We have a nearly-full slate of 14 NBA games on Friday. Making sense of them and trying to sort out the best opportunities is a first step to picking the right players in DFS contests.
As always, injuries are a consideration and breaking news about one player can impact the value of several others. James Harden $11000 (ankle) is questionable; if he can’t go, Corey Brewer $4100 would benefit most and a few other Rockets gain touches, including Trevor Ariza $5900, Terrence Jones $6500 and Donatas Motiejunas $5300.
DeMarcus Cousins (ankle, hip) $9800 is doubtful and Darren Collison (hip) is having surgery. That leaves Rudy Gay $7300 as the only scorer for the Kings; Jason Thompson $3500 could also be a bargain. Tim Duncan $6800, Kawhi Leonard $6700 and the superior Spurs depth should prevail, but we are about individual performances and don’t really care who wins.
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The Pistons should have their way with the hapless Knicks. Reggie Jackson $6100 has a great opportunity, Andre Drummond $7800 keeps improving and Greg Monroe $7900 has double-doubled in two straight. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $4400 has hit 11 3-pointers in his last two.
While going against the Lakers usually makes sense, the Bucks are too deep to have DFS standouts. Michael Carter-Williams $7000 played only 17 minutes in his Bucks debut; he may still be in a timeshare with Jerryd Bayless $4600.
Former Celtic Al Jefferson $7500 will be taking the ball inside and newest Hornet Mo Williams $6100 has come out shooting. Isaiah Thomas $5900 doesn’t have to start to be Boston’s leading scorer.
Chicago must rely more than ever on Pau Gasol $9800 and Jimmy Butler $7900 now that Derrick Rose (knee) is out. Kirk Hinrich $3000 may start at PG, but Aaron Brooks $4500 has more fantasy value. Joakim Noah $6800 can slow down Nikola Pekovic $6100, so any chance of an upset depends on Minnesota’s perimeter players.
Don’t focus on who’s missing for the Pelicans. Tyreke Evans $7900, Eric Gordon $5800 and Omer Asik $4900 have won two in a row, with help from Alexis Ajinca $4500, Norris Cole $3500, Quincy Pondexter $3500 and Dante Cunningham $3300. For the Heat, Luol Deng $5900 has stepped up, Dwyane Wade $6800 looks good and Hassan Whiteside $7800 is one of many solid C on the board. It’s mostly up to Goran Dragic $6400 and how quickly he meshes with them.
It’s a real mess in Denver. Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) is out, Wilson Chandler $5500 (thigh) has missed two games and Kenneth Faried $5200 (thumb) one. The best values might be newcomers Will Barton $3600 and Joffrey Lauvergne $3500. The Jazz are very good up front with Derrick Favors $7400 and Rudy Gobert $6500; this meaningless game could produce big fantasy numbers.
It’s a tough back-to-back for the Warriors, who lost in Cleveland last night. Toronto dropped three of four in a five-night road trip and must regroup. The over/under of 214 seems high. Stephen Curry $9800 is still the key, but there are reasons to avoid many of the highest-priced players tonight, including fatigue and nagging injuries. As you can see, I’m leaning to a more balanced lineup.
Likewise, the Cavaliers gave a 100% effort on Thursday and a letdown is possible against the Pacers. There’s no incentive for LeBron James $10300 to be any better than he needs to be. Kyrie Irving $7700 (shoulder) is doubtful, so Kevin Love $7800 might get a few more shots.
Also playing a difficult back-to-back and their third game in four nights, the Thunder are underdogs in Portland. Russell Westbrook $11200 had a monster triple-double in a losing cause — 39 PTS, 14 REB, 11 AST — despite missing nine of ten 3-point attempts. While incredibly talented and consistent, he’s only human and very expensive. Damian Lillard $7800, LaMarcus Aldridge $8800, Wesley Matthews $5600 and Nicolas Batum $5500 are all playable for the rested Blazers.
John Wall $8600 vs. Isaiah Canaan $3700 is no contest and Marcin Gortat $5200 should be unstoppable. However, the Wizards are mired in a mysterious slump and Paul Pierce $4100 (knee) is questionable. Don’t expect a huge score.
Orlando is better at home against teams that underestimate them, not as good on the road vs. a conference leader. Atlanta should take care of business, though more points figure to be scored in a few other games.
The Clippers at Memphis is a playoff preview, with a premium on defense. It’s a much better game in real life than daily fantasy. Chris Paul $10100 did have 30 points and 10 assists when these teams met in L.A. on Monday, but the Grizzlies won 90-87.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | R. Westbrook $11200 | Reggie Jackson $6100 | Aaron Brooks $4500 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $7900 | Wesley Matthews $5600 | K. Caldwell-Pope $4400 |
| SF | LeBron James $10300 | Rudy Gay $7300 | J. Lauvergne $3500 |
| PF | Pau Gasol $9800 | Derrick Favors $7400 | Jason Thompson $3500 |
| C | Andre Drummond $7800 | Rudy Gobert $6500 | Omer Asik $4900 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.