NBA Starting 5 (GPP): Friday, January 6th
What’s up, everyone! Welcome back to another addition of the Starting 5 (GPP). It is awesome to have NFL winding down so we can start to focus on one sport. I’ve never been great at juggling both sports, so I usually shift most of my time to NBA.
Recently, I have been hitting all of my picks with the last couple weeks going virtually 5-for-5, and hopefully I can keep it rolling for everyone. As usual, these picks are tournament only, unless stated otherwise.
Today we have a nice eight-game slate, so let’s take a look.
Point Guard: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics – $8,300 on DraftKings
There are a couple decent tournament punt plays at this position, but I always love paying up at the point. Point guard is always my favorite position to break down, and I just cannot pass on Isaiah Thomas. Thomas has been on a complete tear as of late, and a couple of things have really stuck out to me with his recent level of play. First is his minutes; he has eight straight games of 32 plus minutes, which is something I like to see. Next is his usage, which is right around 33%, and that has helped him to three straight games of scoring over 50 fantasy points.
Isiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics will play host to the Philadelphia 76ers, which is a mediocre matchup for Thomas. They have been surprisingly decent against the point guard position. The 76ers do not scare me at all though, and Thomas has torched even better defensive teams as of late (Utah, Miami, Cleveland). Let’s hope with his recent price increase that he will be lower owned, but I do not see that happening in this spot.
Shooting Guard: Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves – $6,700
One thing I can say about Zach LaVine is he is about as inconsistent as they come, but you know what is more consistent? His minutes, and we all know minutes equals money. I have been on the LaVine train all season, I just love to watch this kid play. He is having one of his best seasons from the three-point line, shooting over 40% from deep on the season.
The Timberwolves head to Washington to take on the Wizards, who are one of my favorite teams in the NBA to target wings against. LaVine should be able to have his way against this defense, and if his shot continues to fall he will have a nice outing. Now that his price has risen across the industry, we should be able to get him at a lower ownership.
Small Forward: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors – $9,400
Talk about one of the ugliest positions on the slate once you get past the top guys. This play has nothing to do with ownership, but simply price. I do see him being chalky at this price, but there is merit to that. He should be priced over $10K, so take the savings and look to other spots where you can find lower owned plays. I tried hard to find a different player, there just wasn’t anyone that I could endorse besides one of the top guys.
Kevin Durant does not draw the greatest matchup, but he is a matchup-proof player. Coming into the season I was definitely worried about his minutes, but in his last five games he has not dipped under 34. One of the biggest concerns here is if can Memphis keep the game close, and it scares me because I don’t know if they can. However, Kevin Durant can make value in three quarters. If it were to stay close, he would be in for a big night.
Power Forward: Serge Ibaka, Orlando Magic – $6,400
Ibaka is having a pretty solid season for his new team and seems to have a solidified role in the offense. My hope is for Orlando to bring Fournier off the bench for one more game and he can see that higher usage rate with the first unit. Either way, I still like this play, but that would only help his upside. You will notice I mention minutes a lot, and that’s because you can’t score if you are not on the court. Ibaka has seen over 30 minutes in his last four games.
The Orlando Magic will host the Houston Rockets, who have been mediocre against the power forward position. The Rockets are easily one of my favorite teams to target players against, regardless of their defensive rankings. They play at a high pace and let up points. Ibaka is the type of player that can have a big game in this matchup while having an impact on both ends of the court.
Center: Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards – $6,200
What does Marcin Gortat have to do to get his salary higher? The guy has been one of the most consistent centers in the NBA. He is averaging a double-double on the season and has a streak of four straight double-doubles. The Wizards have one of the worst benches in the NBA, which only solidifies his minutes. The Wizards just can not afford to sit him if they want to stay in and win games.
This pick is definitely on the safer side, but I always like some safety in my lineups and Gortat is cash game playable as well. Marcin will most likely go underowned, as usual. Gortat gets a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been league average against the center position. His consistency, price, and most likely lower ownership is why I will always roster Marcin Gortat.
Thanks for reading!