Christopher Day 
Yesterday’s Core 4 of Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, De’Aaron Fox, and Zion Williamson combined for 200 DK points, so you know the green screens continued to roll in for the team. With Kawhi Leonard already being ruled out, we have early injury news for this NBA slate that shifts things around. With more to come, let’s take a dive into an early look; it’s Taco Tuesday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
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 FD 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
Trae Young ($8,900 FD / $9,100 DK)
While his performances haven’t been as consistent as we’d like from Trae this season, the upside in a matchup versus the Raptors presents us with the opportunity of getting a ceiling game from the face of the Hawks franchise. In two previous meetings this season, Young has posted a 32.5/3.5/9.5 scoring line on 43.6% shooting while getting to the charity stripe a whopping 15 times per game. He remains third in the NBA with 20 drives to the basket per game, where Toronto has been struggling all season long with the losses of both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka in the offseason. GPP Play
Damian Lillard ($8,800 FD / $9,500 DK)
I was surprised to see Dame priced lower than Trae on FD, likely making him the chalkier of the two premier point guards on tonight’s NBA slate. Jimmy Butler put the clamps on him in their last game, where Dame shot a measly 3-for-10 en route to a 12/1/3 scoring line, but tonight, the Celtics do not present themselves as a bad matchup for the all-star; Boston allows over 45 FPPG to opposing primary ball handlers and rank in the bottom half of the league in 3-point shooting defense. Cash + GPP Play
Malcolm Brogdon ($7,500 FD / $6,700 DK)
Always primary ball handlers versus the Clippers, especially when Patrick Beverly is out. Coming off a great 29/9/11 game versus Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, Malcolm Brogdon has a cakewalk of a matchup versus Reggie Jackson, with Paul George likely lining up on Caris LeVert. The focus of this Indiana offense has always been the Brogdon/Sabonis pick ‘n roll this season, but with Myles Turner out of the lineup, they take an even bigger workload on their shoulders while Caris LeVert plays more of an ISO-type of offense on other possessions. A matchup versus Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac is one that is too good to pass up on. Cash + GPP Play
Also Consider:
- Chris Paul ($8,400 FD / $8,300 DK)
- Kyle Lowry ($7,200 FD / $7,400 DK)
- Reggie Jackson ($5,600 FD / $5,400 DK)
Shooting Guards
Donovan Mitchell ($9,200 FD / $9,400 DK)
Wrote him up yesterday in a great matchup versus Washington and he delivered a solid 58 DK points on a 42/3/6 scoring line to now make it three of his past four games having 40 or more raw points. Tonight, Mitchell gets another good matchup versus a rebuilding OKC team, where Utah will look to avenge last night’s loss versus Washington; not only has Mitchell scored 40+ in three of his past four, but he also has a 43.2% usage rate and over 30 FGA per night during that span, making him a premier pay up option on this NBA slate at a position where everyone will play Paul George. GPP Play
Paul George ($9,000 FD / $8,700 DK)
With Kawhi Leonard out for tonight’s matchup versus Indiana, not only does PG see a 36.2% usage rate in scenarios like these, but he’s also in a revenge matchup after leaving Indiana on a sour note. In 5 games without The Klaw, PG has posted a 24.2/5.8/5.2 scoring line, has taken over 20 FGA per night, and his recent stretch, where he’s posted a 33.7/4.3/5.7 scoring line on a 33.1% usage rate in his last three games is only the cherry on top; lock of the NBA slate. Cash + GPP Play
Caris LeVert ($8,300 FD / $7,500 DK)
I’m most likely going to start my NBA lineups with Sabonis/Brogdon/George, but if you’re looking for Indiana exposure, you can definitely do a lot worse than Caris LeVert, who is fresh off a 34/5/3 game where he took 20 shots. I’m going to avoid PG’s defense, but if not playing Sabonis and/or Brogdon, give LeVert a look in GPPs. GPP Play
Also Consider:
- Devin Booker ($9,500 FD / $9,000 DK)
- CJ McCollum ($8,100 FD / $8,100 DK)
- Gary Trent ($6,200 FD / $6,000 DK)
Small Forwards
Jimmy Butler ($9,400 FD / $9,300 DK)
This is far from an elite game environment, but Butler’s floor/ceiling combination is as good as it gets at the worst position in NBA DFS. Having scored 20 or more points in three straight, Butler not only continues to anchor the Heat defense, but also shoulders a bigger load on offense in the absence of Victor Oladipo; his 25.2% usage rate in the last three is far from elite, but he’s posted a 25.3/4.7/5 scoring line on 65% shooting during that span. By no means do I like to pick on Phoenix’s defense, but if there is a spot to, it’s on the wing. GPP Play
Jaylen Brown ($8,000 FD / $7,800 DK)
Attacking the 29th ranked Portland defense is always a viable strategy on any given NBA slate and tonight is no different. While the acquisition of Norman Powell was an upgrade to their secondary scoring on the wing, he does not help their weak defense, especially versus opposing small forwards. Enter JB, who has 20 or more points in his last three while posting a 26.1% usage rate on a 26/7.7/3 scoring line. Cash + GPP Play
Bogdan Bogdanovic ($7,300 FD / $6,800 DK)
In the absence of both De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, no one has stepped up as much as Bogdanovic to provide secondary scoring behind Trae Young. In his past eight games, Bog has been logging a heavy 36.1 MPG and has posted a 21.6/4.5/4.4 scoring line on 50.4% shooting, including 51.5% from deep, behind a 22.1% usage rate. Against a smaller Toronto team, he will have ample opportunity to get great looks tonight. Cash + GPP Play
Also Consider:
- OG Anunoby ($7,100 FD / $7,100 DK)
- Miles Bridges ($6,200 FD / $5,800 DK)
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,200 FD / $5,200 DK)
Power Forwards
Pay Ups
- Jayson Tatum ($9,200 FD / $9,200 DK)
- Domantas Sabonis ($9,000 FD / $8,800 DK)
- Pascal Siakam ($8,700 FD / $8,600 DK)
Also Consider:
- Jalen McDaniels ($6,000 FD / $4,300 DK)
- Darius Bazely ($5,800 FD / $5,500 DK)
- Tony Bradley ($5,500 FD / $4,000 DK)
Centers
- Clint Capela ($9,300 FD / $8,500 DK)
- Andre Drummond ($7,000 FD / $6,700 DK)
- Robert Williams ($6,000 FD / $6,000 DK)
- Enes Kanter ($5,400 FD / $6,100 DK)
Value Gems: Check the projection model.
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
