NBA Tournament Plays: Friday, February 6th
What’s up, Grinders? There are some huge tournaments going on tonight around the industry, so you have plenty of chances to take down the field and land a big payday.
Over on FanDuel, we have the $300K Slam for a $25 entry, the $200 entry Monster with a $125K prize pool, and the $2 Shot, which has a $150K prize pool.
On DraftKings, we have the $300 3-Ball with a $100K prize pool and the $27 Crossover with a $120K prize pool.
Over on FantasyAces, there is a $109 FABC Qualifier that awards one seat into their $100K live event in Newport Beach later in the season!
It’s a great time to be a player in the NBA DFS landscape, and with so much money to be won tonight, let’s jump right into some GPP plays for the upcoming twelve game slate.
POINT GUARD
Stephen Curry – In the last seven games that Curry has played over 30 minutes, he has only one performance of less than 40 FPTs. Tonight, the Warriors travel to Atlanta in what could be a preview of the NBA Finals this season. This game has the highest O/U of the day at 215, and a very close spread with the Warriors favored by just two points. Curry should see 35-40 minutes in a close game tonight is my top PG play of the night, especially with news that Kevin Durant should be back for OKC, limiting Westbrook’s upside.
Chris Paul – With many players targeting Curry tonight, CP3 is going to fly under the radar a little after a bad game last night. Don’t be fooled by his performance against the Cavs, who have been very good lately. Tonight he gets to face Kyle Lowry, who is giving up huge performances to opposing PGs every night. I really feel Lowry is exhausted from carrying the team for so long while DeRozan was out, and simply doesn’t have much in the tank right now, and is someone I will be targeting until the All-Star break. Paul is the beneficiary tonight.
Other point guards to consider: Ty Lawson, Brandon Knight, Jeff Teague, Jarrett Jack, D.J Augustin, Marcus Smart
SHOOTING GUARD
James Harden – When comparing Harden’s ownership to Curry tonight, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Harden 10-15% owned, or lower, tonight. While I love Curry, a case can be made for spending on Harden instead, as there are a plethora of PG’s that are in great spots tonight, while SG has much fewer top choices. Harden destroyed the Bucks earlier this season in a game without Howard, putting up 58+ FPTS, and makes a good swerve as a player to spend on.
Klay Thompson – Klay’s price has come down a little over the past week, as his performances have taken a downturn. A matchup against Kyle Korver’s “defense” tonight could be what he needs to get another hot streak going in one of the most anticipated games of the season. Players have been burned a few times recently using Klay, which will leave him lower owned than he should be in the highest O/U game of the night at 215.
Other shooting guards to consider: Eric Bledsoe, Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan, Victor Oladipo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Arron Afflalo, Jamal Crawford (If Reddick out), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Evan Fournier (if starting)
Editor’s Note: Evan Fournier is not starting for the Magic tonight. Channing Frye takes his place in the starting lineup.
SMALL FORWARD
Gordon Hayward – Since Exum has been put into the starting lineup, Hayward has taken over as the focal point for the starting unit on offense. He is the main decision maker on the floor now, and has really upped his fantasy game over the past few weeks. He has three 40+ FPT games in his last five games, and gets a huge pace up game tonight against the Suns. If you can’t afford LeBron or Durant, Hayward makes a nice cost savings play from the top tier, while giving you big upside in his new role.
LeBron James – James, like Harden tonight, will be one of the lower owned top players with the majority of people spending on Curry. A slow paced game against the Pacers will also take some ownership away as well. The Pacers are getting healthy, finally having the starting five players they thought they would heading into the season. This, along with the Cavs playing a back to back, has Cavs only favored by six points tonight. I expect a close game, with LeBron playing a full 36- 40 minutes after resting in a blowout win last night. The Pacers have not been good against SFs lately, compiling the fourth-worst defensive efficiency per 48 mins over their past 10 games.
Other small forwards to consider: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton, Robert Covington, Tobias Harris, Wilson Chandler, Trevor Ariza, Jared Dudley, Joe Ingles
POWER FORWARD
Greg Monroe – Monroe has turned himself into one of fantasy’s most consistent players this season. He has a premier matchup against the Nuggets tonight at home, who are the best matchup for opposing PFs over the past three weeks in our DvP tool. 35-40 FPTS seem to be a given tonight for Monroe, with upside into the mid 40’s due to the favorable matchup. He will never kill your chances, and is in a prime spot tonight to move you up the leaderboards. His price has also come down slightly, as he has had some tough matchups over the past few games.
Josh Smith – Smith is starting to come back into the discussion as a great GPP play, as he has really picked up his game with the recent Dwight Howard injury. His minutes are up, and he is filling up the stat sheet, contributing in all five categories on a nightly basis. A matchup at home against the Bucks is nothing to be scared about either. I love guys that contribute in all the categories, as they can have big upside if their shot is falling.
Other power forwards to consider: Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, Paul Millsap, Chris Bosh, Jared Sullinger, Nerlens Noel, Carlos Boozer, John Henson, Jason Smith
Editor’s Note: Amar’e Stoudemire will play tonight. This could impact Jason Smith’s upside.
CENTER
Roy Hibbert – I haven’t targeted Hibbert since the beginning of the season, but that changes tonight as he will be playing heavy minutes with both Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi out. The addition of Mozgov has helped the Cavs interior defense some, but he should pose no threat of getting in the way of Hibbert posting a double-double tonight. I expect 32-36 minutes from Hibbert tonight, and with the increase in minutes, his price is simply too cheap around the industry to ignore.
Andre Drummond – With Whiteside looking doubtful to play now, my focus has shifted to Drummond as my top C for GPPs tonight. He has a great matchup against the Nuggets, and is playing well with three straight good performances. A double-double could be had by halftime for Drummond tonight, and has shown over the season he is capable of huge nights with five 50+ FPT games on his resume this season.
Other centers to consider: Nikola Vucevic, DeAndre Jordan, Al Horford, Brook Lopez, Enes Kanter