Fantasy Spin March 20, 2015

Important decisions must be made about the two most expensive superstars before filling out our Friday lineups at DraftKings. Without Anthony Davis $11500 (ankle), the Pelicans lost an ugly game in Phoenix and are in big trouble against the Warriors. Klay Thompson (ankle) is out, making Stephen Curry $9600 and Draymond Green $7600 the best plays, though Steve Kerr probably hopes to limit their minutes and rely on his depth.

Oklahoma City now has a one-game cushion in the West playoff race as the Hawks come to town. The incredible Russell Westbrook $12500 will be even more of a one-man team with Enes Kanter $7000 (ankle) questionable; Kevin Durant (foot) and Serge Ibaka (knee) are definitely out. Steven Adams $4500 and Anthony Morrow $4000 must step up for the Thunder to win. Atlanta didn’t play their best game on Wednesday, so we expect Al Horford $6600 and Paul Millsap $7700 to make amends.

Plays of the Day

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If you don’t ante up for Westbrook, Curry or Chris Paul $9700, there’s plenty of PG talent in other price ranges. Kyrie Irving $7800 and Goran Dragic $6600 are excellent value, and in a meaningless game between terrible teams, Ish Smith $5000 is the new starter for the 76ers.

We’ve been raving about Dwyane Wade $7900 in this space for weeks. Healthy and inspired, he’s scored at least 25 points in seven straight games and is the standout play at SG once again. J.J. Redick $6600 is in a groove and Gerald Henderson $5300 is a possible bargain because Charlotte remains alive in the East playoff hunt and the wheels have fallen off the Kings.

The conversation at SF always begins with LeBron James $10300, though a tender knee has kept him from posting huge numbers the last two games and the Pacers are a solid defensive club. Kawhi Leonard $8300 is a more affordable alternative and Luol Deng $5400 just exploded with a 24-point effort to help upset the Blazers. It’s worth noting that Miami hosts the Nuggets, who may once again use the excuse of a road back-to-back to rest their best players in a blatant tank job.

Blake Griffin $9000 gets top billing among a deep, talented group of power forwards. LaMarcus Aldridge $8900 was heroic in defeat on Wednesday and has a great matchup tonight — if the Magic keep the game close enough that he has to play big minutes again. Especially if you’re using Westbrook, you need bargains in other spots; Boris Diaw $3700 is one Spur who is not in the coach’s doghouse.

With DeMarcus Cousins $9800 (calf) listed as questionable and openly unhappy, the safest plays at C are DeAndre Jordan $8500 and Hassan Whiteside $7600. Again, if you are trying to save money at the position, Adams and Jonas Valanciunas $5300 offer good bang for the buck.

The sample lineup and Short List are built around Westbrook in anticipation of yet another triple-double. If you replace him with a less-expensive PG who still produces, you can afford a much better supporting cast. As always, enter early before the best contests are full, then stay on top of breaking news. You can make unlimited roster moves until the 7:00 ET deadline.

Pos	Premium	Midrange	Bargain
PG	R. Westbrook $12500	Kyrie Irving $7800	Ish Smith $5000
SG	Dwyane Wade $7900	J.J. Redick $6600	Anthony Morrow $4000
SF	LeBron James $10300	Kawhi Leonard $8300	Luol Deng $5400
PF	Blake Griffin $9000	Paul Millsap $7700	Boris Diaw $3700
C	DeAndre Jordan $8500	Hassan Whiteside $7600	Steven Adams $4500