DFSGhost 
Late season NBA has arrived, meaning there are not only playoff seeds up for grabs, but also a plethora of players sitting out on a nightly basis. We’ll begin with a preview of the slate, but be sure to keep up with the news. It’s a Fajita Friday edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years 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 this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “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:
Golden State Warriors @ Atlanta Hawks (-2.5)
Steph Curry (foot) remains out for the Warriors, meaning there will be many looks to go around on offense. With the Hawks ranking struggling to guard primary ball handlers thanks to Trae Young’s 117.6 defensive rating, which is second worst in the NBA, Jordan Poole is the player I’m interested in here. With Curry off the floor, Poole sees a team-high 30.6% usage rate while also leading the charge with a 1.11 FPPM. Not only has he been great in spot starts, but Poole also has 20 or more points in eleven straight games, where he’s sported a 27% usage rate and has posted a 25.6/3.3/4.9 scoring line on 54.6% shooting.
Trae Young is the only Hawk that interests me on this slate. With Atlanta seemingly locked into a Play-In spot, seeding is still up for grabs, as they sit a mere two games back of Brooklyn for the 8 seed. With 20 or more points in seven of his last eight games, Young comes into this one as one of the hottest players in the NBA on the offensive side of the ball.
Houston Rockets @ Portland Trail Blazers (+3.5)
This game is essentially a “tanking” battle, but there’s no denying the appeal it has for DFS purposes. Portland will be sitting Josh Hart and Justice Winslow tonight, in addition to seemingly every other roster player they have. The combination of Drew Eubanks and Kris Dunn make for intriguing targets on this NBA slate, as the two are fighting for roster spots in the closing days of the season.
The Rockets are looking to solidify their odds of getting the #1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, and I think this is a game where we see their young core flourish. Specifically, the quartet of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, KJ Martin, and Kevin Porter Jr. will all be in for the most run here. With Christian Wood likely active for this one barring any changes leading up to lock, I anticipate Alperen Sengun being virtually unrostered, but the big man has been as efficient as any rookie coming off the bench, posting a 1.14 FPPM on the season and now gets a matchup versus a Rockets team that not only sits dead last in the NBA in defensive rating, but also ranks 29th in the league versus opposing skilled big men.
Honorable Mentions:
- Utah Jazz @ Charlotte Hornets (+3.5)
- NY Knicks @ Miami Heat (-6)
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