Hi there! I’m Glen but I go by Blande and you can find me on twitter as @DfsBlande . I’m a contributor and coach over here at the DFS Army.
It’s never a good Sunday unless we have some weird slate constructions. FD has created two main slates for us today. An early slate that groups the 3:30 and 6:00 PM games, and the main slate that groups the 7:00 PM and later games. Each slate has four games. DK, on the other hand, has decided to forego the 3:30 PM games, and just go with a main slate that includes all six 6:00 PM and later games. I’ll be covering all the games, and to do so, I’ll focus my articles on the FD format. This article will cover the FD early slate and a second one will cover the FD main slate. For those playing on DK, you’ll need to read both articles to get all the plays. Sorry for the inconvenience DK players. Now let’s dive in!
Point Guards
John Wall (9300/8800): This is a tough matchup for Wall. Only three PGs have managed to put up more than 30 FD FPs against the Knicks this season. In that group, Steph Curry underperformed, and only Bledsoe got over 40. Wall is talented enough to perform here. His performance this season has been great. His price tag should reduce his ownership, making him a good GPP target.
De’Aaron Fox (FD – 8500): The Bucks have been susceptible to PGs this season. Fox comes into this game off a career performance against the Hawks and will look to keep hot. The Kings need Fox to have any chance here, and you can bet he’ll take all the shots he can today. I like him in all formats on FD today.
Shooting Guards
Tim Harthaway Jr. (7500/7300): It is always hard rostering THJ given how scoring dependent he is. However, the Knicks will need scoring from THJ today in order to keep with the Wizards. Hardaway has the third highest And1 rating on the DFS Army Research Station, at 18.6, signifying how good a spot he is in today. He’s more a GPP play due to his scoring dependency.
Bradley Beal (8400/7500): Bradley Beal has an And1 rating just below John Wall today. His matchup is easier than Wall’s though it is no cake walk either. Beal is a solid play in all formats in this matchup. If Wall gets limited by the Knicks, Beal will pick up the slack and could easily explode here. I won’t play both Beal and Wall in the same lineup though, limit it to just one of the duo.
Small Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo (FD – 11800): Giannis is expensive today and it is hard paying up for him. But that said, he’s one of the few on the slate capable of going off for 70+. It’s hard to see who will be able to stop Giannis on this Kings team. I expect him to be chalky-ish today on the FD early slate. He’s a solid cash play, but there’s merit to fading him in GPPs.
Robert Covington (7300/6200): Covington is in good form after beginning the season slowly. His last outing against the Pistons was an aberration, one he’ll look to put away today. He has a good matchup today against the Nets, and given his defensive skills, should be able to put up peripheral stats as well. This is a good spot for Covington, and he makes for a good all format play, especially on DK where he is relatively cheap.
Power Forwards
Markieff Morris (5000/5200): The Knicks have been awful against power forwards this season. They just gave up over 90 FD FPs to the combo of Young and Sabonis just a few days ago. Enter Morris who has been solid this season. At his price, this is a no-brainer. Morris will feast on the Knicks today and I want a share of him everywhere. He is cheap enough that he won’t kill you if he has a subpar game in cash, but the upside is huge here.
Ersan Ilyasova (FD – 5500): Ilyasova is a little expensive for the minutes he gets, but this is a weak position on the FD early slate. You’ll have to make some choices here, and among the options on the Slate, Ilyasova is among the best. He can put up fantasy points in a hurry, and against a defensively weak Kings, this is a good spot for him.
Centers
Joel Embiid (11300/11800): Is Embiid pricey? Yes. Can Embiid break the slate? Yes! There are good center options on the slates today. Embiid is price, but it’s hard to see how the Nets stop him here. You’ll have to make a choice here whether to pay up for the upside Embiid brings to the table. It’s an intriguing play that could work in GPPs if he breaks out.
Dwight Howard (6200/5900): My favorite center play on the FD early slate, and a play I love on DK too. Howard returned from injury and looked really good in his first game back. With no restrictions on him, he is just too cheap on both sites, for a matchup against the Knicks. This is an excellent spot for him and he is playable in all formats.
That’s it for the early slate. Make sure to be in our chat rooms as I’ll have more notes on there closer to lock.
