NBA First Look: Tuesday, February 24th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-02-26 13:23:45

We have four games on the schedule for Tuesday.

Golden State

Matchup Preview vs. Washington:
Pace of Play: 95.8 (Rank: 17)
Points Allowed Per Game: 98 (Rank: 10)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 8
Rebounding Differential Rank: 4

Targets:

Klay Thompson (FD: $7400, DK: $8000 / DvP: 4 / Usage Rate: 27.7)

This pick hinges somewhat on the health of Stephen Curry. If Curry is unable to suit up, Thompson would become the number one option offensively for the Warriors. The matchup against the Wizards is less than ideal, but an increased role in the offense would more than offset the tough matchup.

Draymond Green (FD: $6800, DK: $6700 / DvP: 3 / Usage Rate: 16.3)

Green’s minutes are trending upward. He has played at least 33 minutes in six of his last seven games, scoring at least 29 fantasy points in five of those outings. Green also draws a tough matchup against a defensive-minded Wizards team, but he doesn’t rely solely on scoring for his fantasy production.

Shaun Livingston would become an excellent value play if Stephen Curry is unable to suit up.

Washington

Matchup Preview vs. Golden State:
Pace of Play: 101.1 (Rank: 1)
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.7 (Rank: 18)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 1
Rebounding Differential Rank: 16

Targets:

John Wall (FD: $9100, DK: $8700 / DvP: 10 / Usage Rate: 24.9)

Wall is in play regardless of Stephen Curry’s status for this game. Wall has had terrific split at home throughout his career and he has a knack of playing up to his competition. He should see all of the minutes that he can handle in a matchup against the best team in the NBA.

Marcin Gortat (FD: $5400, DK: $5100 / DvP: 20 / Usage Rate: 18.2)

Gortat’s production is still down from where it was last season, but he is slowly starting to come out of it. Over his last seven games, he has averaged 25.1 fantasy points per contest. Andrew Bogut is a solid defender, but the Warriors have actually allowed the 12th most fantasy points to centers this season.

Cleveland

Matchup Preview vs. Detroit:
Pace of Play: 95.6 (Rank: 20)
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.4 (Rank: 14)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 17
Rebounding Differential Rank: 9

Targets:

LeBron James (FD: $10600, DK: $10300 / DvP: 23 / Usage Rate: 32.9)

James’ production has been down recently, but it’s not because he isn’t playing well. His minutes have been limited thanks to the numerous blowouts by the Cavaliers. Tonight’s game against the Pistons does have blowout potential, but on a short slate, James makes a terrific play that you can anchor your lineups around.

J.R. Smith (FD: $5300, DK: $5000 / DvP: 16 / Usage Rate: 20.3)

Smith isn’t usually my favorite fantasy option at shooting guard, but as long as he keeps producing, he will continue to be on my radar. He has scored at least 25 fantasy points in each of his last four games and should see 30+ minutes of action against the Pistons.

Detroit

Matchup Preview vs. Cleveland:
Pace of Play: 94.8 (Rank: 24)
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.8 (Rank: 12)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 22
Rebounding Differential Rank: 8

Targets:

Greg Monroe (FD: $7700, DK: $8100 / DvP: 16 / Usage Rate: 23.7)

Monroe and Andre Drummond are an incredible frontcourt duo. Of the two, Monroe is the preferred play against the Cavaliers. Not only does he match up against Kevin Love, but he has a much higher floor than Drummond. His price on FanDuel is down, making him arguably the top play at the position.

Reggie Jackson (FD: $4400, DK: $4500 / DvP: 13 / Usage Rate: 22.9)

Jackson got off to a slow start in his first game with the Pistons, but he quickly turned it around and finished with a respectable outing of 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He should be able to replicate that performance against the Cavaliers. At his price point, he is one of the top values on the board.

Indiana

Matchup Preview vs. Oklahoma City:
Pace of Play: 97.4 (Rank: 8)
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.6 (Rank: 11)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 10
Rebounding Differential Rank: 2

Targets:

George Hill (FD: $5400, DK: $5200 / DvP: 24 / Usage Rate: 25.9)

Hill’s minutes are slowly trending upward, which is great news for his fantasy outlook. Hill has scored at least 27 fantasy points in four of his last eight games. He should see right around 30 minutes tonight against the Thunder, who continue to struggle against opposing point guards.

C.J. Miles (FD: $4700, DK: $4500 / DvP: 16 / Usage Rate: 23.9)

David West is worth a look here as well, but I don’t love the matchup against the physical Serge Ibaka. Miles, on the other hand, will match up against the likes of Andre Roberson, Dion Waiters, and Kyle Singler. Miles provides great upside at his price point and fills a position that is always short on options.

Oklahoma City

Matchup Preview vs. Indiana:
Pace of Play: 95.5 (Rank: 21)
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.2 (Rank: 6)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 11
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5

Targets:

Russell Westbrook (FD: $11100, DK: $11000 / DvP: 13 / Usage Rate: 36.1)

Kevin Durant will not play in this game, which means Westbrook’s usage rate should be around 150. All kidding aside, Westbrook is in the “fade at your own risk” category tonight. We’ve all seen the outings that he has had with Durant out of the lineup. Do you really want to fade a guy with 60+ fantasy point upside?

Serge Ibaka (FD: $7200, DK: $7600 / DvP: 1 / Usage Rate: 19.2)

Ibaka has also played well in Kevin Durant’s absence, scoring 37 and 47 fantasy points in his last two games. His matchup against David West is a tough one, but Ibaka is a tough fade on such a short slate.

Enes Kanter (FD: $6200, DK: $6000 / DvP: 1 / Usage Rate: 24.9)

Kanter has fit in nicely with his new team. After scoring 27 fantasy points in his Thunder debut, he backed it up with 38 fantasy points in his second game with the team. His usage rate will certainly go down once Kevin Durant comes back, but until then, he should see plenty of opportunities in this offense.

Toronto

Matchup Preview vs. Dallas:
Pace of Play: 96.9 (Rank: 10)
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.7 (Rank: 21)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 14
Rebounding Differential Rank: 30

Targets:

DeMar DeRozan (FD: $6700, DK: $7300 / DvP: 7 / Usage Rate: 28)

DeRozan has been quiet in his last two games, but had scored at least 33 fantasy points in each of his previous four. His price is still affordable on both FanDuel and DraftKings and I like his chances to put up a big outing against the Mavericks in what should be a close, high-scoring game.

James Johnson (FD: $4500, DK: $4700 / DvP: 13 / Usage Rate: 16.5)

Johnson has a very high ceiling. He also has a fairly low floor. The good news is that he is still under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. He has played 35 minutes in each of his last two games and should be one of the more popular plays at small forward.

Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas would both see an uptick in minutes if Patrick Patterson is unable to suit up.

Dallas

Matchup Preview vs. Toronto:
Pace of Play: 96 (Rank: 16)
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.3 (Rank: 19)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 16
Rebounding Differential Rank: 17

Targets:

Monta Ellis (FD: $7200, DK: $7100 / DvP: 11 / Usage Rate: 28)

It’s hard to trust any Mavericks’ players at this point, but if I have to choose one, I’ll take my chances with Ellis. He has an extremely high usage rate in this offense and he typically plays 35+ minutes per game. The same can’t be said for any other starter on the team.

Al-Farouq Aminu (FD: $4300, DK: $4500 / DvP: 21 / Usage Rate: 15.5)

The masses will flock to Richard Jefferson after he put up 31 fantasy points the other night in Chandler Parsons’ absence. While Jefferson is cheap, I’m not going to chase the points on a player that is 5+ years past his prime. Aminu has been more productive all season and I’m expecting him to be more productive in this one.