DFSGhost 
A big NBA slate is back at our disposal but there are a few spots we want to target right off the hop. It’s Fajita Friday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Before I dive into individual players at each respective position, please note that, for obvious reasons, the Charlotte Hornets are once again at the top of everyone’s priority list. With Ish Smith joining LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Mason Plumlee, and Jalen McDaniels in health and safety protocols, the Hornets are down to a 7-man rotation and will all be popular on tonight’s NBA slate once again.
Point Guards
Chris Paul ($8,300 DK / $8,400 FD)
With Devin Booker already ruled out for the Suns tonight, the offense will largely fall on the combination of CP3 and Ayton. With Booker off the floor this season, Paul sees an increase in usage rate from 20.5% to 22.7%, while also seeing his FPPM increase from 1.18 to 1.23. With Boston ranking 27th in points allowed to opposing primary ball handlers, CP3 will be able to easily rack up a double-double and provide tremendous value on this NBA slate.
De’Aaron Fox ($7,900 DK / $7,800 FD)
While this is purely a tournament play for tonight’s slate, Fox offers tremendous upside while also being underrostered with CP3 only $400 more. Sporting a 26.8% usage rate across his last three contests, Fox has posted a 24.7/4.7/3.7 scoring line on 50% shooting, while also logging over 35 minutes per game. With Charlotte being 29th in defensive rating and 3rd in pace, this game environment is as good as it gets, especially for a player of Fox’s style.
Honorable Mentions:
- Trae Young ($10,000 DK / $9,800 FD)
- Cade Cunningham ($7,500 DK / $7,000 FD)
Shooting Guards
Brandon Ingram ($8,700 DK / $7,700 FD)
I wrote up Ingram on the last NBA slate and am comfortable going right back to the well with a discount on both sites tonight. Sporting a 28.4% usage rate in his last five games, Ingram has posted a 27.2/6/5.6 scoring line on 53.7% shooting, while also getting a favorable matchup versus a Pistons team that ranks 22nd in defensive rating and 25th versus point forwards.
Cody Martin ($5,700 DK / $5,000 FD)
With the Hornets still without the majority of their roster, as indicated at the beginning of the article, Martin is once again in play for us at a decent price tag on both sites. No matter what the score of this game may be, you can count on Martin to be on the court, where the combo wing has played over 39 minutes per contest over his last three. 40% of his shots during this span have come from behind the arc, making him extremely volatile, but his 58.3% shooting rate from deep gives him plenty of upside while most will gawk at the fact that his price has increased by nearly 50% from a week ago.
Honorable Mentions
- Eric Gordon ($5,500 DK / $5,200 FD)
- Lugentz Dort ($5,500 DK / $6,300 FD)
Small Forwards
Miles Bridges ($7,700 DK / $8,400 FD)
Bridges being priced lower than Oubre Jr is simply ridiculous; Miles Bridges has the greater ceiling in this game, especially with the Sacramento Kings missing Richaun Holmes from the lineup; Bridges has 22.7 PPG since his teammates landed in health and safety protocols, and will be able to get to the rim with ease versus a Sacramento defense that ranks 26th in defensive rating, while also being last in the NBA in points allowed in the paint per game.
Harrison Barnes ($5,400 DK / $6,000 FD)
Maintaining our theme of getting exposure to the Charlotte/Sacramento game on this NBA slate, Harrison Barnes is simply tagged well below his bracket. Making his return just a game ago, Barnes logged 30 minutes versus Orlando, posting a 16/5/3 scoring line on 45.5% shooting. With the Kings missing Holmes for tonight, expect Barnes and Metu to get more minutes, with some being at the ‘5’ when Charlotte goes small with PJ Washington at the ‘5’.
Honorable Mentions:
- MPE players listed at SG and PF
Power Forwards
Jayson Tatum ($9,900 DK / $9,700 FD)
With Jaylen Brown already ruled out for the Celtics tonight, you can see where my second priority is on this NBA slate alongside the CHA/SAC game: PHX/BOS. With JB off the court, Tatum sees an increase in usage rate from 32.8% to 34.4%, including an increase in FPPM from 1.25 to 1.34. Sporting a 34.5% usage rate in his last five games, Tatum has scored 25 or more in all five, on a 31.4/10/3.2 line while shooting 50% from the field.
Pascal Siakam ($8,500 DK / $8,000 FD)
With Khem Birch still out for the Raptors and Precious Achiuwa questionable after missing Wednesday’s game, Siakam can be a lone wolf against this Knicks frontcourt. While Chris Bocuher drew the start and did well in 22 minutes of action, it was the core four Raptors of VanVleet, Trent, Barnes, and Siakam who all logged over 38 minutes of action on Wednesday for Nick Nurse. While Siakam has the fewest attempts of the four, he was by far the most efficient, shooting at a 66.67% clip and has now scored 20 or more in four straight, making him an elite target in the mid range on tonight’s NBA slate.
Honorable Mentions:
- Domantas Sabonis ($9,700 DK / $8,800 FD)
- PJ Washington ($6,600 DK / $6,600 FD)
Centers
- Jonas Valanciunas ($8,000 DK / $7,500 FD)
- Deandre Ayton ($7,500 DK / $7,500 FD)
Honorable Mentions:
- Jarrett Allen ($7,800 DK / $8,600 FD)
- Clint Capela ($7,700 DK / $8,200 FD)
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