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POINT GUARDS:
* ALL FORMATS
John Wall (WSH @ DET)
Prior to last game, Wall had posted at least 43 FDP/45 DKP in eight-straight games. If you look at the rest of this slate, I’m not sure you’ll find that kind of production anywhere else, with exception of the guys listed below… duh, that’s why they’re on the list.
Goran Dragic (MIA @ BKN)
Not thrilled with having to pay up this much for Dragic, but Tyler Johnson remains INACTIVE and the Heat are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now. The pace-up factor vs BKN helps a great deal, and they are the best aDvP matchup for PGs this season.
Darren Collison (IND @ LAL)
Even though the Pacers are on the back-end of a B2B, the Lakers will be without Lonzo Ball, who has actually been a better defender than advertised. Collison has reached or exceeded salary-based expectations in six of the last eight games.
SHOOTING GUARDS:
* ALL FORMATS
Victor Oladipo (IND @ LAL)
Oladipo gets a crack at a Lakers team that will be without their two best perimeter defenders in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball. Sure, the Pacers are on a B2B, but I’m not worried about that in this matchup against the Lakers.
Tyreke Evans (MEM vs SAC)
Most people will move off Tyreezy with Marc Gasol back in the lineup, but that’s a huge mistake. In what is referred to in the industry as a “cheat code,” he runs the point while being listed a shooting guard… this allows us to have three point guards in our lineup = cheat code. All in all, Tyreezy has a great matchup here against the Kings (his former team) and I think we can get some solid production at a low ownership level.
Gary Harris (DEN vs PHX)
Harris will likely be attached to the hip of Devin Booker tonight, and while that sounds like it could be more of a defensive-minded task, I have no worries about his numbers on the other end of the floor. Booker, like most of his teammates, is allergic to defense and Harris matched his career-high in points (36) against PHX a little more than two weeks ago.
Josh Hart (LAL vs IND)
Hart has played 26 and 31 minutes in each of the last two games without Lonzo Ball in the lineup, but now Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be INACTIVE and Brandon Ingram is QUESTIONABLE. I think this is a fantastic opportunity already with KCP out, and if we get word that Ingram is out… I’m… all… in. We probably won’t get word on Ingram before lock, but if we do… ohhhh boy.
* GPP
DeMar DeRozan (TOR vs SA)
DRZ’s price ($8300 DK/$8400 FD) has dropped more significantly on FanDuel… that’s due to Lowry’s return and their matchup tonight with the Spurs. Fun fact: There have been a few SGs to do well against the Spurs dating all the way back to last season, including DeRozan himself who went for 41.5 DKP/41.4 FDP against them in San Antonio earlier this season.
SMALL FORWARDS:
* ALL FORMATS
Wilson Chandler (DEN vs PHX)
It looks like Chandler will be starting at power forward, and that makes him a fantastic play, matched up against Dragan Bender. Chandler has done very well vs PHX in recent memory…
* CASH
Josh Richardson (MIA @ BKN)
Keith and I were in agreement on today’s pod about not using J-Rich for GPPs – he’ll have a higher ownership and historically he doesn’t offer much upside when Hassan Whiteside is in the lineup. For cash games, however, I really don’t mind a guy that will get 25-30 fantasy points at this price.
* GPP
Justise Winslow (MIA @ BKN)
Winslow’s minutes have gone up incrementally over the last three games, and he could even see some minutes at shooting guard and power forward in the right rotations. I will admit, I’m skeptical about his production since returning from injury, but I think this matchup against the Nets is one that could cure a lot of peoples’ woes.
POWER FORWARDS:
* ALL FORMATS
LaMarcus Aldridge (SA vs TOR)
It’s been a known fact that LMA is a much better fantasy option without Kawhi Leonard. Also, PF is the only “green” matchup, according to our aDvP chart, against the Raptors.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (BKN vs MIA)
His price has come down to a ridiculous level on both sites ($5900 DK/$6500 FD), but that’s because the last three games he dealt with some of the toughest matchups for a power forward in the NBA. Don’t blindly look at him struggling, there was a reason for it.
* GPP
James Johnson / Kelly Olynyk (MIA @ BKN)
In a short while, you’ll see why I’m skeptical about Hassan Whiteside tonight. To keep it short, both of these guys are more suitable for the up-tempo pace against the Nets.
Zach Randolph (SAC @ MEM)
🎵 He’s coming home, coming home 🎵 Tell the world, heeee’s coming home 🎵 Z-Bo coming back to The Grindhouse will be quite the event in Memphis tonight, so it’ll be very hard to shy away from this narrative. Kings head coach Dave Joerger is also a former coach in Memphis so he knows how much this game means to Z-Bo. Lastly, power forwards vs MEM are a “green” aDvP matchup according to our chart.
Dragan Bender (PHX @ DEN)
I’ll catch some heat for this one, but it’s a GPP play… cool your jets! Bender has started four games (playing 30+ minutes in all of them) since Marquese Chriss went down with an injury, and posted fantastic results in two of those games – I have no explanation for what happened against the Pacers, but that last game against the Trail Blazers matched him up against Al-Farouq Aminu, one of the NBA’s best defenders.
CENTERS:
* ALL FORMATS
Andre Drummond (DET vs WSH)
Drumm Diddy Drumm is looking oh-so-enticing against the Wizards team that has been getting ABSOLUTELY POUNDED down low in the paint since 2018 started… and look at some of the names on this list, my gudness! Drumm has a knife and fork ready for this matchup, especially since he’s posted at least 56 DKP/58 FDP in three of the last four games. I’m paying up for Drummond tonight, so don’t try and talk me out of it!
* GPP
Marcin Gortat (WSH @ DET)
On the other side of that matchup, I am somewhat intrigued by Gortat tonight. After all, he does have at least 30 FDP in three of the last six games, and DET is the 5th-best aDvP matchup for centers this season. Gortat will be needed a lot tonight to deal with Drummond.
* CAUTION
Hassan Whiteside (MIA @ BKN)
Whiteside’s history vs BKN has been… well, interesting. He did post 30+ fantasy points against them in only 20 minutes a few weeks ago, but last season was where most of the red flags were raised. The Nets did a great job of running-and-gunning against the Heat, and Whiteside really couldn’t keep up. If you look at the numbers, you’ll see that Whiteside hasn’t been on the court much in this matchup… I believe Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson (who was on ATL’s staff against Whiteside many times in the same division) knows what he’s doing and that will continue once again.
