Christopher Day 
Welcome back to another week of Ghost’s Gems – we’re looking to continue our run in the early stages of the NBA season by narrowing down our player pool and correlate our lineups successfully.
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:
Point Guards
Stephen Curry ($9,500 FD / $9,300 DK)
Coming off a career-high 62 points yesterday versus Portland, you know the NBA DFS community will flock to Steph Curry in hopes of getting a repeat performance. While we cannot expect him to replicate his output from less than 24 hours ago, Curry is yet again going to be asked to shoulder the load, as he will be every night. Sporting a 35.2% usage rate six games into the season, Curry is averaging a whopping 32.3 PPG to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 33.5 minutes per game. In a matchup versus a fast Sacramento team, Curry will have ample opportunity for steals and to run the transition game, which is where he excelled yesterday and well, you saw how that turned out.
Trae Young ($9,400 FD / $9,800 DK)
Despite him being slightly overpriced in this one on DK, Trae Young is one of few players in the NBA that can give us 60+ fantasy points on any given night. Running point for a rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks team, Young has a 33.5% usage rate this season and has been getting to the free throw line at an absurd rate, averaging 11.7 free throw attempts per game, good for second in the NBA behind only James Harden at 12/game. He should have no issue driving to the hoop in this matchup versus Elfrid Payton, and the pick ‘n roll with Capela will be in full effect with Mitch Robinson on the other side for the Knicks.
Ben Simmons ($8,700 FD / $9,100 DK)
The beauty of playing NBA GPPs is the fact that some players go criminally underowned no matter who they are facing; Ben Simmons is one of those guys every night. With the majority of ownership drawing to Joel Embiid, Simmons is often an afterthought despite running point for the 76ers. He is currently averaging 13.5/9.8/7.2 despite a lowly 20.5% usage rate and gives us a triple-double type of stat line almost every night. With small guards in Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball lining up on the Aussie, Simmons can easily replicate his 15/12/11 triple-double from the other night against these same Hornets.
De’Aaron Fox ($8,000 FD / $8,200 DK)
With rookie Tyrese Haliburton already ruled out for tonight’s tilt versus Golden State, the Kings find themselves quite thin in the back court and will be forced to rely on De’Aaron Fox even more so than they already do. More so a play on FD tonight, it’s Fox’s 1.67 steals per game that may take him over the top tonight in a game where he must be able to lead the offense in both scoring in assists to keep up with Steph Curry.
Malcolm Brogdon ($7,800 FD / $7,900 DK)
A model of consistency on an NBA court, the former Rookie of the Year and second round pick has really thrived in Indiana since coming over from Milwaukee. Despite a modest 23.4% usage rate this season, Brogdon has picked up the offensive slack for the Pacers, along with another teammate mentioned further down, since the loss of TJ Warren on the wing, He hasn’t scored less than 17 points in a game this season and has a great matchup versus the Pelicans tonight in their new SVG, slower-paced offense.
Others to consider
- John Wall ($8,500 FD / $7,600 DK)
- LaMelo Ball ($6,400 FD / $5,600 DK)
Shooting Guards
James Harden ($11,400 FD / $11,100 DK)
Keep an eye on the Rockets’ lead man as he is currently battling an ankle injury, but with this game being nationally televised, I don’t foresee James Harden missing two games in a row. Despite the additions of John Wall and Christian Wood, amongst others, Harden is still rocking a 35.9% usage rate, en route to a ridiculous 37 PPG to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 11 assists. He gets to the free throw line at the highest rate in the NBA at 12 times per game and will be a serious problem for the Mavericks on defense tonight without interior defender Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup.
Collin Sexton ($7,100 FD / $7,200 DK)
A third-year pro, it’s tough sometimes for people to remember that Collin Sexton is still only 22 years old – oh wait, it’s also his birthday today – narrative alert! Considering he needs to score in bunches in order to get us there in NBA GPPs, he is an extremely risky pick on a nightly basis – but all he’s being doing is exactly that: scoring. Averaging 26 PPG across 37.5 minutes for the young Cavaliers, Sexton’s 25.2% usage rate is enough for him to get there tonight versus the Magic’s backcourt.
Buddy Hield ($5,700 FD / $6,800 DK)
Similarly to De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield will be counted on tremendously tonight versus the Warriors, as the Kings will be without rookie Tyrese Haliburton off the bench. Hield is one of the NBA’s premier 3-point shooters and is overpriced on DK, but that will keep his ownership down in GPPs. Playing 36.7 minutes per game, Hield is only shooting 37.7% from behind the arc, but he is due to get back on track closer to his career average of 41%.
Eric Bledsoe ($5,100 FD / $6,300 DK)
Oh man, here we go again. I can already tell Eric Bledsoe will be my kryptonite this NBA season as he remains criminally underpriced on FD. On DK, it’s much easier to get away from him, but it’s hard to ignore a 5k price tag on someone playing 30 MPG and is counted on this much in the Pelicans offense. The 18.5% usage rate is low, but with Indiana’s wings and Sabonis lining up on Zion and Ingram, look for Bledsoe to be more involved tonight.
Small Forwards
Jaylen Brown ($8,500 FD / $8,300 DK)
As much as we talk about Jayson Tatum blossoming into one of the league’s youngest stars, it’s time JB starts to get attention as well. With the Celtics being without Kemba Walker to begin the NBA season, JB has been on a tear with a 29.5% usage rate and averaging 28 PPG, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals. Possibly without Jeff Teague tonight as well, Brown and Tatum may never leave the court versus the Raptors tonight.
Tobias Harris ($8,000 FD / $7,600 DK)
The additions of Seth Curry and Danny Green have helped the entire 76ers Big 3, including Tobias Harris. Hopefully PJ Washington plays in this game for Charlotte, because he is an awful wing defender that Harris can take advantage of, but nonetheless, his 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game give him a relatively safe floor in addition to his offensive upside.
Jerami Grant ($7,300 FD / $6,900 DK)
Never did I think I’d be paying 7k for Jerami Grant, but here we are. The Pistons offseason addition is finally getting out of his defensive role that he was stuck with in Denver and is now flourishing on the other side of the ball, averaging 22.8 PPG to go along with his typical defensive ability with 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks. The Pistons may be without Josh Jackson, and Grant will be relied upon heavily in this one.
Others to Consider:
- Brandon Ingram ($8,400 FD / $8,400 DK)
- Larry Nance Jr. ($7,200 FD / $7,100 DK)
- Harrison Barnes ($6,100 FD / $5,600 DK)
- De’Andre Hunter ($5,400 FD / $5,200 DK)
Power Forwards
Domantas Sabonis ($9,200 FD / $9,500 DK)
Death, taxes, exposure to the most underrated PF in the NBA on a nightly basis. This is one of those players that does not need a high usage rate to get it done; Sabonis only has a 22.5% usage rate but the Pacers love to share the rock between everyone. The difference? Efficiency. Without TJ Warren in the lineup, Sabonis has stepped up in a big way and is now averaging 20.8 PPG to go along with 11.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists, in addition to shooting 56.8% from the field and 57.1% from deep.
Christian Wood ($9,100 FD / $7,400 DK)
Gone are the days of 7k Christian Wood on FD, but man is he criminally underpriced on DK. An extremely underrated offseason acquisition for the small-ball Rockets, Wood’s ability to keep up with Harden and Wall in transition has been crucial to his success; he is averaging 23.8/10.8 across 36.5 MPG. With no Porzingis for the Mavericks again, Wood will be able to continue his dominance in the post.
Jayson Tatum ($9,100 FD / $8,600 DK)
He is too cheap on DK. Too. Cheap. Jayson Tatum is one of the most promising young stars in the NBA and gets a juicy matchup – one that I used to avoid but is now more than targetable. The Raptors have been a mess on defense with the losses of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the offseason and Tatum will posturize them in the paint tonight.
Julius Randle ($8,100 FD / $9,000 DK)
Ghost loves Julius Randle. Julius Randle is facing John Collins. John Collins fouls at absurd rates. Ghost loves picking on John Collins defense. See where this is going? Core play for me on FD, Randle is on another planet in the early stages of this NBA season, averaging 21.2/10.5/7.2 in 37.7 minutes per game.
Others to Consider:
- Zion Williamson ($7,500 FD / $7,900 DK)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400 FD / $10,800 DK)
- Marvin Bagley ($4,800 FD / $5,500 DK)
Centers
Joel Embiid ($9,900 FD / $9,900 DK)
Any time The Process is under 10k, I’m intrigued. Back to his standard averages of 25.8/12.6 this season, Embiid should be able to dominate both in the post versus Bismack Biyombo and behind the arc, where Biyombo does not venture since he can easily get beat on a drive to the basket. Shooting an efficient 53.9% from the floor and 40% from deep, Embiid is one of my favorite targets on this NBA slate.
Andre Drummond ($9,500 FD / $9,200 DK)
Sporting a 31% usage rate with KLove off the floor, Drummond is in a smash spot with fellow teammate Collin Sexton in this one. Yes, Vucevic is a stud, but that’s exactly why I love Drummond tonight: he’s going to be on the court a ton to match up on him. Sporting a ridiculous 1.61 FPPM, if Drummond sees the court for 30+, he can be in for a slate-breaking performance.
Nikola Vucevic ($8,300 FD / $8,800 DK)
Criminally underpriced considering he is the core of the Orlando Magic. Facing Andre Drummond tonight will be a daunting task, but Vuc will be up for it and will be on the court for every minute that Drummond is – and that’s a lot. Averaging 21.5/11.5/3.3 across 31 MPG, the scary addition to Vuc’s arsenal is his new 3-point shot: he is averaging nearly three 3-pointers per game and is shooting 48.5% from deep.
Clint Capela ($6,500 FD / $6,100 DK)
After limited minutes in his first four appearances for the Hawks, Capela is back in full action and to his old ways of racking up double-doubles. Averaging 14/13.5/3 across 30.5 minutes in his last two, Capela is the pick ‘n roll man the Hawks needed for Trae Young and will be required to be on the floor a ton tonight versus Mitch Robinson.
Others to Consider:
- Richaun Holmes ($6,300 FD / $5,600 DK)
- Mason Plumlee ($6,200 FD / $5,800 DK)
- Mitchell Robinson ($5,500 FD / $5,700 DK)
- Chris Boucher ($6,200 FD / $5,100 DK)
Value Gems: Check the projection model here.
I will continue to stress the importance of having both the projection model and cheat sheet open when building lineups for a further player pool and to ease a decision between two players, in addition to finding additional value plays.
You can find me on Twitter @DFS_Ghost
