FanDuel NBA Plays: Thursday, February 2nd
We have a short four-game slate tonight featuring some high totals and spreads on the NBA odds board. As always, injury news will be front and center, and we have plenty to discuss even in the early part of the day.
Let’s take a look at how the slate is shaping up and discuss who I’m looking to target on FanDuel tonight.
Point Guard
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, $9,600 – Curry should be a popular pick tonight coming off of consecutive 60+ fantasy point performances. His three point shooting has been unbelievable lately, and he draws a favorable matchup against a Clippers team that will be without Chris Paul’s services. The point guard position isn’t offering too many players I feel comfortable targeting in cash games, so Curry is essentially a lock for me. John Wall is simply too expensive when you can get Curry for $1,200 less.
D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers, $6,100 – Russell returned from a three game absence to post a 47.4 fantasy point line against a Denver Nuggets team that is routinely roasted by opposing point guards. The Wizards are playing extremely well right now, and this matchup isn’t nearly as favorable, but I like the prospect of Russell seeing 30+ minutes. He’s prone to some very poor shooting nights, and he’s by no means a lock to have a great game, but I think the risk/reward makes sense here. There really isn’t another “safe” option anyway, so I’m willing to take a shot on Russell.
Additional Plays: Dennis Schroder, John Wall, Austin Rivers
Shooting Guard
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors, $6,300 – I’m not a huge Thompson fan from a fantasy perspective because he takes a back seat on offense too much, but the shooting guard position is ugly tonight. FanDuel forces us to use two guys from the player pool, so we have no choice but to find a couple of options. Thompson is coming off of two big performances, which is likely to inflate his ownership. He also has the most upside of any shooting guard not named James Harden, so it makes sense to follow the crowd, especially in cash games. Due to ownership, if he has another big game and you don’t have him, you’re in trouble. Likewise, if he has a poor game, you’ll still have a shot to have a profitable night because so many other people will have exposure to him.
Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers, $4,500 – I try to construct a lineup while I write this article. My goal is provide you with the stars I feel are worth spending on while filling in other roster spots with value guys. Crawford is the last player I’m writing up because he’s the last guy in the lineup I built with the players in this article. Crawford should continue to see 30+ minutes off the bench for the Clippers, and he’ll be putting up plenty of shots in a fast-paced game against Golden State. As you can see from his game log, he’s very capable of putting up a dud and ruining your lineup, but the more likely scenario is that he shoots the ball a ton, facilitates the offense with the second unit, and eclipses 20 fantasy points. As a last guy in, he’s a perfectly acceptable play at a weak shooting guard position.
Additional Plays: James Harden, Bradley Beal
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs, $10,100 – This is a steep price to pay, but Leonard’s usage rate increases dramatically when LaMarcus Aldridge is out. We’re going to see a lot of Leonard against a Sixers team that is one of the worst defensive units in the league with Joel Embiid off the floor. Leonard is worth paying up for on a night with few good small forward options. I expect him to finish near or above the 50 fantasy point mark tonight.
Otto Porter, Washington Wizards, $6,700 – There are some cheap Spurs you can take shots on in tournaments tonight, but I don’t feel comfortable with any of them in cash games. Porter keeps turning in consistent lines, and while he isn’t the highest-upside guy you’ll find, he’s always going to give you solid production. In a favorable matchup against the Lakers, I expect him to finish around 30 fantasy points once again, making him a solid pick at an otherwise shallow small forward position.
Additional Plays: Jonathon Simmons (GPP), Kevin Durant, Trevor Ariza
Power Forward
David Lee, San Antonio Spurs, $5,400 – Lee should be in for big minutes tonight with LaMarcus Aldridge getting the night off. Pau Gasol is already out, so we should see a starting front court of Lee and Dedmon against a Sixers team that will be without Joel Embiid. The Sixers are a strong defensive unit with Embiid on the floor and an absolute disaster without him. This one is going to be lop-sided, and Lee’s fantasy-friendly game should see him pay off his salary fairly easily. Plus, with Aldridge out, Lee should be counted on to score more seeing as he’ll be playing next to Kawhi Leonard and three unreliable scoring options in the starting unit. He’s a top play for me in cash games and tournaments.
Markieff Morris, Washington Wizards, $7,500 – Like Porter, I don’t think Morris has much upside relative to his price, but he’s also not a guy that’s going to tank your lineups. You can take chances on other players in tournaments, but for cash games, stick with a guy who is getting it done each and every night. The Wizards are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and Morris’s strong play is a big reason why. As long as games are close, Scott Brooks is going to ride his starters because his bench is terrible, which means we should see these guys continue putting up solid lines. A matchup against the Lakers is certainly favorable as well.
Additional Plays: Ryan Anderson, Paul Millsap
Center
Dewayne Dedmon, San Antonio Spurs, $3,600 – With LaMarcus Aldridge out, Dedmon should draw the start at center next to David Lee. I expect Dedmon to see at least 25 minutes, and he should be able to pay off his near-minimum price tag on rebounds and blocked shots alone. He draws an extremely favorable matchup against the Embiid-less Sixers, and given the center position lacks attractive options tonight, I strongly recommend punting the position. When you can find a cheap player expected to see a significant boost in minutes in a great matchup, it’s rarely a mistake to roster that player.
Additional Plays: Ivica Zubac, Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat