We have a six-game slate to kick off our NBA week and there are some very high-scoring teams on the board. You may want to consider doing some sort of game stack if you are looking for a tournament option. There are plenty of good cash games options tonight as well, along with some value plays due to some injuries.
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Guards
Chris Paul (HOU): $8,100 vs. NO
Paul is always a fantastic option when it comes to point guards because he is so consistent and sees plenty of minutes. He has a 21.8% usage rate on the Rockets while averaging 1.30 fantasy points per minute. This game is set to be very high scoring, as it has a total set at 226 points. You are going to want some exposure to this game, and Paul is a perfect way to do so. He has 43 DraftKings points or more in two straight games and is up against the Pelicans, who are giving up 45 fantasy points per game to point guards. This is a prime spot for Paul.
Lou Williams (LAC): $7,600 vs. TOR
Williams has 42 or more DraftKings points in three straight games and is up against the Toronto Raptors who are giving up 44 fantasy points per game to shooting guards, which is third worst in the league. The Clippers have seen many players come and go from their lineup due to injuries, but with this current set of players, Williams has a 32.2% usage rate, which is highest on the team. He is also averaging 1.14 fantasy points per minute, making him a great cash game play for tonight since he is so consistent. This game has a total set at 216 points, making it one of the higher of the night.
We have a six-game slate to kick off our NBA week and there are some very high-scoring teams on the board. You may want to consider doing some sort of game stack if you are looking for a tournament option. There are plenty of good cash games options tonight as well, along with some value plays due to some injuries.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Guards
Chris Paul (HOU): $8,100 vs. NO
Paul is always a fantastic option when it comes to point guards because he is so consistent and sees plenty of minutes. He has a 21.8% usage rate on the Rockets while averaging 1.30 fantasy points per minute. This game is set to be very high scoring, as it has a total set at 226 points. You are going to want some exposure to this game, and Paul is a perfect way to do so. He has 43 DraftKings points or more in two straight games and is up against the Pelicans, who are giving up 45 fantasy points per game to point guards. This is a prime spot for Paul.
Lou Williams (LAC): $7,600 vs. TOR
Williams has 42 or more DraftKings points in three straight games and is up against the Toronto Raptors who are giving up 44 fantasy points per game to shooting guards, which is third worst in the league. The Clippers have seen many players come and go from their lineup due to injuries, but with this current set of players, Williams has a 32.2% usage rate, which is highest on the team. He is also averaging 1.14 fantasy points per minute, making him a great cash game play for tonight since he is so consistent. This game has a total set at 216 points, making it one of the higher of the night.
Forwards
Jayson Tatum (BOS): $6,000 @ CHI
Tatum is up against the Bulls who are giving up 42 DraftKings points per game to small forwards, which is ninth worst in the league. The Bulls aren’t a good team this year, and you want to try and attack them when they are on the slate. Tatum has an 18.9% usage rate along with averaging 0.88 fantasy points per minute, which are fantastic numbers from a rookie. He has 33 or more DraftKings points in three of his last four games and is seeing minutes into the mid-30s. He is also really starting to chip in when it comes to rebounds.
Kelly Olynyk (MIA): $5,550 @ MEM
Olynyk may not be the flashiest player when it comes to real basketball, but he does plenty for our fantasy purposes. He has 28 or more DraftKings points in three of his last five games along with averaging 1.00 fantasy points per minute. This means he is doing something productive every time he is out on the court, so he will have a chance to pay off his salary. You really only need about 27 points from him in order to hit 5x value, which is what you want for cash games. Since he is up against Memphis tonight who are giving up 45 DraftKings points per game to power forwards, he should be able to hit that. Generally, both Miami and Memphis play at a bit slower of a pace, so this game might not be a target for tournaments.
Centers
Marc Gasol (MEM): $7,800 vs. MIA
Gasol and the Grizzlies are going through a lot on and off the court, and now that the team has decided to side with him over the coach, he has to put up big numbers. He has put up double-digit real points in each of his last 10 games and has come close to a double-double in most of those games. He has a 30% usage rate and is averaging 1.12 fantasy points per minute this season, so the consistency is there for him, but what about his tournament value? Considering this game is between the Heat and Grizzlies, who both generally play a bit slow, it should come in super low owned, and we know he has a 60 point ceiling. With both DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis at this position tonight, many people will try to find the extra salary and get up to their price, which leaves Gasol as a low ownership option.
Meyers Leonard (POR): $3,800 @ GS
With Jusuf Nurkic already being ruled out for tonight’s game, we should see Leonard get the start as he did last game when Nurkic was out. Leonard offers a ton of savings, and if we know he is going to be seeing increased minutes compared to his normal game we want to roster him. Last game, he played 20 minutes and put up 20 DraftKings points, aka one fantasy point per minute. That is fantastic production out of a player at his price range, and the savings he brings will allow you to get up to the more expensive stars on the board.
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Thomas Vecchio is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Thomas, check out his archive and follow him @DFS_Tom.
