Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 11/8:
Nov 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to another year of the DFS Army NBA Full Court Press! Members had a ton of success using the Full Court Press along with various articles and tools that DFS Army provides last season, so we are glad to be back with another year of the all-inclusive article. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Mike aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!
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Utah Jazz @ Indiana Pacers
Vegas Total: 242.0
Vegas Spread: Ind -6.5
We’ll kick this slate off this massive NBA slate with the Utah Jazz on the road in Indy. Lauri Markkanen has been fine as of late but feels like he’s priced right where he should be and on a 14-game slate, we don’t need to force him in. Jordan Clarkson came crashing down to Earth over his last two games after being in good form. The matchup is nice, but he’ll be another secondary option. Then we get to Walker Kessler who has been all over the place to start the season. He had a massive 15 points 15 rebound double-double last time out. We know he can be a good fantasy producer but the minutes have been volatile, if we know the minutes will be there, he’s too cheap, but more of a tournament option. John Collins is another guy who has come down to Earth but he’s been extremely good with the Jazz this season, I have no issue with him as a roster filler. Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk are tournament options too, both are volatile but have nice ceilings. Lastly, Keyonte George is an interesting flyer, but on a slate of this size, we probably don’t need him. Tyrese Haliburton has been unreal to start the season and was on his way to another huge game last time out but was cut short due to a blowout. His price tag continues to climb, but he’s proven to be a $10k+ player. Myles Turner is finally priced closer to where he should be, the matchup is nice but we know the volatility can be there with him as well. Outside of those two, it’s hard for me to trust anyone else on this team, the minutes on the ancillary pieces like Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, and Buddy Hield have been all over the place, the slate is too big for me to feel like these guys are any sort of a priority.
5-star play: Tyrese Haliburton
4-star play: Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler, John Collins, Myles Turner
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Talen Horton-Tucker, Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, Buddy Hield
Washington Wizards @ Charlotte Hornets
Vegas Total: 240.0
Vegas Spread: Cha -4.0
Starting with the Wizards… man are they bad, I’ve been hitting the over in all these games and it continues to work, they’re playing no sort of defense, but we’ll get to that when we get to the Hornets. Kyle Kuzma has been extremely consistent to start the season with at least 44 DraftKings points in three of his last four games and gets a great matchup here. Jordan Poole seems like he’s starting to hit his stride and there is a ceiling game right around the corner, I want to be on him when that game comes and his price tag has come down. Deni Avdija has been consistent as well but I do wish he was seeing slightly more minutes, I don’t have an issue with him with his SF/PF upside. Lastly, Daniel Gafford has gotten healthy and saw 30 minutes last time out on his way to a huge game. He’s too cheap and in this matchup will look like a great value option at the position. From the Hornets, they’ll be without Terry Rozier in this one which will open up usage and minutes in this offense. I would expect Brandon Miller to get the start in his spot which solidifies his minutes a good amount. Below is how this team has operated with Rozier off of the court this season:
- LaMelo Ball – 32.5% usage rate; 1.63 fpm
- Brandon Miller – 13.6% usage rate; 0.48 fpm
- Gordon Hayward – 28.7% usage rate; 1.06 fpm
- PJ Washington – 27.6% usage rate; 0.99 fpm
- Mark Williams – 22.1% usage rate; 1.26 fpm
I really want to like Miller at this price tag but you can see in his fantasy points per minute above, he’s just not doing anything with his minutes. That said, he’s shot poorly over the last few games and that will regress in a positive direction, but he’s not doing much else for ancillary stats either. Ball had an absolutely massive game last time out and is a guy I like going right back to here. Then guys like Washington, Hayward, and Mark Williams all make sense as secondary options.
5-star play: LaMelo Ball
4-star play: Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, Daniel Gafford, Deni Avdija, Tyus Jones, Brandon Miller, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mark Williams
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Brandon Miller
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Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers
Vegas Total: 226.5
Vegas Spread: Bos -1.5
This game may be a better real-life game than DFS, but we’ll start with the Celtics. The only news we have here is Derrick White who missed their last game, so keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed as we get closer to lock for updates. It’s hard for me to prioritize anyone from this team with how many options they have on offense, the guy would be Jayson Tatum, but you’re obviously going to pay for that with his price tag. Guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown are all fine options in that $7-8k range, but good luck predicting which one will have the big night on any given night. If White returns we’ll likely see Al Horford return to the bench and would take a hit given his new price point… although they may need his minutes against Embiid anyway. Speaking of Embiid, we’ll move on to the Sixers who just throttled the Wizards. Joel Embiid had a massive game and only played three quarters, this game should stay more competitive so his minutes ceiling is there and would make sense as a top raw option on this slate. Tyrese Maxey also had a big game and now has at least 46 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, but gets a really difficult matchup in this one making him more of a tournament option. Then guys like Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre are fine mid-range options but not pieces we need to force in this matchup on a big slate. I suppose you could make a case for De’Anthon Melton, but he’s a lineup filler piece at best.
5-star play: Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid
4-star play: Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre, Tobias Harris
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Derrick White, Kelly Oubre, De’Anthony Melton
***UPDATE – Derrick White is now listed as probable***
Los Angeles Clippers @ Brooklyn Nets
Vegas Total: 226.5
Vegas Spread: Lac -4.0
Starting with the new-look Clippers, it’s extremely hard to know what to do with this team with James Harden joining Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard as high-usage players. Harden had a fine day in his debut but was underwhelming relative to his price tag, he’s not exactly a guy I want to go to until his price comes down or we have more of an idea of what this offense will look like. His presence seemed to harm the production for Kawhi and George and will be GPP options for me, at best. I do think Russell Westbrook is interesting given the price tag, he’s playing massive minutes and has at least 46 DraftKings points in two of his last three. Lastly, Ivica Zubac is a fine option, but I don’t like the price tag, we can do better on this slate. From the Nets, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson will miss this game again. Spencer Dinwiddie was a guy I loved last time out against the Bucks given their ability to give up big games to opposing guards, but he was terrible while Cam Thomas was the guard that exploded. Both guys look like solid options in their respective price ranges. Mikal Bridges had his best fantasy game against the Bucks last time out even with a bad day from behind the arc, he’s a solid option now that his price has come down as well. I may have a soft spot for playing Ben Simmons in DFS but hasn’t been great over his last few games. We know he’s going to stuff the stat sheet but needs to get his scoring going. You won’t find many other players with triple-double upside in his price range. Then guys like Lonnie Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Royce O’Neale all make sense as roster fillers.
5-star play: None
4-star play: Russell Westbrook, Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, Lonnie Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale
San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Vegas Total: 224.5
Vegas Spread: Nyk -9.5
Starting with the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is going to look good if his minutes are going to be there, but it’s very evident they’re not going to have any issue pulling him in blowouts. Prior to their last game, he had at least 49 DraftKings points in back-to-back games. The price tag is a bit high for me with the amount of volatility he has but I have no issue getting there if you land on him. Devin Vassell is unlikely to play in this one so expect more minutes for a guy like Malaki Branham yet again, he hasn’t been a great per-minute guy when given the chance to play, but the price tag is nice. Keldon Johnson came down to Earth last time out but mostly due to the blowout, he’s a solid secondary option. Zach Collins is a guy that I’ve played a lot this season and the Knicks haven’t been great against opposing big men this season, I’ll likely get to him yet again in this one. Jeremy Sochan has great PG/SF eligibility, but his price tag has come up and been more and more inconsistent. Lastly, Tre Jones is in a similar boat, his minutes are going to be killed in blowouts with coming off of the bench but he’s a fine option at this price tag. From the Knicks, RJ Barrett returned last time out and looked good in his return, I don’t love the price tag, but he makes sense as a secondary piece. Immanuel Quickley came down to Earth over the last couple of games and really isn’t the type of guy I want to play on a massive slate. Julius Randle continues to shoot terribly, he’s shooting 29% on the season but still putting up good fantasy numbers. When those shots start to fall he’s going to put up some big numbers and is a guy I’ll go right back to in this one. Jalen Brunson had a massive game against the Bucks (partially why I liked Dinwiddie in that matchup so much), but had a rough game last time out. I do like the matchup against this Spurs backcourt and we know he has a solid floor at the very least. Then, Mitchell Robinson has played nice minutes in games that have stayed competitive, so I like going back to him here, they’ll need his size against this big Spurs frontcourt.
5-star play: Julius Randle, Zach Collins
4-star play: Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Tre Jones, Immanuel Quickley
Miami Heat @ Memphis Grizzlies
Vegas Total: 219.0
Vegas Spread: Mia -1.5
Starting with the Heat, Jimmy Butler had a nice bounce-back game last time out and is now the third highest-priced player on the Heat behind Bam and Herro. Simply put, he’s too cheap even considering the production he’s shown so far this season. Bam Adebayo went bonkers last time out against the Lakers and now has at least 50 DraftKings points in two of his last three games. Tyler Herro is playing massive minutes as well, he’s priced up, but it’s hard to ignore him in this matchup. Then guys like Kevin Love and Kyle Lowry are fine GPP options simply due to the matchup. From the Grizzlies, they’ll be without Xavier Tillman in this one meaning Bismack Biyombo will likely draw the start at center again. Biyombo had a big game last time out and makes sense in the mid-range again, but I don’t love the matchup. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been much better as of late at limiting fouls which has raised his minutes ceiling and production. I don’t love the matchup similar to Biyombo, but he’s a great per-minute option. Desmond Bane has been better as well with at least 49 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and is a fine secondary option in this one. Then Marcus Smart and Ziaire Williams are fine options in all formats to fill lineups with.
5-star play: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
4-star play: Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Bismack Biyombo, Tyler Herro
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Marcus Smart, Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama
Phoenix Suns @ Chicago Bulls
Vegas Total: 221.0
Vegas Spread: Chi -1.0
Starting with the Suns, Devin Booker will be out again while Bradley Beal comes in as questionable. We’ll need the news on Beal before we can truly break down the team, but I would think even if he plays he’s not a full go after not playing yet this season. Kevin Durant is priced up but he’s going to run the show again in this one, with Booker and Beal off of the court this season he has a 36.5% usage rate and 1.37 fantasy points per minute. He’s priced up, but it’s warranted given the matchup and continued role in the offense. Jusuf Nurkic seems like he’s priced about right but does have a huge ceiling if you want to take up a center spot with him. Eric Gordon and Grayson Allen are in the same price range, but I would prefer Gordon if I had the option due to the usage difference. Then guys like Josh Okogie and Jordan Goodwin make sense as secondary options as well, the minutes will be there with Okogie but isn’t a huge per-minute producer while just the opposite is true with Goodwin. From the Bulls, it’s Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan as the main options while guys like Coby White and Patrick Williams are secondary options. All three of these guys feel underpriced in a good matchup and make sense in all formats, it’s just so hard to determine who will have the big game between the three on any given night. I should touch on Andre Drummond because he normally grades out well in the Domination Station due to his price tag and ability to put up fantasy points in a hurry, but he’s not a guy I ever want to go crazy on unless Vucevic were out.
5-star play: Kevin Durant
4-star play: Jusuf Nurkic, Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, Jordan Goodwin, Coby White, Patrick Williams
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Vegas Total: 229.5
Vegas Spread: Cle -2.5
Starting with the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell has been in great form with at least 48 DraftKings points in four of his last five games and is a guy I like again here. The Thunder have played sneaky good defense, but the ceiling is clearly there. Evan Mobley has been solid as well and much more consistent than we saw in the first few games. Darius Garland finally looked like himself last time out and has a great price tag, I expect I’ll have a good deal of him as the slate stands right now. Jarrett Allen got his minutes up to 28 last time out and would expect he’s up over 30 in this one, he’s another guy with a really nice price tag. I can’t say I love Caris LeVert with all the usage he’ll have to fight for, but the minutes should be there. Then Max Strus is a solid MME option, he’s playing a ton of minutes and if his shot is falling he’ll have himself a nice night. From the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned last time out and looked great, he has at least 50 DraftKings points in three of his last five and is in for a huge season, I won’t talk you off of him as a spend-up option. Josh Giddey is priced up and probably not a guy I want to get to with SGA back, he demands a bunch of usage in order to produce that price tag and it’ll be tough to do with SGA in there. Chet Holmgren has looked good and is seeing a bunch of minutes, it’s a tough matchup with Mobley and Allen, but it’s hard to argue with the production. Jalen Williams is in the same boat as Giddey, I just don’t love the price tag with this team healthy. Then Lu Dort has at least 37 DraftKings in back-to-back games and is a solid GPP option.
5-star play: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
4-star play: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Caris LeVert, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams
New Orleans Pelicans @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Vegas Total: 219.0
Vegas Spread: Min -7.5
Starting with the Pelicans, they’ll be without CJ McCollum again in this one meaning we should see Jordan Hawkins in the starting lineup again. Below is how this team has operated with him off of the court this season:
- Brandon Ingram – 35.4% usage rate; 1.57 fpm
- Jordan Hawkins – 28.1% usage rate; 0.92 fpm
- Herbert Jones – 20.6% usage rate; 1.13 fpm
- Zion Williamson – 25.7% usage rate; 1.20 fpm
- Jonas Valanciunas – 25.4% usage rate; 1.88 fpm (small sample)
Ingram will be my favorite option here as he runs the point with McCollum out but the rest of this starting lineup is going to look good as well. Hawkins finally had a nice shooting game and it showed in his production, he’s way too cheap and makes plenty of sense again in this one. Zion looks great as well, the Minnesota bigs have been in great form defensively, however, so he’s got his work cut out for him. Guys like Jones and JoVal make sense as secondary options as well. From the Wolves, we finally saw the ceiling game from Anthony Edwards last time out, and now has at least 50 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, the matchup is great as well. The same can’t be said for Karl-Anthony Towns who has been fairly disappointing to start the season, he’s more of a tournament option until that price tag comes down a bit. I do like the price tag on Rudy Gobert quite a bit though and think he makes sense in all formats. I touched on Jaden McDaniels in our Cheat Sheets last time out and mentioned the possibility of his minutes coming up and boy they sure did, he saw 45 minutes and is clearly off of his minutes restriction. He makes plenty of sense as a value option. Then guys like Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson are secondary tournament options.
5-star play: Brandon Ingram, Jordan Hawkins, Rudy Gobert
4-star play: Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, Jonas Valanciunas, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels
Deeper Value: Jaden McDaniels
GPP Sleeper: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid
Detroit Pistons @ Milwaukee Bucks
Vegas Total: 227.0
Vegas Spread: Mil -12.0
Starting with the Pistons, they’ll be without Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks again while Jalen Duren comes in as questionable. Ivey and Burks being out will open up minutes and opportunities for Killian Hayes and Marcus Sasser, both guys will look good in a fast-paced matchup against a defense that is still figuring out their identity. Cade Cunningham continues to play massive minutes and will be a guy I’ll have interest in here, as I mentioned, this Bucks defense has struggled with opposing guards to start the season. Isaiah Stewart looked good again last night and regardless of whether Duren plays or not, his minutes are solidified, and makes sense as a mid-range guy with PF/C eligibility. Ausar Thompson has been great as well and is filling up the stat sheet, his price is up, but I like the floor/ceiling combination. If Duren is out again we will likely see Marvin Bagley start again but he looked bad last time out, that said, his price tag is dirt cheap and would look like a nice value option. From the Bucks, Khris Middleton will get the night off for rest but was only seeing about 20 minutes anyway as he works his way back from a knee injury. We’ll likely see Jae Crowder start in his place, but probably not a guy we need to look to on this slate. We have a decent enough look at how this offense will look with Damian Lillard on the team, below is how they’ve operated on the season:
- Damian Lillard – 29.0% usage rate; 1.05 fpm
- Malik Beasley – 14.2% usage rate; 0.63 fpm
- Jae Crowder – 11.9% usage rate; 0.81 fpm
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – 35.4% usage rate; 1.47 fpm
- Brook Lopez – 17.7% usage rate; 0.87 fpm
The matchup is great, so Dame and Giannis are going to be great spend-up options. Guys like Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez are solid secondary tournament options as well. I suppose you can make a case for Crowder at a sub-$4k price tag, but he’ll need to shoot the ball well.
5-star play: Killian Hayes, Marcus Sasser, Giannis Antetokounmpo
4-star play: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, Brook Lopez
Deeper Value: Jae Crowder
GPP Sleeper: Ausar Thompson, Brook Lopez, Malik Beasley, Jae Crowder, Bobby Portis
Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets
Vegas Total: 218.5
Vegas Spread: Lal -2.5
Starting with the Lakers, the main news we’ll need here is Anthony Davis as he left last game early with hip issues. Keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed as we get closer to lock as well as the discord for updates on this team, but guys like LeBron James and Christian Wood will see massive bumps as well as the other starters in this lineup. From the Rockets, Alperen Sengun was great in limited run last time out due to a blowout, I’ll have no issue going right back to him here especially if Davis is forced to miss on the other end. Fred VanVleet was impacted by the blowout as well but had at least 45 DraftKings points in three of his prior four games. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith feel like similar options as well, I like the matchup and would be good with landing on either of them. Dillon Brooks is being Dillon Brooks saying he looks forward to locking down LeBron, whether or not that sparks a fire under him and/or LeBron, he’s been in solid form and would be someone I like in this price range as a filler piece.
5-star play: Alperen Sengun, Lakers TBD
4-star play: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Dillon Brooks, Lakers TBD
Deeper Value: Lakers TBD
GPP Sleeper: Dillon Brooks, Lakers TBD
Toronto Raptors @ Dallas Mavericks
Vegas Total: 224.5
Vegas Spread: Dal -5.5
Starting with the Raptors, Scottie Barnes has been incredible to start the season and is taking on more ball-handling and playmaking duties with Fred VanVleet off of the team. He has at least 42 FanDuel points in every game this season but has certainly seen his price come up. That said, he’s going to look good yet again in this one. Pascal Siakam has been on the opposite end of that, he’s been extremely volatile, but I do like the matchup. If Precious Achiuwa misses this game again I’ll go right back to the well on Jakob Poeltl as well, it solidifies his minutes a good deal. Dennis Schroder has been great as well and is a solid mid-range option in this one. O.G. Anunoby hasn’t been all that impressive to start the season but had a really nice bounce-back game last time out and makes sense as a secondary option. Then Gary Trent Jr. makes sense as a tournament option to round out the team. From the Mavericks, Luka Doncic has seen his production trend down over the last two games, but he’s one of the highest point-per-minute and highest usage guys in the league, he’ll look like a great raw option if you have the salary. Kyrie Irving has been going in the opposite direction which is probably directly related. One of these guys is going to have a good game which will impact the other, I wouldn’t want to pair these guys, but Luka would be the guy I have more trust in. Dereck Lively has looked good, but volatile which is to be expected from a rookie. We should touch on Tim Hardaway as well, he’s looked good to start the season and makes sense as a tournament option. You can make a case for Grant Williams, but I can’t do it on this slate and that price tag.
5-star play: Scottie Barnes, Luka Doncic
4-star play: Pascal Siakam, Dennis Schroder, Jakob Poeltl, O.G. Anunoby, Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Gary Trent Jr., Dereck Lively, Grant Williams
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets
Vegas Total: 227.5
Vegas Spread: Den -3.5
Starting with the Warriors, Draymond Green comes in as questionable which is noteworthy as Chris Paul would move into the starting lineup if he were to sit. Solidifying his minutes would keep him in play, but Green being in would keep me off of Paul entirely. Steph Curry is always a guy that I’m underweight on in cash games due to the price tag but we know the ceiling is there, so he makes plenty of sense in tournaments. He just doesn’t get the ancillary stats like the other guys in his price range, but he has a ceiling as high as anyone on the slate. Klay Thompson hasn’t hit value on his price tag yet this season and isn’t a guy I’ll go back to in this one, he’s still a fine GPP option if you land on some shares. I do think Draymond Green is solid, he wouldn’t be the first piece in my lineup, but he makes sense as a filler piece. The price tag on Andrew Wiggins is way down, but he’s been BAD this season. I’ll wait until he figures it out a bit before going back to him. Lastly, Kevon Looney makes sense at his price tag but does take up a valuable center spot. From the Nuggets, Jamal Murray will remain out meaning Reggie Jackson should get the start again. Below is how this team has operated with him off of the court this season:
- Reggie Jackson – 22.3% usage rate; 1.0 fpm
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 16.3% usage rate; 0.9 fpm
- Michael Porter Jr. – 21.6% usage rate; 1.06 fpm
- Aaron Gordon – 21.0% usage rate; 1.31 fpm
- Nikola Jokic – 27.8% usage rate; 2.00 fpm
Jokic is the obvious option here and will look like a top spend-up option on the slate while Porter Jr. and Gordon make for great options as well. Jackson didn’t see a ton of minutes which is why I don’t love the spot. Julian Strawther actually saw good minutes and is an interesting stone-min option.
5-star play: Nikola Jokic
4-star play: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr.
Deeper Value: Julian Strawther
GPP Sleeper: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Portland Trail Blazers @ Sacramento Kings
Vegas Total: 221.0
Vegas Spread: Sac -7.5
Starting with the Blazers, Scoot Henderson will be out in this one along with Anfernee Simons who is out for the next few weeks. I would expect to see Malcolm Brogdon continue to see huge minutes and makes complete sense again in a great matchup here. He’s always been a nice per-minute option, but the minutes have been volatile over the last couple of seasons… that shouldn’t be the case here. Shaedon Sharpe has looked great this season and I expect he will continue to see huge minutes and carry this team with Simons and Scoot out. Deandre Ayton came down to Earth last time out but is someone I like going back to here, Sabonis is not a good defender. Lastly, Jerami Grant is never a sexy option, but he’s a solid secondary option to round out the team. From the Kings, De’Aaron Fox will remain out which will keep Davion Mitchell in the starting lineup. Below is how this team has operated with him off of the court this season:
- Davion Mitchell – 14.4% usage rate; 0.56 fpm
- Kevin Huerter – 23.8% usage rate; 0.87 fpm
- Harrison Barnes – 16.5% usage rate; 0.59 fpm
- Keegan Murray – 19.9% usage rate; 0.60 fpm
- Domantas Sabonis – 21.6% usage rate; 1.24 fpm
Sabonis struggled last time out but I love the matchup and is a guy I’ll go back to the well with here. Murray and Barnes feel like similar options, but Murray probably has a higher ceiling. I don’t love Mitchell due to his point-per-minute production that we’ve seen throughout his career, especially on a huge slate. Lastly, Huerter is a fine option but not a guy I think we need to force on this slate.
5-star play: Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis
4-star play: Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray
Deeper Value: None
GPP Sleeper: Kevin Huerter
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