Richard Masana 
With yesterday’s two-game slate behind us, we’re back to the NBA standard with a plethora of good matchups on tap and a much larger player pool. It’s Wet Wednesday’s edition of the Gems, so you know we’re going all in tonight! Let’s get to it
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received 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 these price ranges and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like in this range, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking “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:
Point Guards
Damian Lillard ($10,000 FD / $10,400 DK)
Now that Ja Morant is back in the Memphis lineup, they are back to playing at a much faster pace and having one of the worst individual defenders in the NBA on the court for 33+ minutes. Enter Damian Lillard, who will be seeing the sophomore and defending Rookie of the Year for the majority of the night. Sporting a near 30% usage rate before CJ McCollum went down with an injury, Lillard sees a notable 2.5% uptick with his backcourt run mate off the floor and has one of the highest volumes on the slate with 19.3 FGA per game, including 10.1 per game from deep.
Steph Curry ($9,800 FD / $9,700 DK)
After leading the Warriors to yet another 4th quarter comeback the only night versus the Lakers, where they were down by 14 heading into the final frame, Curry is right back in action tonight versus the Spurs. Sitting at 7-6 and one win away from a Top-4 seed in the West, the Warriors will only go as far as their best player can take them. Sporting a 32.5% usage rate on the season, Curry is averaging 28.2 PPG and the MVP candidate is only shooting 36.6% from deep – with San Antonio’s soft defense versus primary ball handlers, he’s in a great spot tonight.
Trae Young ($9,000 FD / $9,300 DK)
The disrespect lives on for the kid in Atlanta. After a slow start to the season, Young has now dropped 50+ FP in two straight thanks to a ridiculous 25 free throw attempts. Needing only 8 shots from the field last game to drop 20 points, look for Young to take advantage of the Magic’s inexperienced point guard in rookie, Cole Anthony.
Others to Consider:
- Ja Morant ($7,900 FD / $7,300 DK)
- Dejounte Murray ($7,800 FD / $7,400 DK)
- De’Aaron Fox ($7,800 FD / $8,900 DK)
Shooting Guards
Paul George ($8,500 FD / $9,100 DK)
While I likely won’t get here on DK, this price is simply too cheap for PG on FD. He’s due for some regression (yes, I hate that word) in his true shooting percentage (TS%) which currently sits at 68.8%, but Sacramento is dead last in the NBA versus primary ball handlers. I’ve said it again and again, Luke Walton’s defensive scheme is the worst in the entire league, and there’s no reason to not have at least some form of exposure to George on FD when he is sporting a 28.1% and scoring 24.8 PPG across 34.5 MPG and contributing on the defensive side of the ball.
D’Angelo Russell ($8,400 FD / $8,800 DK)
Although it is nowhere near the same game environment he had the other day versus Atlanta, as long as Karl-Anthony Towns is out of the Minnesota lineup, DLo will garner interest in NBA GPPs. Acting as the primary ball-handler for the T-Wolves with Ricky Rubio coming off the bench for the majority of the season, Russell now finds himself without the veteran point guard and has all the usage in the world available to him. Coming off a 31/3/7 game where he shot the ball 22 times, including 13 from deep, he’ll be much needed versus the Magic tonight.
Others to Consider:
- Fred VanVleet ($7,600 FD / $7,500 DK)
- Derrick Rose ($6,500 FD / $5,400 DK)
FD-only Bonus Play: Kevin Huerter ($5,500)
Small Forwards
Kawhi Leonard ($9,100 FD / $9,400 DK)
We wrote him PG in this game environment, so it’s only natural that we have interest in The Klaw as well. While the 18 FGA per game isn’t represented by how inconsistent his volume can be, the efficiency at which Leonard operates makes him one of the best in the NBA: Sporting a 28.9% usage rate, Kawhi shot over 60% from the field in three of his past four games. Before last game’s 17-point performance, he had a 6-game run of 20 or more points, and he’ll be able to dominate both on and off-ball tonight.
Jerami Grant ($8,400 FD / $7,700 DK)
Transitioning from a defensive specialist in Denver to an offensive catalyst in Detroit is certainly not what we expected out of Jerami Grant this season. Yet, here we are, and he’s averaging 24.9 PPG on 46.7% shooting with a 26.4% usage rate. With Blake Griffin and Mason Plumlee both generating more action on the defensive end of the ball and on the glass, this is Grant’s offense, and a matchup versus a fast-paced, turnover-prone Hawks team is perfect for his game.
Jaylen Brown ($8,300 FD / $8,700 DK)
Others to Consider:
- OG Anunoby ($6,000 FD / $5,900 DK)
- De’Andre Hunter ($5,600 FD / $6,200 DK)
- Duncan Robinson ($5,200 FD / $5,800 DK)
- Eric Gordon ($5,200 FD / $5,500 DK)
Power Forwards
Christian Wood ($9,800 FD / $8,400 DK)
Many players are mispriced on DK and Christian Wood is one of them. Looking like an NBA slate where I’ll be playing two centers, Wood slots in nicely in the mid-to-upper range with elite upside; he’s now sporting a 27.8% usage rate on the season with 23.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG, needing only 31 minutes last game to drop 30 points. On an offense that now only features Victor Oladipo while John Wall is injured, Wood is the go-to option for these Rockets.
Domantas Sabonis ($9,600 FD / $9,800 DK)
Death, taxes, Sabonis in DFS. Leading the NBA in MPG at 37.5, Sabonis is also fourth in RPG with 12.8 and chimes in with a cool 21.7 PPG. While a matchup versus Porzingis is far from ideal, their playing styles fit one another perfectly, meaning Sabonis will be tasked with not only guarding KP, but will have to make sure he continues running the offense in an efficient manner; an uptick in usage can only mean good things for the big man.
Chris Boucher ($8,100 FD / $7,300 DK)
What can be said about Chris Boucher right now? This guy is simply on a tear, as we predicted in the preseason preview show, and the Raptors are finally realizing he needs to see 30+ minutes per game if they want to win. In the past two weeks, Boucher is averaging 19 PPG to go along with 7.9 RPG, 2.9 blocks, and 2.4 made threes all while shooting 66.67% from the field and 54.8% from deep. Take advantage of the price point right now, because it’s exactly where it needs to be before he gets too expensive.
Others to Consider:
- Kristaps Porzingis ($7,500 FD / $7,900 DK)
- Aaron Gordon ($7,000 FD / $7,400 DK)
Centers
Primary Options:
- Nikola Vucevic ($9,900 FD / $8,600 DK)
- Joel Embiid ($9,800 FD / $9,600 DK)
- Clint Capela ($8,000 FD / $7,600 DK)
Others to Consider:
- Enes Kanter ($6,300 FD / $6,300 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
