Christopher Day 
We’re back and ready to continue our run in the early stages of the NBA season with another edition of the Gems.
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
Steph Curry ($10,000 FD / $9,800 DK)
What can be said about the best shooter in the history of the NBA? He’s simply playing on another level right now, averaging 39.33 PPG in his last three games on 52.17% shooting and 42.5% from deep. His 34.5% usage rate shows just how important he is to this Warriors offense with the absence of Klay Thompson, in case that wasn’t obvious enough. With the Clippers potentially missing one of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George tonight, Steph is yet again in a spot to wreak havoc on an NBA slate.
Trae Young ($9,400 FD / $9,600 DK)
A smash spot for a breakout player of the year candidate, Trae Young has been both flashy and efficient in his third year in the NBA. An uptick in minutes due to an injured rotation is all we needed for Young to hit his ceiling, and that’s exactly what we’ve been seeing as of late: he’s dropped 23.5 PPG to go along with 12 assists per game in his last two, averaging 37 minutes along the way. Another great spot for the Hawks tonight as they look to push the pace versus the Hornets.
Ben Simmons ($8,700 FD / $8,800 DK)
I will continue going back to the duo of Simmons and Embiid until the NBA DFS community give them the respect they deserve; continuously coming in at low ownership, Simmons is in the definition of an ideal situation for his game tonight facing Russell Westbrook, who loves to push the pace and consequently, turn the ball over. He’ll have ample opportunity to secure rebounds versus a small Washington frontcourt and really run his offense in transition.
De’Aaron Fox ($7,800 FD / $8,200 DK)
Way. Too. Cheap. De’Aaron Fox is one my favorite players in the NBA, as if that wasn’t obvious already, but this is simply a smash spot for the former Kentucky guard. A player that compares to John Wall in his prime, Fox loves to push the pace and will be facing a Bulls backcourt duo of White/Lavine who are on the second night of a back-to-back and have been decimated by opposing point guards this season, including 50+ FP performances by studs like Westbrook and Young, but also, the one and only Jalen Brunson.
Also Consider:
- Malcolm Brogdon ($8,200 FD / $8,000 DK)
- Jrue Holiday ($7,200 FD / $6,700 DK)
- Kyle Lowry ($7,500 FD / $7,800 DK)
Shooting Guards
Paul George ($9,000 FD / $8,900 DK)
After missing yesterday’s game, PG13 is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight with Kawhi Leonard potentially sitting out the second half of a back-to-back, as he has done for the past three years. With Kawhi off the floor, PG13 sees a notable bump in usage to 35.4% and averages 1.4 fantasy points per minute (FPPM).
Zach Lavine ($8,100 FD / $8,300 DK)
The high-flying slasher had no problem not only covering the +10.5 last night for his Bulls, but actually led them to an outright win. On the second half of a back-to-back, Lavine will be yet again counted on to shoulder the load versus a fast Sacramento team that has been vulnerable in to opposing guards, and Lavine will be the guy to take advantage with his 18.3 FGA per game this season.
Devin Booker ($7,600 FD / $7,900 DK)
Finally in a price range I can stomach, Devin Booker is an elite NBA GPP play for me tonight. Sporting a 29.6% usage rate, Booker is averaging a modest 21.1/4.1/4.4 across 35.4 MPG, but has hit 25, 22, and 25 points in his last three, respectively, on 55.32% shooting.
Collin Sexton ($7,100 FD / $7,200 DK)
While he did not live up to expectations on his birthday, Collin Sexton is right back to the same spot with an even thinner rotation for the Cavaliers tonight. A plethora of guards and wings are out, leaving Sexton, Osman, and Drummond to carry the load on offense versus the Magic; Sexton will be the guy to play the majority of heavy minutes, we saw with 39 in their game versus Orlando just a few days ago.
Also Consider:
- James Harden ($11,200 FD / $11,000 DK)
- Bradley Beal ($10,000 FD / $9,000 DK)
- Fred VanVleet ($8,000 FD / $7,900 DK)
- Derrick Rose ($6,000 FD / $5,800 DK)
Small Forwards
Jayson Tatum ($9,400 FD / $9,000 DK)
In a rematch of last season’s ECF, Tatum will see a ton of Adebayo and Butler tonight, but that does not scare me off him one bit. Sporting a 30.6% usage rate, Tatum averaged 26.5/9.8/6.3 in their 6-game playoff series loss to Miami last season, and he will be primed for another 33+ minutes in a game with a 2.5 spread in one of the closest games on the NBA slate.
Brandon Ingram ($8,800 FD / $8,400 DK)
I much prefer Ingram to Zion today because of the lack of options the Thunder have to counter him on the wing. The key here is that BI and Zion have been sharing the court a ton, leaving Zion as the one drawing most of the defensive coverage down low; with Ingram picking up where he left off last season en route to 25 PPG already, his 30.5% usage rate has my interest peaked, especially coming off back-to-back 31 point games.
Jerami Grant ($7,300 FD / $6,900 DK)
A player that was once known for simply his defensive ability on the wing and strong rebounding in Denver, Jerami Grant has been thriving in an offensive role for the Pistons thus far. Having dropped at least 22 points in six straight games, including six of seven in the early stages of the NBA season, Grant has been a model of consistency with his 36.3 MPG and is shooting 44.3% from the field, including a whopping 18.7 FGA per game.
Also consider:
- RJ Barrett ($6,500 FD / $7,000 DK)
- Harrison Barnes ($6,100 FD / $6,100 DK)
- De’Andre Hunter ($6,000 FD / $5,400 DK)
- Otto Porter Jr. ($5,600 FD / $6,500 DK)
- Cedi Osman ($5,200 FD / $5,500 DK)
Power Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400 FD / $10,900 DK)
Despite the potential blowout scenario in Detroit on this NBA slate, Giannis cannot be stopped in this short span of games as of late: averaging 32.67 PPG on 59% shooting, Giannis has been playing more aggressively as of late, resulting in 31 FTA in his past three, including 27 FTA in his past two games, go to along with a whopping 61 FGA.
Julius Randle ($9,000 FD / $9,500 DK)
Sporting a 26% usage rate, Randle has been on a tear to begin the NBA season, averaging 22.1/11.4/7.4 across 38.4 MPG for his Knicks. His price is getting up there, but with the Knicks being a surprising 4-3 on the season, Randle is a big factor on a nightly basis.
Other Core Pieces
- Domantas Sabonis ($8,800 FD / $9,200 DK)
- Aaron Gordon ($6,400 FD / $6,400 DK)
Also Consider:
- Christian Wood ($9,100 FD / $7,700 DK)
- Kelly Olynyk ($5,000 FD / $4,400 DK)
Centers
Joel Embiid ($9,900 FD / $9,900 DK)
Despite a 27.2% usage rate this season, Embiid is yet again racking up the double-doubles for us on a nightly basis and is a prime target on each NBA slate he is priced under $10,000. More recently, it took him a mere 25 minutes to drop 14/11/4 and 50 FP against the Hornets and is in a glorious matchup versus a Washington frontcourt that has allowed nearly 60 FPPG to opposing centers.
Nikola Vucevic ($8,700 FD / $8,700 DK)
The disrespect on his price continues, and I will take advantage. Rocking a 24.7% usage rate thus far, Vuc is the key to the Magic’s success every night they take the floor, and tonight will be no different; with the combination of Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee running the paint for the Cavs, Vuc will be in for a heavy workload all night long.
Clint Capela ($6,500 FD / $6,700 DK)
Finding his groove running the pick ‘n roll with Trae Young, Clint Capela is loving his new role in Atlanta. Capela has been getting back into shape and has played 30, 31, and 31 minutes in his past three games, respectively, averaging 13.33 PPG and 13 rebounds along that stretch and will be counted on again in a matchup versus Bismack Biyombo and the Charlotte Hornets, making him a premier target in the mid-range of tonight’s NBA slate.
Others to Consider:
- Deandre Ayton ($7,200 FD / $7,300 DK)
- Mason Plumlee ($6,300 FD / $5,500 DK)
- Richaun Holmes ($6,300 FD / $5,900 DK)
- Mitchell Robinson ($5,500 FD / $5,600 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
