Christopher Day 
Tonight’s NBA slate is a beauty; with injury news already coming in Toronto and Detroit, there will be plenty of value options to get our stars in. 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 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
Russell Westbrook ($11,300 FD / $11,000 DK)
Make that ten triple-doubles for Westbrook in his past eleven games, including six straight, and we have ourselves our building block for tonight’s NBA slate. There is no shortage of star power available to us, but with the way Westbrook is playing, we simply cannot ignore the resemblance to his 2017 MVP season. Toss in a matchup versus New Orleans, who ranks 29th versus primary ball handlers with over 51 FPPG allowed to the position, this one is an easy decision to make. Cash + GPP Play
Damian Lillard ($8,600 FD / $9,500 DK)
I could have sided with any one of the honorable mentions listed below with how loaded the position is, but man is Dame mispriced tonight, especially on FD. The best part is that with the number of value plays available to us, he’s still likely to come in underowned on this NBA slate; sporting a 29.2% usage rate over the past month, Dame has posted a 23.9/3.4/6.8 scoring line on 40.4% shooting and gets a San Antonio team that he decimated for 35/3/6 earlier this season. GPP Play
Malachi Flynn ($5,500 FD / $6,200 DK)
This play is clear as day; Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., and DeAndre’ Bembry are all out for the Raptors tonight, leaving the offense to Flynn, VanVleet, Birch, and Boucher. Logging over 33 MPG in his last eight, Flynn has posted a 14.5/4.8/5.8 scoring line and nearly 35 FPPG. If you’re playing cash on this NBA slate, you need him – simple as that. Cash + GPP Play
Also Consider:
- Luka Doncic ($10,200 FD / $10,800 DK)
- Dejounte Murray ($7,400 FD / $7,000 DK)
- Ja Morant ($6,900 FD / $7,100 DK)
- Ben Simmons ($6,900 FD)
- Punt: Killian Hayes ($3,800 FD / $3,500 DK)
Shooting Guards
Bradley Beal ($8,400 FD / $8,900 DK)
On any day ending in ‘y’. I mentioned last time out when Washington played Sacramento that both Westbrook and Beal can have ceiling games in the right game environment, and if Beal didn’t shoot 45% from the field, they would have done exactly that. Nonetheless, he still dropped a cool 31/4/3 while taking 22 shots, and I expect nothing different on this NBA slate in a contest with Zion and the Pelicans. GPP Play
Feed VanVleet ($7,400 FD / $7,900 DK)
See the Malachi Flynn blurb – if you’re playing cash on this NBA slate, you need him. Cash Play
Josh Jackson ($5,500 FD / $5,300 DK)
I could have easily put Hamidou Diallo here, but the truth is, JJ is just a play to reinforce the notion that there is an abundance of value in Detroit with the absences of Mason Plumlee, Jerami Grant, Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, Cory Joseph, and Dennis Smith Jr. The backcourt trio of Jackson, Saben Lee, and rookie Killian Hayes are looking at heavy minutes versus a rebuilding OKC squad, and if you don’t trust which PG will be the one to pop off, JJ’s upside to score 20+ on multiple NBA slates this season is the guy for you. GPP Play
Also Consider:
- Paul George ($9,500 FD / $9,100 DK)
- CJ McCollum ($7,800 FD / $8,000 DK)
- Hamidou Diallo ($4,100 FD / $4,200 DK)
Small Forwards
Jimmy Butler ($9,200 FD / $9,200 DK)
The position is surprisingly deep with a ton of GPP options tonight, beginning with Jimmy Butler in a revenge game versus Minnesota. There is no denying that his offensive production hasn’t been up to par in many of his recent games, but this is one of those games where Butler takes it personally. With Minnesota being ranked 27th in defensive rating and 28th versus small forwards, allowing over 44 FPPG to the position, Butler has a safe floor on this NBA slate. Cash Play
Brandon Ingram ($8,300 FD / $8,500 DK)
In the game of the night, my interest lies with Zion Williamson, but just as both Westbrook and Beal can thrive, the same can be said for the young Pelicans duo. Sporting a 32.8% usage rate in his last three games, Ingram has posted a stellar 29.7 PPG alongside Zion’s 31; the two are clicking on all cylinders right now and the injuries to the Pelicans roster provide reassurance that they will do work again on tonight’s NBA slate. GPP Play
Michael Porter Jr. ($7,400 FD / $7,400 DK)
Here is my writeup from MPJ’s last game:
“With Jamal Murray out for the season with a torn ACL, MPJ instantly becomes the #2 scoring option behind Nikola Jokic. With 20 or more points in seven of his past eight, MPJ has already been stepping up for the Nuggets; he has a 23.8% usage rate in that span with a 22.3/9.4/1.3 scoring line while shooting 55.4% from the field and is a great option for our NBA lineups tonight.”
MPJ dropped 25/10 with three blocks en route to 46 DK points. Lather, rinse, repeat. Cash + GPP Play
Also Consider:
- Kevin Durant ($9,300 FD / $9,400 DK)
- Saddiq Bey ($5,300 FD / $4,800 DK)
- Denzel Valentine ($3,500 FD / $3,000 DK)
Power Forwards
Pay Ups
- Zion Williamson ($10,000 FD / $10,000 DK)
- Julius Randle ($9,200 FD / $9,600 DK)
- Christian Wood ($7,800 FD / $8,300 DK)
Also Consider:
- Jae’Sean Tate ($5,600 FD / $6,200 DK)
- Darius Bazely ($5,200 FD / $5,600 DK)
- Isaiah Stewart ($4,800 FD / $4,400 DK)
- Khem Birch ($4,000 FD / $3,800 DK)
Centers
- Nikola Jokic ($11,000 FD / $10,900 DK)
- Joel Embiid ($10,200 FD / $10,500 DK)
- Nikola Vucevic ($9,000 FD / $9,700 DK)
- Chris Boucher ($7,500 FD / $7,100 DK)
- Moses Brown ($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
