NBA Tournament Plays: Friday, 12/12
What’s up Grinders!
There are some huge tournaments going on tonight around the industry – there’s the $225K 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, along with a huge $5 Mega Qualifier to the NFL Millionaire Maker this weekend 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 12-game slate.
POINT GUARD
Kyle Lowry – Since DeRozan has been injured, Lowry has a usage rate of 30.5%, which would tie him for sixth in the league over the course of the season. He is the clear lead dog in Toronto, is taking shots at a much higher rate than normal, while maintaining great assist and rebounding numbers for a PG. His minutes are high (playing 40 or more in four of his last six), and has a great matchup at home against a Pacers team that struggles to defend the PG position.
Jeff Teague – Teague is a guy you should always target in GPPs, as he has wild swings in his performances from night to night. Last game out, he has a stinker, only putting up 16 Fpts, but the game put up over 40 Fpts. Coming off a bad game (due to a blowout win), may keep Teague’s ownership lower than it should be against the Magic, who have had trouble defending the PG spot all season and have given up some big performances.
Other PGs to consider: Chris Paul, John Wall, Rajon Rondo, Jrue Holiday, Mario Chalmers, Zach LaVine
SHOOTING GUARD
Eric Bledsoe – Like Teague above, I like to target good players coming off bad games, as it likely decreases their ownership slightly. Bledsoe stunk it up last game against the Heat, only giving you about 20 Fpts, but had the line of the year the game before, putting up over 70 Fpts. Even if Isaiah Thomas plays, Bledsoe has a plus matchup against Detroit, who is one of the worst teams in the league at defending the SG position. The Suns have had two days to rest up after playing four games in five nights, and I like Bledsoe to dominate tonight.
Tim Hardaway Jr. – With both Melo and JR Smith looking doubtful to play, Hardway is next in line for the Knicks to start chucking up shots. Last game Hardaway went 9-18 from the field on his way to a great fantasy night. There is just no one else on the Knicks to score tonight, and with Hardaway likely to see about 30 minutes, he should make for a great tournament play tonight.
Other SGs to consider – Kobe Bryant, Tyreke Evans, Victor Oladipo, Rodney Stuckey
SMALL FORWARD
Gordon Hayward – Hayward is a guy I like to take in GPPs because his minutes are so consistent (37.5 min/g over his past ten) and his production can be very high. He has gone over 40 DK points four times in his last ten games, and went over 50 in one of them. I love taking guys playing huge minutes (see Lowry above), as minutes typically equals production in NBA. A matchup against the Heat, who will be without Wade, also doesn’t hurt either.
Corey Brewer – Brewer is playing big minutes for the Timberwolves right now, and is fresh off his best game of the season, putting up a great well-rounded performance against the Blazers. He gets a home matchup against the Thunder tonight, a game that has one of the higher O/U of the night at 204. While it isn’t the greatest matchup in the world, as Brewer will see some time matchup up against Kevin Durant, Brewer has proven he has some good upside for the price, having two 40+ Fpt performances in his last ten games.
Other SFs to consider – LeBron James (If he plays) Josh Smith, Tobias Harris, Andrew Wiggins
POWER FORWARD
Pau Gasol/Taj Gibson – With Noah sitting this game out, both of these guys are in line for huge minutes and big production in a home matchup against the Blazers. You will likely want one of these two in your lineup tonight, and I expect Taj to be one of the highest owned players on the board.
Tim Duncan – I love playing Duncan in GPPs, as he is always underowned. He is coming off a game where he was sat for rest, and should be ready to play a full complement of minutes tonight against the Lakers, who allow the most points per game against them at over 110 per game. With a few other Spurs status in jeopardy tonight, look for Duncan to shoulder the offensive load if players like Parker and Leonard sit.
Other PFs to target – Anthony Davis, Kevin Love (If LBJ or Kyrie sit), Amare Stoudemire, Tristan Thompson
CENTER
Chris Bosh – With Wade looking iffy, Bosh will be relied upon tonight to carry the offensive load for the Heat, something he has done very well this season. Utah has pretty good numbers against centers this season, but with Bosh not playing the typical Center role, I’m not that concerned about the tough on paper matchup. Bosh has a 31% usage rate on the season when he is not on the floor with Wade (that’s very high), and should have no trouble getting you 30+ Fpts tonight, with upside into the 50s if he gets hot.
Andre Drummond – Drummond has a great matchup tonight against the Suns, who give up the sixth most Fpts to centers, according to the DvP tool here on RotoGrinders. Drummond has upside into the 50+ Fpt region every time he takes the floor, and has two such performances in his last seven games. Both of those huge nights came against similar weak interior defenses on the road in the Bucks and Celtics, which bodes well for a great performance tonight, as it is also on the road in Phoenix.
Other Centers to consider: DeAndre Jordan, Enes Kanter, Kyle O’Quinn (If Vucevic sits), Tyler Zeller, Mason Plumlee, Jerome Jordan