Brooklyn Nets' Caris LeVert during an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Thursday's slate was another crazy one, with Kyrie Irving sitting out and Collin Sexton getting scratched at the last minute. Those sorts of things have become way too common in today's NBA and keeping your eye on the news is just as important as setting a good lineup. The good news is that we have a much deeper player pool here, with 10 games on the slate. So, let's break it down!
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Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 33.09 DK - 33.98
Payton has been an underrated fantasy asset throughout his career and it's a wonder why he's just $5,500 on FanDuel still. Anybody who starts for Tom Thibideau needs to be taken into consideration because of his distribution of minutes (or lack thereof) and that certainly means his starting point guard is in play. Since struggling in the first two games of the season, Payton is averaging 33 DraftKings points per game across 32.2 minutes of action. More importantly, he's averaging 15.5 shots and 6.0 assists, showing just how much he's handling the ball. We certainly don't mind the matchup against a lackluster Oklahoma City roster either.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 30.31 DK - 31.04
With Markelle Fultz (ACL) missing the remainder of the season, Anthony should be forced into big minutes and a starting role. That alone makes him a good value, particularly when you take into consideration that he averages 20.2 DK points per game in 21 minutes per outing. That means we could be looking at a 30-point average if he plays the 30 minutes we anticipate and that'd be a huge mark from a $5K player. The thing that really adds to his value here is the matchup though, with Houston ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency.
LaMelo Ball has been great in his rookie season and it's just a matter of time before he takes DeVonte Graham's job.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 55.31 DK - 56.9
If Russell Westbrook (finger) misses this game, Beal is the best option on the board. We say that because Beal has a 38.4 percent usage rate with Westbrook off the floor while averaging 1.6 DK points per minute. Even if Westbrook does end up playing, we still like Beal. BB is averaging 52 DK points per game even with the usage-heavy point guard and it's clear that he's running the show for this team no matter what. That was certainly the case when he dropped 80 DraftKings points on Wednesday, the highest total of the year. Not to mention, Boston ranks 21st in defensive efficiency and are simply a shell of themselves on that end of the floor right now.
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 49.66 DK - 49.99
With Kevin Durant definitely missing this game and Kyrie Irving seeming unlikely to play, LeVert is one of the best plays out there. When he had this role last season, Caris averaged about 40 DK points per game while leading the team with a 30 percent usage rate. It's been a similar role this year without those too, generating a 39 percent usage rate with this roster He's also averaging 1.5 DK points per minute as well which was certainly evident when he collected 22 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in Thursday's win over the Sixers. We love that considering Philly has a much tougher defense than Memphis.
With all of the injuries in Orlando, Terrence Ross could be forced into a big role.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 33.43 DK - 34.03
It's hard to watch Barrett and get excited about his prospects but sometimes player's usages are just too high to avoid. That's why R.J. is a great option, playing tons of minutes and taking an abundance of shots all season long. In fact, Barrett has played at least 33 minutes and taken at least 14 shots in every game this year, averaging 16 shots and 38 minutes a game. That's on par with many of the $10,000 players and we simply can't stay away from Barrett below $7,000 as long as he continues this role. That usage has led to him averaging 34 DraftKings points per game for the year and that's plenty from a player in the $6,000s.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 35.23 DK - 36.4
Banking on usage bumps because of injury is always a major theme in these articles and that's certainly the case with Anderson. The absences of Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant have turned Anderson into one of their primary ball-handlers, averaging 33 DK points per game across 32 minutes of action since the opener. Most importantly, he has a 26 percent usage rate with this current roster and he should continue to see a lot of touches and minutes in the absence of Morant and JJJ. Brooklyn is not necessarily a worrisome matchup either, sitting 16th in total defense and missing their two best players.
Gordon Hayward just dropped 44 on Wednesday and he's definitely a good pick. We also like Garrett Temple if he starts after playing nearly 40 minutes on Wednesday.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 46.28 DK - 49.94
Much like Barrett, Randle has benefited from Thibs leaving his starters out there to rot. Julius has actually been the primary benefactor, averaging 23.1 points, 12 rebounds and 7.4 assists across 38.4 minutes a night. That minute total is absurd and it's led to a 51-point DK average. While we don't believe that this average can maintain, a small drop off would still make him a solid value below $10,000. The icing on the cake here is the matchup though, with Oklahoma City surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 29.01 DK - 28.39
It's taken Clarke some time to figure out his role but the injury to JJJ has definitely been a huge factor for him. While he hasn't had many blow-up games, he's scored at least 24 DK points in five of his last six games. That's a pretty good total from a $5K player and his ability to score and rebound gives him a solid floor. The biggest reason for his boost in production is his minutes though, playing at least 29 minutes in all but one of those games. A per-minute producer like this is hard to avoid when the minutes are creeping up, particularly when it's a young player who's growing before our eyes. Not to mention, he faces a shorthanded Nets team.
Nicolas Batum has been a pleasant surprise for the Clippers this season and faces a dreadful Warriors defense.
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 43.88 DK - 43.61
We've already discussed all of the absences in Brooklyn and it's definitely helped out Allen. What's funny is that it really didn't matter whether KD or Irving were out there in the first place though because Allen has always shown he can produce when given the minutes. He's certainly shown that in the two starts he's made this week, averaging 17 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks across 30 minutes of action per game. Those are numbers you'd see from a $9,000 player and it's on par with Allen's per-minute averages throughout his career. We also love the matchup against a Memphis team that sits 20th in points allowed and 23rd in rebounding.
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 34.92 DK - 32.5
If Christian Wood (knee) misses this game, Cousins is probably the best per-dollar play on the board. In that circumstance on Wednesday, Cuz started and provided 40 DK points in just 23 minutes. That's the rate we've seen all year, with Cousins averaging 1.6 DK points per minute. That absurd rate is even less surprising when you see that Cuz has a 27 percent usage rate for the year. Houston surely realizes that he needs to play more than 23 minutes if Wood is out and that makes him one of the best bargains on the board.
We also like Mitchell Robinson below $6,000 on both sites, especially after playing a career-high in minutes on Wednesday.
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