Hi there! I’m Aaron/AFriedman15 (@AFriedman15DFS) and this is my first week of Friedman’s Dirty Dozen, where I will include 12ish of my favorite plays, using information from the DFS Army NBA Research Station (RS), NBA WOWY, and other sources. Some days, when there is a smaller slate, there will be fewer picks. I will generally list them in order of personal preference. My research is focused around DK and the DK Research station, so keep that in mind. Players may be viable to varying degrees at the other sites as well. I will generally try to write Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Weekends, but I may have some spare time on other days as well. On the days I write, you can generally find me in #cash-keg-nfl-cfb-nba
Nikola Jokic: With enough value on the slate and Harden outside of my player pool, Jokic is an easy choice for me as my top spend up, now that Chris Paul is playing tonight alongside The Beard. Jokic has been on an absolute tear without Murray, with two triple-doubles in the last three games. I love pairing Jokic with Monte Morris on this slate.
What To Expect Today — CeeGee’s 1st Look!
Al Horford: There are three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and Al Horford making this column. Ok, he hasn’t been in every column, but it’s hard not to love the way he has been playing. It’s also hard not to pencil in 40+ DK FP for the Celtics big man in the Garden. January was Horford’s best month of the season as he averaged 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in the first month of 2019. In the first two meetings of the season, Horford went for 44.7 and 47 DK FP.
“He’s a great player. In many ways, I think he’s their key. We know how great Kyrie is — one of the very best in the game — but Al, to me, is sort of the hub of the wheel. Things just sort of revolve around him. I’ve always loved his game.” – Steve Kerr on Al Horford.
My only hesitation is a fear that Boston rests some guys in what should be a walkover game, but as long as Horford is in, he is a great play.
Bruno Caboclo: Bruno is an outstanding pivot off of the Knicks value and this 10-day contract signee has gotten 20+ mins in the last three games and 23+ DKFP in two of the last three, crushing his sub-$3,500 price tag. With Conley and Anderson out now, he becomes a elite value play.
Another New Article –> DFSMadness Core 4!
Shelvin Mack (if Conley out): With no Conley or “Slomo” KyleAnderson, Shelvin Mack should take on the lead point guard responsibilities. He is an elite elite play now.
Joe Ingles: Joe Ingles is my favorite mid-range play of the day. Vegas is finally catching up to the fact that Utah is not a slow paced team and the Jazz will play with a season-high O/U of 227 points as they play the Hawks in Salt Lake City tonight. The Jazz are implied for a slate high 119 points and Atlanta is the worst team in the league against small forwards. While Donny Mitch is certainly in play too, this is an excellent spot for Ingles at just $5,300, a cheaper price than Allonzo Trier.
Rudy Gobert: Rudy let me down the past couple of games, but I am going back to the well in GPPs as a much cheaper pivot from Jokic. One of the reasons that I like Gobert a lot is that he gets to defend against the Hawks, who are 2nd in drives per game–in fact, tonight’s matchup will feature the top two teams in drives per game. Atlanta is led by Trae Young, who is third in the league with 17 drives per game. Even though the aDvP is not as strong, Rudy is intriguing as a GPP pivot off of Jokic across the industry for me.
For those who don’t know, golf season has begun, and our DFS Army staff is top notch. Shoutout to maxi1_000_000 for this excellent win!
Mario Hezonja: If you are only going to play one Knick tonight, it has to be Mario Hezonja, who has done very well when given the minutes. He will have plenty of them tonight, as the research station projects In six games this season with 30+ minutes, Hezonja has gone for 21, 26.3, 32.5, 28.5, 31.5. This is an average of 28 DKFP. Yeah, it is hard to trust the Knicks, but Hezonja has come through many times in “spot” DFS duty. Kadeem Allen is also intriguing too at near minimum.
Luke Kornet: My thoughts on the Knicks are that I probably want two in most lineups to take advantage of the value, but not be overweight. Prior to his ankle injury, Kornet was playing really well,then he has missed the last five games. The DS is showing him at 24 projected minutes. In six games with 24+ minutes, Kornet has recorded no fewer than 31.5 DK FP. At $4,200 and being a Knick coming back from injury, there is some risk, but he’s still in play.
Kevin Knox: Knox is arguably the reliable option in the wake of yesterday’s Mavs-Knicks blockbuster. Admittedly, there is not much of a sample without Mudiay, Ntilikina, Burke, Lee, Porzingis, and Hardaway Jr., but Knox leads the Knicks with a 28.7 % usage rate. Knox generally gets a consistent 25-30 minutes, and you’d think he would get all the minutes he can handle with a shortened roster–and he should get Hardaway’s shots too. Furthermore, Knox is playing with extra motivation after failing to make the NBA Rising Stars Game. He has spoken publicly about the snub.
Before lock, check out our “Coaching Notes“
Allonzo Trier *FD Only*: At first glance, $5,400 seemed too steep for Trier, but after the blockbuster trade, the Knicks for a moment, do not have a distributor for tonight’s game. It’s still not a great price, but his price had been hovering around the low $5,000s (when Burke was an option), so there is increased value today to pulling the trigger on the undrafted rookie. Trier has been one of the few bright spots on the Knicks and there is no incentive to not let him take all the minutes against the Celtics. As coach DFSnDonuts (@DFSnDONUTS) said on his video, you may want to just play Trier on FD as a drop score.
Mitchell Robinson: *Multi-entering GPP play only* This is a GPP only play, and Robinson deserves to continue to be monitored, even if he doesn’t make your builds. With yesterday’s Mavs-Knicks blockbuster, the Knicks appear to be short handed heading into Friday’s home game versus the Boston Celtics. Robinson has been trending upwards with 20+ fantasy points in 5 of his 6 last games. While Enes Kanter has been relegated to the bench, Noah Vonleh and Robinson have picked up more of the minutes. Admittedly, there is not much of a sample without Mudiay, Ntilikina, Burke, Lee, Porzingis, and Hardaway Jr., but in that sample, Robinson is averaging 1.13 FPPM.
Kenneth Faried: Faried is mostly a Yahoo play for me, still sitting at an affordable $24, or a pivot if find out late that Horford is resting.
Those are your Dirty Dozen! Some are going to be commonplace, and some won’t. These are players my research led me to and some will contain risk. Your research may indicate you agree or disagree, and that’s ok….we discuss these things in our coaching channels nightly. Good luck tonight! Check the coaches picks for even more confidence in your plays. And always consult all of the unlocked tools (including the Research Station) before lock! And, if you are catching me on a #FreebieFriday, you are going to want to unlock those coaching channels by admitting……
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