Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives around Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto, left, in the first quarter during an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Yours truly was right in line to take down the single-entry series on FanDuel last week, but I fell just a tiny bit short. That means our process has been money recently, and we're going to look to keep that momentum rolling here. There's a lot to discuss, so let's go ahead and get into it!
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Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 50.13 DK - 52.96
If you're looking for a guaranteed 50 fantasy points, Lillard is probably your guy. We say that because Dame has at least 47 fantasy points in 21 of his last 25 games. That's amazing consistency, and it's led to a 51-point average in that span. The reason he's been so reliable recently is his role, posting a usage rate north of 30 percent with C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic off the floor. While there's some talk that McCollum might return here, the matchup nullifies any of that risk. New Orleans currently ranks 27th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency, with Dame dropping a crazy 79 fantasy points on them in their one meeting earlier this season.
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 23.62 DK - 24.53
The Bulls made an unprecedented move by benching Coby White and Wendell Carter Jr on Sunday but that forced Satoransky into the starting lineup. The former Wizards starter had a great game, providing 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. That's the guy we saw in Washington, stuffing the stat sheet there as their starter over the last few seasons. That makes it hard to believe he's hovering around $4K on both sites, and if you get word that he's starting again, Sato should be universally owned. The matchup isn't too bad either, with Oklahoma City owning a 16th OPRK against opposing PGs this season.
Trae Young is just $9,000 on FanDuel and is one of the best plays of the day over there.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 43.35 DK - 45.03
With Al Horford, George Hill, Darius Bazley, Lu Dort, and Theo Maledon all possibly missing this game, SGA could be looking at a career-high usage. That's already big news for a guy that leads the team with a usage rate approaching 30 percent. That monster role has led to some ridiculous production, scoring at least 42 DraftKings points in three-straight games while averaging 41 fantasy points per game across his last nine outings. That's really all you can ask for with the usage bump in his favor, and we haven't even discussed this majestic matchup. Chicago currently ranks fifth in pace and 24th in total defense, with SGA dropping 59 fantasy points against them earlier this season.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 31.1 DK - 32.63
Quickley got his first career start on Monday and provided 21 points, two rebounds, and two assists across 33 minutes of play. While that's not a monster fantast total, we love that he started and played 33 minutes. The reason he'll likely do that again here is that Derrick Rose and Elfrid Payton are expected to sit yet again. That's brilliant news, with Quickley averaging 1.2 DK points per game for the season, which would be well over 40 fantasy points if he sees 30-plus minutes again here. In the eight games that Immanuel has played at least 25 minutes, he's averaging 32 fantasy points per game which is right on par with our projection.
If John Wall is out again, look for Victor Oladipo to have another monster usage night.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 40.63 DK - 42.42
Ingram has lost some touches to Zion Williamson over recent weeks, but he remains a good value around $8K. What we really like about BI is the fact that he's scored at least 28 DraftKings points in all but one game this season. That's a heck of a floor from someone in this price range, and it's led to a 40-point average for the season. What really adds to his value today is this matchup, though, with Portland ranked 29th in defensive efficiency and 25th in points allowed. This is also expected to be one of the highest-scoring games of the night, and we have to expect the Pelicans best player to show out with his team needing at least 120 points to prevail.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 28.43 DK - 26.9
Is someone at FanDuel sleeping? This minimum price is honestly shocking, and I can't believe Martin hasn't gotten the bump he deserves. Mini-Kenyon has played a huge role off the Rockets bench, and he should continue to do so with Houston in full-on rebuild mode. In the three games since being called-up, KMJ has at least 30 fantasy points in each of those en route to a 36-point average. That's the production you usually see from a $7K player, and Martin is half of that on FanDuel! The matchup only adds to his intrigue, with Atlanta ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency. Blowout potential is also not a concern because Martin will receive minutes no matter what this scoreline looks like.
Kevin Porter Jr has been a beast for the Rockets as well.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 39.03 DK - 39.6
It sounds like Atlanta could be without Clint Capela, Cam Reddish, De'Andre Hunter, and Onyeka Okongwu here, which would leave Collins as the only man in the frontcourt. That forced him into a start at center on Sunday, collecting 22 points and 13 rebounds. Those rebounds are the most important part here because Capela swallows up about 15 on his own on a nightly basis, leaving Collins to feast without him. That makes it hard to believe he remains below $7K on both sites because JC has proven to be an $8,000 talent in the past. The best part of this play might be the matchup, though, facing a Houston team that sits 23rd in total defense while entering this matchup in the midst of a disturbing 16-game losing streak.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 29.01 DK - 29.39
With Joel Embiid out for the next two weeks, Bradley should be the starting center in Philly. This is a guy who's been spectacular when given the minutes, averaging 28 fantasy points per game in the seven outings he's played at least 20 minutes. We expect those 20 minutes to be the floor here, with a double-double being a strong possibility. All of that makes this some of the most egregious pricing on this slate, and his big body will be needed against a Knicks team that starts Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel. We also love that the Knicks own a 25th OPRK against opposing centers this season.
Tobias Harris has been the focal point of the Sixers offense with Embiid out and remains a great pick.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 41.98 DK - 42.67
Allen has been down the last two games, but there's no doubting that this guy is one of the best centers in fantasy right now. Before those two most recent duds, JA scored at least 32 fantasy points in each of his previous 11 games, averaging 40 DraftKings points per game in that span. We can't overlook that total from a sub-$8K player, and he's going to be needed even more with Kevin Love injured and Andre Drummond sitting on his couch. The matchup against Miami isn't terrible either, with Allen needing to play big minutes to oppose the returning Bam Adebayo.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 38.12 DK - 38.39
Brown has established a nice little role for himself in Oklahoma City, and he should be asked to do even more with Horford sitting this game out. Since his reinsertion into the rotation last week, Brown has scored at least 23 DK points in all three games he's played. That makes it hard to understand why he remains so cheap, especially considering that he'll see a major bump here with so many OKC players out of the lineup. The matchup against Chicago is simply the jelly in the donut, with the Bulls surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. We like Brown no matter what his role is, but if he starts, Moses should be in every lineup you make!
We also like Isaiah Roby in the same matchup sitting around $5K on both sites.
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