NBA Tournament Plays: Friday, 11/14
What’s up Grinders!
There are some huge tournaments going on tonight around the industry – there’s the $200K Slam on FanDuel for a $25 entry along with the $200 Monster and $2 shot, both of which have $100K prizepools.
Over on DraftKings, we have the $200 Showtime and $27 Crossover, both with $100K prizepools. It’s a great time to be a player in today’s DFS landscape, and with so much money to be won tonight, let’s jump right into some GPP plays for tonight’s 10-game slate.
POINT GUARD
Rajon Rondo – How can you not love Rondo tonight at home vs. Kyrie Irving and in a game with a 212 O/U? Rondo showed us his upside last game out, putting up a 20/9/12 line, good for 50+ fantasy points. Rondo is a threat to have triple-double every time he hits the court, and his stat-stuffing game lines are tournament gold.
Reggie Jackson – Just call this guy Reggie Minutes, as he has yet to play less than 40 minutes in any game yet this season. He has the seventh-highest usage rate of all PGs this season, and is the clear lead dog in OKC, being allowed to do anything he pleases on the court. His floor this season has been 30 fantasy points, and he’s pushed into the mid 40s as a ceiling. He showed us last game that he is capable of a huge game even after having a horrific first quarter, like what happened against Avery Bradley and the Celtics. He’s going to put up 50+ fantasy points a few times this season before KD and Westbrook get back, and tonight could be one of those nights.
Other PGs I like for GPPs: Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Jeremy Lin
SHOOTING GUARD
Kobe Bryant – Kobe is always going to get his – he is matchup proof and blowout proof. Nothing matters to him, as he is going to shoot the ball a ton every game, which equals tons of fantasy points for us. He has already put up 50+ FanDuel points twice this season, and should be able to approach that again tonight at home vs. the Spurs. This game has a 207 O/U and the Spurs are just seven-point favorites, which should allow Kobe his full allotment of 36+ minutes.
Evan Fournier – After a lackluster but consistent start to the season, Fournier has flashed big upside at a reasonable price in his last two outings, scoring 28 and 24 actual points in the past two games, and has scored in double digits in every game this season. Victor Oladipo has been ruled out for tonight’s game at home vs. the Bucks, but will be returning soon. Fournier is locked into huge minutes (37 and 39 in his last two games), and should be very motivated to perform again tonight, with Oladipo looking to return shortly to take back his starting role.
Other SGs I like for GPPs: Tyreke Evans, Lance Stephenson, Kyle Korver, Anthony Morrow
SMALL FORWARD
LeBron James – There is simply no one on Boston that has a chance to stop LBJ tonight. Last season, he averaged 27/8/7 in two games vs. the Celtics, and he should have no trouble hitting those numbers again tonight. Some may not look at LBJ, as he disappointed early in the season, but he turned that around and has been producing at the levels we expect from him. With many people eyeing Anthony Davis tonight at home, LBJ makes a great pick at a much tougher position to find huge upside players.
Kawhi Leonard – Kawhi’s game is perfect for GPPs, as he is a habitual stat-stuffer, contributing in every category across the board. He has an extremely juicy matchup tonight going to LA to take on the Lakers, who are allowing the most points per game in the league at 111.5. He looks to be fully recovered from an early-season eye infection that contributed to a slow start, but has since flashed huge upside by putting up a 50+ DraftKings point night a few days ago in the same building vs. the Clippers. He is priced reasonably throughout the industry, and with so many things in his favor tonight, should be in line for a huge night.
Other SFs I like for GPPs: Josh Smith, Gordon Hayward, Tobias Harris, Chris Copeland
POWER FORWARD
Kevin Love- Love has yet to put together a huge night, but gets to face the soft Celtics interior defense tonight, one that is the third worst team against PFs this season, according to our DvP tool. This game should feature very little defense and a ton of scoring, as evidenced by having the highest O/U of the night at 212. If there is a game Love should dominate, it’s this one, and he could put together one of his 50+ fantasy point gems he was known for last season. With so many of your opponents spending on Davis or Millsap (had a huge game last time out), Love makes a great play for me tonight.
Channing Frye – Frye is locked into huge minutes for the Magic as long as Kyle O’Quinn is out (check his status later today). If O’Quinn is out, Frye makes a nice play tonight at home against the Bucks. Frye burned those who used him last game, which may leave his ownership low tonight. Frye is capable of taking over a game if he gets hot from three-point range, and should have no problem beating the Bucks inside if he ventures that way.
Other PFs I like for GPPs: Anthony Davis, Greg Monroe, Jared Sullinger, Cody Zeller
CENTER
Nikola Vucevic – Speaking of the Bucks soft interior defense, Vucevic tops my list at C tonight, as he is in a prime spot for a huge game tonight. He plays the most minutes of any center in the NBA, and gets the Bucks, who are RotoGrinders’ second-worst ranked defense vs. Centers in our DvP tool. Vucevic has 50+ Fpt upside tonight and deserves strong consideration to your GPP teams tonight.
Roy Hibbert – Hibbert is another player I will be targeting at C tonight, as he has been rock solid so far this season and comes at a nice discount to the big names. Hibbert is at home vs. the Nuggets, who always give up big fantasy nights to opposing centers. The Pacers are lacking in playmakers this season, and seem to be tossing the ball into Hibbert on nearly every possession, relying on him to be the focal point of the offense. Hibbert has three games over 40 FanDuel points this season, and tonight he should be able to add a fourth to that.
Other Centers I like for GPPs: Al Jefferson, Chris Bosh, Jordan Hill, Kelly Olynk