun. at UTA), $11,300; Zach Randolph, MEM (Fri. vs. BOS, Sun. vs. LAC), $7800; Serge Ibaka, OKC (Fri. vs. BKN, Sun. vs. GS), $6800; Nene Hilario, WAS (Fri. vs. CLE, Sat. at MIL), $5000; Boris Diaw, SA (Fri. at MIN, Sat. vs. BKN), $5000
Center
Marcin Gortat, WAS (Fri. vs. CLE, Sat. at MIL), $6100 – While rarely an exciting choice, Gortat often seems to be one of the better middle-tier plays, and he's looking ahead at a pair of favorable matchups. The Cavs rank 24th in allowing DraftKings points to centers, while the Bucks are just a bit better at 21st. Meanwhile, Gortat is averaging 29.9 DK points, which is right around where he finished last season, and also a reasonable low-end expectation for the rest of 2014-15. At $6100, he's averaging 4.9 points per $1000 of Friday's salary, despite playing slightly below expectations thus far.
Other options:Al Jefferson, CHA (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. at MIA), $7900; Timofey Mozgov, DEN (Fri. vs. NO, Sun. at LAL), $5300; Omer Asik, NO (Fri. at DEN, Sun. at UTA), $4300 (great value if he plays)
