Plays of the Day
Value: Wesley Matthews is one of several values to consider in a Mavericks uniform in tournament formats tonight. He’s been stroking from downtown lately and should see increased usage with Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) out.
Fade: Kevin Durant has become incredibly expensive and while he’s producing more in the absence of Stephen Curry, he’s still playing within a system that spreads the wealth and the Warriors (-11.5) could win easily tonight over a Mavs team that’s in last place out West.
Point Guard
Lonzo Ball – (7,000 DK/7,500 FD)
He’s worth a look as a tournament option with upside in a game to target at Cleveland. This game has a 219-point Over/Under and the Lakers have turned up to face big name competition, while Lonzo has particular pressure put on him to thrive when the spotlight is on. He’s coming off a good game at MSG and draws a great matchup against a Cavs team that’s essentially playing without a PG right now.
Yogi Ferrell ($4.6k, $4.7k) and J.J. Barea ($5.6k, $5.5k) are solid value options with Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) ruled out in Golden State. The Warriors should be without both Steph Curry (ankle) and Draymond Green (shoulder) tonight, so that game could be closer than expected. Spencer Dinwiddie ($6.7k, $7.7k) is at a good price point on DK as the Nets top option right now. Frank Mason III ($3.9k, $4.2k) is a punt play with upside to consider as the Kings try something new at the PG position.
Shooting Guard
Klay Thompson – (6,900 DK/7,600 FD)
With Curry inactive and Draymond Green likely out, Thompson becomes the second-most important player on the Warriors roster and he has a better chance of paying off his price tag than Kevin Durant, who is close to $12k on both main DFS sites. Thompson sees a 3.8 percent rise in usage with those players off the floor and is capable of going off anytime the Warriors play at home.
Kent Bazemore ($5.7k, $5.9k) is a good play against the Pistons tonight after his big game the other night. Detroit happens to give up the most FPPG (44.42) to opposing SFs this season and Bazemore torched the Pistons earlier this season.
You can use Caris LeVert ($5.4k, $6.1k) in cash games given his increased usage with the Nets missing D’Angelo Russell. J.R. Smith ($4.1k, $4.3k) will be worth a look as a cheap option if Dwyane Wade (knee) misses another game.
Wesley Matthews ($4.6k, $5.1k) is a good GPP option to consider at Oracle Arena tonight. He’s a big game player and makes sense as a correlation play if you’re paying up for KD or Klay.
Small Forward
Kyle Kuzma – (5,500 DK/5,700 FD)
Kuzma remains under priced on both main DFS sites, seemingly just because he dropped a dud in Philadelphia last Thursday. Yet he’s surrounded that by meeting or exceeding value in 12 appearances and just produced 31 points with 20 rebounds in road games against the Hornets and Knicks.
Brandon Ingram ($6.5k, $6.9k) also has upside in a bout with the mighty LeBron James ($11.9k, $12.6k), who is worth paying up for if you can find comfortable values at other positions.
Tobias Harris ($6.3k, $6.7k) can be considered in tournament formats as the Pistons SLU look to bounce back from a horrible outing.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($6.1k, $7.2k) remains cheap on DK and Andre Iguodala ($4.2k, $4.7k) is a very good value option to consider if Draymond doesn’t play tonight.
Power Forward
Kristaps Porzingis – (9,600 DK/10,200 FD)
Porizingis continued to dominate with an impressive 37-point game against the Lakers and now he draws an even better matchup against a Nets team that gives up the third-most FPPG (57.65) to opposing centers this year. The Zinger has dominated the Knicks crosstown rival over his two years in the league and is arguably the top per-dollar option on this slate.
Zach Randolph ($6.8k, $7.5k) is just about the only Kings player worth paying up for and he draws a good matchup against the Wolves.
Jordan Bell ($3.6k, $4.3k) should see extended run if Draymond Green is inactive tonight. He went for 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists over 26 minutes on Monday and has athleticism to spare.
The return of John Collins ($5.5k, $5.9k) for Atlanta could hurt the upside of Ersan Ilyasova ($5.3k, $4.7k), but he’s a sneak play against a Pistons team that doesn’t do a great job closing out on big men that can shoot.
Center
Karl-Anthony Towns – (9,100 DK/10,100 FD)
While Andre Drummond ($9.3k, $9.4k) has plenty of upside, KAT has the best floor-ceiling combination at his position tonight against a Kings team that gives up the second-most FPPG (57.64) to opposing centers this year. He’s finally found a rhythm with 68 points, 40 rebounds and 7 blocks over his last three appearances and has been better at home throughout his early career.
Willie Cauley-Stein ($5.1k, $6.0k) didn’t do much but it’s worth noting that he played 30 minutes Tuesday. If the Nets finally decide to play him, Jahlil Okafor ($4.0k, $5.2k) would become an intriguing value on DK, and his lackluster defense would further increase the prospects of Enes Kanter ($6.6k, $6.7k) for the Knicks.
