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A nine-game slate on our hands today, and a lot of injury news already out there. This creates opportunities for bench players. Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetenkounmpo, Anthony Davis, and Elfrid Payton are just some of the big names out tonight. The opportunities created tonight come with a great amount of uncertainty, implying that the players covered in this article are best suited for GPP play, unless otherwise indicated. The pricing system used here is FD/DK. Before we get into the coverage, let’s take a moment – as has become regular – to congratulate PhilipCox for a big win.
Point Guards
Derrick Rose (4800/5100): Derrick Rose has been very consistent this season, making him an excellent cash play. He is averaging 27.6 FDP in 28.3 MPG. That is slightly above value for him. Our DFS Army Research Station (RS) has him projected for 26 mins today, which is enough for him to meet value against the Lakers guard defense. This will be a high scoring, fast-paced affair, leading to a lot of opportunities for Rose off the bench. His ceiling and floor are best suited for cash and hybrid games.
Rajon Rondo (5800/5900): Rondo might be coming off the bench, but if last game was any indication, he’ll still see close to a full workload, of around 30 mins. The matchup is not a good one for the Lakers point guards, but Rondo is capable of exceeding value in difficult spots. That said, he is a strictly GPP play due to the combination of coming off the bench and the matchup. He will be low owned tonight as well.
Ryan Arcidiacono (3900/3800): GPP Only! Arcidiacono is having a decent season off the bench for the Bulls. With Dunn out injured, and Payne continuing to suck, more minutes are opening for Arcidiacono, who is averaging 24 MPG and just under 20 FDP. In a matchup against the Warriors which could quickly go out of hand, Arcidiacono will be in line to pick up even more minutes, making him a very appealing GPP punt play, especially on FD with the “drop one” format.
Honorable Mentions: Cory Joseph, Lorenzo Brown
Shooting Guards
JJ Redick (5400/5700): JJ Redick is your ultimate GPP/Hybrid SG play. His upside is tremendous as he has already shown twice this season, and his floor is great for a shooter. The matchup against the Hawks is a juicy and exploitable one for Redick. Fire him up on both sites in GPP and Hybrid lineups.
Allen Crabbe (3600/4000): Allen Crabbe is slowly working himself back into the rotation after recovering from injury. He’s finally getting around 25 minutes a game. This makes him a very cheap option on FD at basically min price. He has the talent to exceed value at that price, and if he gets 30 mins tonight, he could easily be one of the higher value plays of the night. This is a strictly GPP play, but one you can be comfortable with.
Small Forwards
Norman Powell (3500/3200): With Leonard and Anunoby out, VanVleet questionable, and Wright being eased back into things, someone will have to pick up some minutes for the Raptors. Enter Norman Powell. Powell will see a minutes and usage bump tonight and he is more than capable of exceeding value here. He is playable in all formats and will be chalky tonight at near min price.
DeAndre’ Bembry (4400/4100): My go-to value play at small forward is Norman Powell, however, if looking for someone cheap off the bench, DeAndre’ Bembry is not a bad pivot off the chalky Powell. Bembry has the upside to meet value at his current price point and makes for an ok punt play on both sites.
Power Forwards
Serge Ibaka (5200/5200): Ibaka has been very consistent this season, average 27.8 mins and FDP a game. He is a solid hybrid play off the bench in this game, making for an excellent GPP and Cash value play. I like him better on FD where he is priced cheaper, but he is usable on both sites.
Marvin Bagley III (5300/5100): I had Bagley as a great play last time out and he didn’t perform. Instead, Bjelica went out and put up massive scores. Most people will flock to Bjelica today, which will reduce the ownership of Bagley. Should Bjelica falter, Bagley will see himself picking up the minutes and will be in line for a huge day. This is what we are looking for in GPPs; low ownership guys, with potential for huge games. As the graphic shows, Bagley is projected for 26 minutes and 26 FDP, both of which could increase dramatically if things break right for him, especially with his ceiling.
John Henson (3800/3800): Henson is cheap on both sites, and with ABC out, he is in line for a minutes and usage bump. Henson has already been putting up 23 FDP per game in just over 16 minutes. A significant minute and usage boost today will drive those points up, making Henson an excellent GPP play. Given how cheap he is and the drop format on FD, using Henson as a cash punt is not a terrible idea as well if looking for savings.
Honorable Mentions: Damontas Sabonis, Zach Collins
Centers
Dewayne Dedmon (4500/4700): Dedmon has played two games this season, averaging 20 minutes and 29.3 FDP per game. Much of this is driven by his last game where he went off for 43.6 FDP, so there’s a need for caution. A larger sample size is needed for us to truly understand how the Hawks plan to rotate Dedmon in this season, however, in the meantime, Dedmon is cheap enough that he is usable as a punt. Factor in the good matchup today and the potential for Alex Len to be in foul trouble, and Dedmon makes for a great GPP value play on this slate. The DFS Army RS has him projected for 28 minutes and 26.9 FDP, take advantage of this in GPPs.
Cristiana Felicio (3700/3300): This is a strictly GPP play. Felicio has seen an increase in minutes over the last few games with Bobby Portis. This will continue today against the warriors, with an even higher potential for increased minutes in case of a blowout. Felicio hasn’t done anything yet with his minutes, but he is near min-priced for a guy who could get 25-30 minutes tonight in a fast-paced game. I like taking shots at him in GPPs on both FD and DK.
Jahlil Okafor (3500/3100): For those MMEing today, throw in a share or two of Jahlil Okafor. He’s min-priced and in a game where he’ll be the primary backup at center. This play is not for the faint of heart as Okafor can easily give you a goose egg, but if things do go badly for the Pelicans (foul trouble for Randle and blowout), Okafor could see a windfall of minutes, allowing him to make value. MME only, please!
Those are your Sixth men for today. Good luck out there today! Make sure to join the DFS Army and get access to our content, tools, coaches, and community that shortens your growth curve for NBA DFS.
