Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 48.16 DK - 49.67
Welcome to NBA Saturday night! We have a ton of games on the slate and I'm sure news will come out throughout the day that will only turn up the intrigue. We'll kick things off in Sacramento, where the Sixers will head to play in a game that should be high-scoring and competitive. The Sixers are favored by just 3 points and the game holds a 235 over/under. The Kings like to play fast and the 76ers are more than willing to buy in. Simmons has been in control of this offense recently and turned his scoring on last game. He always fills up the stat sheet and is never at risk to completely bust. Even if his shot isn't falling, 45+ fantasy points is a lock in a game with this type of pace. Simmons has definitely gotten expensive, but he's well worth it in this match-up.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 49.8 DK - 52.94
If you're not wanting to pay all the way up or you just prefer this game, Stephen Curry is a solid option in all formats. This game between the Lakers and Warriors is going to be high-scoring and it should stay relatively close. Curry has been shooting the ball well and went off last game against the Sixers and for 41 real-life points. He now faces off with Rajon Rondo, who is nothing to worry about in 2019. The Lakers are ranked in the mid-range against point guards, but that's with Lonzo Ball on the controls. Curry is going to be all over the floor with LeBron stuck on Durant and he shouldn't have an issue putting up 50 fantasy points. With a line of only 10 points, Vegas expects the game to stay close enough to the point where all starters should play a full allotment of minutes.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 27.99 DK - 27.74
Cory Joseph was the guy who was originally here, but he's now listed as questionable. If Joseph is a full go, he will play over 30 minutes and is a phenomenal value play. If Joseph is out, Darren Collison will be forced to play 34+ minutes and is in a solid match-up against Miami. They're not bad in terms of DvP (Defense vs position), but are on the second leg of a back to back and should be pretty worn down after dealing with Russ and PG13 last night. Collison is always solid when on the floor and he'll be out there plenty. His price is fair on both sites and he won't be the reason you lose on this slate. If Cory Joseph is out, Collison is in play in both cash games and tournaments.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 47.88 DK - 48.23
Moving on to shooting guard, it’s a fun position. We have plenty to choose from up top and even more in the value zone. We’ll kick things off with Jrue Holiday, who’ll face the Spurs as the Pelicans only real weapon on the outside. He’s held an incredible usage with AD + Randle out and should continue that here against a San Antonio team that can struggle with strong guards. Derozan and Holiday should match-up and make for an excellent 1 on 1 show. You also have guys like James Harden, Brad Beal, and Donovan Mitchell, who are firmly in play across the board as well. Expensive shooting guards are juicy and you’ll likely need exposure to at least one of them. Holiday is the favorite of the optimizer and I’ll have him in almost every lineup of mine.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 33.8 DK - 36.05
Buddy Hield is finally showing some signs of consistency . Outside of an outlier against the Hawks, Hield has been over 35 minutes in 3 of the last 4. He shoots the ball a ton when on the floor and is a lock for close to a fantasy point per minute. This game against the Sixers is going to be extremely high-scoring and Hield gives you a mid-range exposure with a ton of upside. Hield is always a bit risky as he relies on his shot, but he shoots it enough and spreads the ball around to get to value even if he’s cold. Hield is affordable across the industry and deserves to be played in all formats.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 32.55 DK - 32.94
This is an easy play. Monte Morris has put up 42 and 44 fantasy points in back to back games and has been on the floor for 36 and 39 minutes. With both Gary Harris and Jamal Murray out, you can expect him to get another 35+ minutes and while it's tough to expect 40 fantasy points again, I think 30 is fair. If you've watched these last two games, it's hard to say he won't be involved. He's obviously a very good player and looks to be separating himself from the other Nuggets reserves. You can also play Malik Beasley (particularly if Harris is out again), but that may be more in the realm of chasing points. Monte Morris is way too cheap on both sites and he's a solid option in all formats.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 61.7 DK - 63.03
There are three small forwards worth paying for, and they all deserve attention. Let’s start with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the most expensive option on the board. He faces off with a Wizards team that loves to run and doesn’t have any defense. They have nobody in the paint to stop him and I could easily see him just destroy every minute he's out. This is just one of the bigger match-up mismatches for Giannis all season long. Individually, it’ll likely be Porter and Ariza that cover Giannis, who both have no chance of doing anything to him. Giannis is going to control the game and could easily put up 70 fantasy points if things go well. I don’t think he’ll be as popular as he should be, either, as I expect a lot of attention on these next two guys.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 49.08 DK - 49.69
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 49.64 DK - 51.11
Durant and LeBron will face off in what should be a very exciting game. We can definitely play LeBron without worrying about minutes as he just played 40 against the Clippers. The Lakers and Warriors game holds a 336.5 over/under, so points won’t be hard to come by. LeBron and Durant will of course cover each other and we’ll see an encore of an historic match-up we’ve seen countless times. They are both extremely effective against one another and I don’t know if there’s a wrong way to go. For me, the entire offense revolves around LeBron, but he’s also a lot more expensive. No matter who you end up going with at SF, you’re not wrong. It’s just a matter of who you can fit and who you’re interested in at different positions. All in all, these two guys are going to be going at it all night and both should prevail with 50+ fantasy points. LeBron has a ton more upside.
Corey Brewer (FD $3800 DK $3400)
With both J.J. Redick and Wilson Chandler out tonight, Corey Brewer is in line to play another important role in a fast and competitive game. He should get at least 28-30 minutes and has been oddly productive when he's played these minutes for the Sixers in the past. He stays involved when out there and you’ll never forget where he is. His price is absurdly low across the industry, so you don’t need much more than 20 fantasy points in any format. Brewer has a ton of upside at his price and is hard to fade with so many expansive options elsewhere. With that said, playing Brewer means you’re fading two of the three big dogs. If you’re fine with that, Brewer makes a lot of sense for savings.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 32.59 DK - 33.32
Power forward is a spot with a lot to like, but it also has a lot of traps. On the expensive end, Davis and Randle are out. We also have Blake Griffin on the early slate, who’s a phenomenal play. We’ll instead focus on Aaron Gordon, who’s fairly priced and heading into a phenomenal match-up with the Nets. Brooklyn ranks in the bottom 10 against opposing power forwards and Gordon should have no problem getting to the rim and exploiting this weak defensive interior. Gordon is the second option on this offense and gets himself involved in what feels like every play. The game is going to be fast-paced and Gordon strives in the open court. There’s a lot of other options at similar prices, but Gordon is our favorite in both cash games and tournaments.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 30.78 DK - 30.4
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 35.27 DK - 32.79
Both of these guys are very much in play tonight with them facing the worst defense in basketball, the Atlanta Hawks. Let’s start with Josh Jackson. He’s obviously turned a corner with his career and is able to consistently produce in 30+ minutes on the floor. He has a strong offensive game and the upside is there for 40+. We then have Richaun Holmes, who’s always been a fantasy point per minute monster and now draws a very easy match-up. To be completely honest, I’m not against playing both of these guys. They don’t eat into each other and are both very fairly priced. These two teams are both bad, so the 235.5 total with just a 2 point spread is beautiful to see. There are going to be a lot of people in this game that reach value. Jackson and Holmes are two of my favorites and I’ll do my best to include them in every roster they fit.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 9.48 DK - 9.44
Is it me, or is Kenrich Williams is actually a very good player? He doesn't have one specialty, but his nickname is "Kenny Hustle" and he is good at just about everything. If you watch college basketball, you know Williams is good at just getting himself involved. He may not last like a lot of hustle guys don't, but his craze is not even close to over. If Randle remains out, his minutes and shots are safe. He's put up 30+ fantasy points in back to back nights and should once again see 30-35 minutes. The Spurs are typically a tough match-up, but they play faster this year and don't have much on an interior presence. I could see the argument that this is just chasing points, but I will disagree. Williams is all over the floor and will reach 25 fantasy points even if his shot won't fall. I also don't think he'll be too popular with so many power forward options on the board.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 29.59 DK - 29.12
Lopez is still too cheap for the level of consistency he's been putting up. Over the last five games, he's been over 30 minutes in four of them. In those four games, he's eclipsed 30 fantasy points in all but one. He has been insanely effective from the three point line and it works with him stretching the defense for Giannis. If the big men stay down low to stop the drive, Lopez ends up wide open on the perimeter and has shown us that he's willing to shoot it 15 times. The Wizards play fast and they don't have any big men to scare us away. Outside of Lopez on the perimeter, he should also be able to take advantage down low at least a little bit. Lopez is just too cheap on both sites and makes sense in all formats. He also shouldn't be very popular with so many options at the position.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 57.2 DK - 59.31
Joel Embiid held a 46% usage against the Warriors last game and put up 55 fantasy points. All of them in the final three quarters after struggling in the first. If Embiid would have performed from the start, 70 fantasy points would have been easy. With the Kings expected to keep this game very close, Embiid should once again play 35 minutes and see an incredible usage. The Kings play extremely fast and have no interior defense. Willie Cauley-Stein is a solid rebounder, but he doesn't play any defense and can't stay with Embiid on the perimeter. His price is obviously the deterrent and with so many options on the slate, none of these superstars will be too popular. Embiid could hit 70 fantasy points if this game stays close and I don't think he's over 25% owned.
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View Comments
Do you still think LeBron has a ton of more upside?I don’t see him getting 50+ fantasy points from the bench.