Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden dribbles during an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 47.53 DK - 52.17
Stephen Curry went through an extended shooting slump that’s seen him hit only 31% of his threes over the course of the month of January. For the greatest shooter of all time, that’s positively pedestrian. So it was a welcome sign to see him turn things around last game, knocking down 6-10 from beyond the arc on Thursday against the Timberwolves. Now he’ll face a Nets’ team that isn’t exactly amazing around the perimeter with their defense. The price on Curry, especially on FanDuel, has dropped enough to put him right there in cash games. With some potential savings thanks to injury situations on other teams, I think we are going to be able to fit multiple superstars in lineups on Saturday.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 32.41 DK - 34.6
Seth Curry might come back for this game which would cut into the projection some, but Maxed has been so good over the last month and is running major minutes for the 76ers right now. He’s played 35 or more in each of the last five games, topping 39 in three of them. Over the month of January, Maxey is averaging more than 15 points a game, with five assists, four rebounds, and a bit on the defensive end as well. The price is just too low for how much he’s playing right now even if the offense runs through Joel Embiid.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 52.69 DK - 58.07
The Nets are on the road here against the Warriors which will bring Kyrie Irving back into the mix. While that takes away some of the usage for Harden, it does also lighten the burden on him from a fatigue standpoint and also makes the team more competitive. Harden is more than capable of putting up big numbers even with Irving around. In their previous four away games, Harden averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. That’s just about getting the job done at these price points. The DraftKings price is a little tougher, but I think we can run him out there on FanDuel without much hesitation.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 27.4 DK - 30.53
With Brandon Ingram still out, I think there is some value on Graham here. He sees a usage uptick when more of the offense runs his way and he’s played 33 or more minutes in three of the last four games. He’s averaging 18 points and four assists in that stretch, getting up about 14 shots per game. That’s plenty of opportunity at these price points, even if the matchup against the Celtics isn’t 100% ideal. He’s a better deal on DraftKings for sure and the saving you get can help round out some lineups.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 33.15 DK - 35.33
All-Star starter Andrew Wiggins? All-Star starter Andrew Wiggins! In one of the most improbable voting mechanics for this honor, the Warriors’ small forward is going to be among the superstars for this game in a couple of weeks. Does he deserve it? Not really. But who cares. Weird voting aside, I think he’s a fine play here on Saturday against a Nets’ team that is struggling some of the defensive side of the ball without Kevin Durant. They play a faster pace with Harden and Irving and the Warriors, in general, are in a good spot. Wiggins has a high enough floor especially with Klay Thompson still on a minutes’ limit.
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 31.27 DK - 32.79
This play is more contingent on whether Fred VanVleet is in the lineup. If the latter is back, I’m probably not as interested in playing Trent in this matchup. But if FVV is out again then I think we roll Trent out there without too much hesitation. Over the last two games in this situation, Trent has played 35 and 37 minutes respectively with 21 and 22 shots in those games. He put up 32 points in both and the scoring is really what he needs in order to hit value. With very little guard play on this team, if FVV is out again then Trent becomes a fantastic cash game option.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 59.89 DK - 62.6
It’s going to be tough to fade Embiid here. For starters, he’s putting up MVP-like numbers this season and has been on the absolute warpath of late. In the month of January, The Process is averaging 34 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks+steals per game. Those stats are just eyepopping and are the reason his price is now pushing $12K on both sites. And to go with that he gets to face off against the Kings who rank second-to-last in the league on defense and run the 7th-fastest pace. This is one of the dream matchups and Embiid is a clear play.
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 39.48 DK - 40.75
Kristaps’ minutes have been shaved off over the last three games because the Mavericks have just been blowout out other teams. And that could, very much, be the case once again here on Saturday with the team coming in at -10 home favorites against the Pacers. But if Porzingis can hit 32-33 minutes in this one then he is still a bargain on DraftKings in the mid-$7K range. He can push towards 20 points and eight rebounds with some other stats thrown in if the run is there. It’s only that latter part that is in question.
After Embiid, there are some injury situations we need to keep an eye on. First and foremost is Jonas Valanciunas who sat out Friday with an illness. If he can’t go again then Willy Hernangomez (FD 5100 DK 5100) would basically be a lock on both sites. He drew the start on Friday and went for 18 points and 16 rebounds against the Nuggets.
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