The unexpected firing of Kevin McHale might wake up the sputtering Rockets. James Harden $10100 and Dwight Howard $7500 are strong plays tonight at home against Portland, with Terrence Jones $6200 and Trevor Ariza $5600 also worth considering in DFS contests at DraftKings.
Point guard is a problem for Houston. Whether a team meeting and a new coach can inspire Ty Lawson $5300 remains to be seen. Until Patrick Beverley (ankle) returns, Jason Terry $3000 is the backup, so Damian Lillard $8800 might carve them up in a losing cause.
The first decision toward building an 8-man lineup is whether to pay almost 25% of the salary cap for Russell Westbrook $12200. His Monday performance — on the road against a much tougher defense — was absolutely worth the investment. Lillard, Isaiah Thomas $7300 and Dennis Schroder $4900 are all good value at PG if you prefer to spend elsewhere.
Plays of the Day
The $300K Sharpshooter is just a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 23,535 finishers from up to 115,000 teams. First place wins $20,000. Enter before the 7:00 ET deadline; you can make unlimited lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
DeMarcus Cousins $10300 is the next important consideration. Will he be as dominant in Atlanta as he’s been all week at home? There are several excellent PF in the midrange — Derrick Favors $7600 is too strong for the Raptors, and if Anthony Davis $10800 (shoulder) sits out, Serge Ibaka $6900 vs. the Pelicans is a mismatch. Potential bargain Taj Gibson $3800 was terrific on Monday: 37.8 PFTS in 31 minutes with 11 REB, 4 BLK and 5 AST.
If you don’t like Harden under these unusual circumstances, save money at SG with Monta Ellis $6000 or Rodney Hood $4800. In a road back-to-back for Will Barton $5100 and the Nuggets, don’t expect any of them to be as good against the Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard $8200 is my pick at SF. Like Ellis, Paul George $9500 will have an easy time in Philadelphia but there’s a risk that they won’t be needed down the stretch. On Monday, Chandler Parsons $4200 scored 20 points in 20 minutes and sure looks ready for a longer leash.
We’re guessing that Howard and all his teammates will play hard and he can rack up huge numbers against Mason Plumlee $5500. Rudy Gobert $6700 is a fine second choice at C, as the Raptors will be tired from last night’s effort. If you’re looking for a rock-bottom salary with upside, Lavoy Allen $3000 is safer than Chris Kaman $3000 or Alex Len $3000.
In addition to the the full 10-game slate, there are 4-game Turbo contests at 8:00 and Late action at 9:00 on just the final two games. Good luck!
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Russell Westbrook $12200 | Damian Lillard $8200 | Dennis Schroder $4900 |
| SG | James Harden $10100 | Monta Ellis $6000 | Rodney Hood $4800 |
| SF | Paul George $9500 | Kawhi Leonard $8200 | Chandler Parsons $4200 |
| PF | DeMarcus Cousins $10300 | Derrick Favors $7600 | Taj Gibson $3800 |
| C | Dwight Howard $7500 | Rudy Gobert $6700 | Lavoy Allen $3000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.