Plays of the Day
Value: Tim Frazier could become a no-brainer value play if John Wall (knee) misses another game. The journeyman PG scored just 6 points but added 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a loss to Toronto on Sunday and played 35 minutes along with the rest of the starters and averages 10.9 points, 8.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per 36 minutes in his career.
Fade: DeMarcus Cousins could be a very popular play with Anthony Davis (face) questionable tonight, but AD is definitely expected to suit up and the Pelicans could run more of their offense through him with Boogie slated to deal with solid defender Steven Adams.
Point Guards
Patrick Beverley – (5,700 DK/6,700 FD)
He’s ready to return from a 5-game absence tonight and Beverley will draw a fantastic matchup against a Knicks team that gives up the fourth-most FPPG (49.48) and most APG (10.71) to opposing PGs this season. The Clippers need their veteran PG back with Austin Rivers and rookie Sindarius Thornwell struggling, while Lou Williams remains extremely streaky as a combo guard. Beverley is scoring a career-best 12.5 PPG with 2.1 3PTM per game at a 39.6 percent clip and he’s tough enough to return and play a full slate of minutes right away.
Tim Frazier – (3,400 DK/3,100 FD)
If John Wall (knee) sits out another game after resting his ailing joint on Sunday afternoon, Frazier would essentially become a must play at that ridiculously low price tag The journeyman PG scored just 6 points but added 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a loss to Toronto on Sunday and played 35 minutes along with the rest of the starters. He averages 10.9 points, 8.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per 36 minutes in his career and draws a decent matchup against a Bucks team that gives up the tenth-most PPG (22.6) to opposing PGs this season.
Potential Value
Mario Chalmers – (4,700 DK/5,400 FD)
Chalmers should continue to start at PG with Mike Conley (Achilles) out indefinitely.
Longshot
Ish Smith – (3,800 DK/4,000 FD)
Smith is playing his way into a timeshare with Reggie Jackson and draws a juicy matchup against the Cavs tonight.
Shooting Guards
Rodney Hood – (5,600 DK/5,800 FD)
The Jazz found something offensively while erupting for 125 points in a blowout win at Orlando on Saturday. Hood played a key role in that turnaround, as he dropped 31 points in that contest and is now 23-for-44 (52.2%) from downtown over his last five appearances. Matchups with Philly often produce DFS goodness and Hood is healthier now than he was when he scored 19 points against the Sixers on Nov 7.
Jamal Murray – (5,400 DK/5,600 FD)
If Murray can follow up Friday’s 31-point performance with another solid game tonight, he’ll likely grab a hold of a Nuggets PG that is up for grabs right now. The second-year man out of Kentucky has seen a rise in usage rate (24.3%) and true shooting (.550%) this year, while he’s caught fire over his last three appearances with 81 points on 32-of-58 (55%) FG shooting. Sacramento gives up the seventh-most APG (9.06) to opposing PGs, the second-most 3PTM per game (12.3) and is ranked 28th overall in defensive rating this year.
Potential Value
Dwyane Wade – (5,100 DK/6,200 FD)
Wade is mixing a high ceiling with a decent floor as the third scoring option for the Cavs.
Longshot
Bradley Beal – (8,000 DK/7,900 FD)
Beal would become a borderline must play if John Wall can’t go tonight.
Small Forwards
LeBron James – (11,300 DK/11,600 FD)
LeBron and the Cavs tend to turn up in matchups against up-and-coming teams, especially those with designs on competing in the Eastern Conference. The King has been off since he logged a whopping 46 minutes against the Clippers on Friday, so he should be ready to carry the load once again for a flawed Cleveland team that needs him to provide heroics in each and every game with Kyrie Irving gone. He averaged 22 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 8.3 APG over three meetings with the Pistons last year and Detroit is giving up an above average 42.78 FPPG to opposing SFs this season.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – (4,100 DK/4,900 FD)
Despite seeing much more playing time lately MKG has yet to flash much upside, but he does have a solid floor in a fast-paced contest against Minnesota. The athletic 6-foot-7 wing is coming off a rough offensive game against the elite Clippers defense, yet now he faces a Wolves team that ranks 25th in defensive rating and dead last in opponents FG shooting (.485%) this season. That bodes well for MKG, who scores most of his points in the paint and should be able to avoid Minnesota’s sole plus defender in Jimmy Butler, since he’ll likely guard the bigger offensive threat in Nic Batum.
Potential Value
Wesley Johnson – (3,900 DK/4,300 FD)
Johnson’s been asked to be more aggressive offensively and he could exceed value once again if Danilo Gallinari (hip) remains inactive against the Knicks tonight.
Longshot
Robert Covington – (6,100 DK/6,800 FD)
Covington has been red hot as an integral piece of the Sixers offense and faces a Jazz team that’s struggled to guard the three-point line this season.
Power Forwards
Ben Simmons – (9,200 DK/10,300 FD)
Simmons went for 16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals/blocks in a win at Utah two weeks ago and that was with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on the floor. He shot just 7-of-22 from the floor in that contest and might’ve been effected by Gobert’s presence in the paint, but the electric point forward is shooting 66 percent (28-for-42) from the floor with 63 points and 26 assists over his last three appearances, so he seems to be finding his shot at the pro level right in time for a plus matchup against an injury-plagued foe.
Derrick Favors – (6,400 DK/6,800 FD)
Another player to target in a meeting between the young Sixers and Jazz, Favors has stepped up with Gobert out. The hulking big man produced 25 points and 11 boards over just 25 minutes in a blowout win over Orlando and is averaging 15.8 PPG, 10 RPG and 1.8 BPG over five appearances since Gobert’s injury. He’s become more involved on offensive with 9 assists over his last three appearances and draws a plus matchup against a 76ers team that allowed the third-most FPPG (54.16) to opposing PFs last week.
Potential Value
Jonas Jerebko – (3,900 DK/3,300 FD)
Jerebko is starting at the 4 with Favors at center for Utah and he’ll have a chance to stay on the floor in a plus matchup against Dario Saric and the Sixers.
Longshot
Harrison Barnes – (5,800 DK/6,900 FD)
Barnes will need to have a big game at home tonight if the Mavericks will have any chance of stopping the streaking Celtics.
Centers
Joel Embiid – (9,900 DK/10,600 FD)
Apparently, Embiid is no longer on a strict minutes limit as The Process is averaging 33 PPG, 13 RPG, 4 APG and 3 BPG while logging 34.3 MPG over his last three appearances. Gobert’s absence is clearly a huge factor in this matchup and Embiid should be ready to work against smaller defenders in Derrick Favors and Ekpe Udoh after missing his first date with the Jazz to rest earlier this month.
Nikola Jokic – (9,100 DK/9,300 FD)
As one of several appealing high-priced centers, Jokic might fly under the radar to a degree after a relatively quiet line (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) as the Nuggets dropped 146 points on the Pelicans on Friday. Of course he only played 27 minutes in that contest and stands to see more run on the road tonight against a Kings team that coughs up the most FPPG (62.45) to opposing centers this year. Jokic stunningly went scoreless in a 96-79 win over Sacramento earlier this season, but dropped 20 points and 14 boards in his previous meeting with the Kings and is bound to pile up stats with the Nuggets offense rolling to this degree.
Potential Value
Willie Cauley-Stein – (4,500 DK/5,300 FD)
Cauley-Stein might be motivated by his demotion to the second unit, as its led to increased production in his recent appearances.
Longshot
Marc Gasol – (8,100 DK/8,200 FD)
Gasol was quiet in his last meeting with the Blazers, but could have a monster game any time Mike Conley (Achilles) misses action.
