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)
After a crazy slate on Wednesday, things are much tamer here. It's actually one of the smallest slates of the season, with only three games on the docket. That makes things relatively easy to figure out but mixing the right studs with the right value plays is absolutely critical. That's why we have a good mix here, so let's go ahead and get into it!
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Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 24.02 DK - 24.55
We have some big dogs coming later in this article, so let's kick things off with a couple of good value plays. Nunn is just that, starting at point guard in the absence of Goran Dragic. That expansion in his role has led to the best stretch of his career, averaging 29 DraftKings points per game across 34 minutes a night over his last 14 outings. Getting 29 fantasy points from a player barely cracking $5K is huge, and it's hard to understand why he remains so cheap on both sites. The best part of this might be the matchup, though, with Sacramento ranked dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 24.55 DK - 24.34
Joseph has always been a solid veteran, and it's clear Luke Walton has inserted him into the starting lineup to light a fire under some of the young guys. In that first start on Tuesday, Joseph played 31 minutes and dropped a season-high 33 DraftKings points. That extends a stretch in which he's averaging 26 fantasy points per game across his last three fixtures, playing at least 27 minutes in each of those. Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes's injuries should guarantee him even more minutes, making him the best punt play below $4K on both sites.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 50.72 DK - 54.46
This dude put on one of the performances of the season on Thursday, and it's clear he's fully motivated after a questionable end to his Rockets tenure. He provided 68 DK points in that gem, marking the fourth time he's surpassed 62 fantasy points in his last five fixtures. The reason he's been so much better recently is that Kevin Durant continues to miss games due to a hamstring issue. Harden has a 29 percent usage rate with him off the floor while averaging 1.5 DK points per minute. If he matches the 37-minute average we've seen over the last two weeks, that will equate to 55 fantasy points at that rate.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 29.11 DK - 29.81
With Jrue Holiday likely missing another game here, DiVincenzo should be looking at another start at point guard. While he's not necessarily a distributor, it's opened up a lot of minutes and usage for DD. In fact, he's scored at least 26 fantasy points in six of his last eight games, averaging over 30 DK points per game in those six outings. That's really all you can ask for from a player barely cracking $5,000, and it's why we have his projection up to 30 fantasy points. Facing Toronto is not worrisome either, with Donte dropping 27 DK points against them in the Bucks most recent game earlier this week.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 53.88 DK - 57.71
With Anthony Davis missing the next few weeks, LeBron should add to his already impressive MVP numbers. This yea with AD off the floor, LeBron has a 34 percent usage rate while averaging 1.4 DK points per minute. If you look at the last three games Davis has missed, James is averaging 66.5 fantasy points per game. That's scary with the way this dude is rolling right now, averaging 27.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.4 steals over his last seven games played. That's a brilliant stretch from a guy who's been doing this for two decades, and he should have no problem dropping a line like that against a 28th-ranked Brooklyn defense.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 51.3 DK - 50.27
Butler was in this article on Wednesday, and another triple-double shows just how well this guy is playing right now. It's actually his fourth triple-double in his last six games, representing how much distributing he's doing with Dragic out of the lineup. Since coming off the COVID list three weeks ago, Butler is averaging 21.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.8 steals over his last 10 games played. That's led to a 49-point average, which seems like the floor against the NBA's worst defense.
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 59.76 DK - 62.15
This will be the final stud of the article, but Giannis might be the best option of the bunch. We say that because he's recently recaptured his MVP form, scoring at least 62 fantasy points in nine of his last 12 games while scoring at least 65 in four-straight. That's a truly absurd stretch, averaging 70 DK points per game in that span. That makes him hard to fade on a three-game slate, and we love that he's been eating Raptor meat since the beginning of last season. He's scored at least 61 fantasy points in four-straight fixtures against them, averaging 68 DK points per game.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 21.98 DK - 23.02
While we don't necessarily like this DraftKings price, Kuzma is an incredible value on FanDuel. We say that because Kuz has scored at least 30 fantasy points in four of the last five games that Davis has missed. More importantly, it forced him into the starting lineup and a 30-minute role. That minutes bump is huge, especially with Kuzma getting more shot attempts and rebounds with AD off the floor. The matchup is brilliant, too, with Brooklyn surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing PFs while playing at the NBA's eighth-fastest pace.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 31.58 DK - 30.42
With Holmes and Barnes missing another game, Whiteside is the play of the day. This DraftKings price is especially insulting, and he'll likely be used in almost every single lineup over there. We say that because he collected 26 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks in a spot start on Monday en route to 58 fantasy points. That's an absurd line from a $4,600 player, and it's really no surprise from a guy who's posted stat lines like that regularly in the past. He's actually averaging 19.1 DK points per game in just 14.5 minutes a night this season, and as long as he plays at that rate with the bump in playing time, Whiteside is a near guarantee for 30-plus fantasy points.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 26.37 DK - 25.78
Jordan has quietly been really solid for the Nets, and it's a wonder why he remains around $5K on both sites. While he hasn't had many monster games, scoring at least 21 DraftKings points in 11 of his last 12 games shows how reliable he can be. He's also averaging 25 fantasy points per game in that span, which is no surprise since Jarrett Allen is no longer taking away his minutes and rebounds. The center position is also one of the Lakers major weaknesses, and that should allow Jordan to flirt with a double-double yet again.
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