It’s the final FanDuel NBA Saturday of the year which means that we need to end it on a high note. We’ve been gifted a seven-game slate with four players (not including a rested Joel Embiid) priced above $10,000. Which superstar will be the premier play of the night? Let’s take a look at the team.
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Point Guards
Jose Calderon (CLE): $3,700 @ UTA
Yeah, seriously. The point guard selection is extremely unimpressive on the last Saturday of 2017 with Damian Lillard questionable, and Elfrid Payton, who I absolutely despise, and Dennis Schroeder being the only other PGs above $7,000. Don’t take Jose Calderon if you are in a cash game, but for a GPP, why not? Nobody is going to take him after a one-point clunker, but he is still getting minutes and capable of a 25 to 30 point game as he had one in the middle of the month against the Lakers. His price is now back down to near bare-minimum levels and the Jazz have been surprisingly dreadful defending PGs with a Defense v. Position (DvP) of 56.3 points per game.
Goran Dragic (MIA): $6,600 @ ORL
Dragic has been in a terrible shooting slump, and his injured elbow may have something to do with that, but the Magic present one of the best matchups for PGs. Despite the shooting struggles, Dragic still had 28 points in only 23 minutes in what was an embarrassing blowout loss to the Nets on Friday night. Expect similar per minute production, and hopefully a closer game, against the Magic on Saturday night.
Shooting Guards
CJ McCollum (POR): $7,500 v. ATL
Some of McCollum’s value hinges on whether Damian Lillard plays against the Hawks, but I’m willing to roll him out in a strong match-up even if Lillard remains questionable when lineups lock. McCollum has been disappointing for much of the season, but he is heating up a bit now and hasn’t reached his peak price point of the season despite rising to $7,500.
Rodney Hood (UTA): $5,500 v. UTA
This Jazz-Cavs game is going to be one to target. Rodney Hood has the capability of going for 40 points and then 12 points the next game, but his ownership is generally low and he can be a big-time GPP play due to that. Hood gets a prime shooting guard match-up against the Cavs who were just torched by Bogdan “don’t call him Bojan” Bogdanovic. Hood is coming off a big 40-pointer against the Warriors so maybe he can maintain some of that momentum this time against the Cavs for a change.
Small Forwards
LeBron James (CLE): $11,500 @ UTA
It seems strange to say it, but LeBron has the premier match-up among the four high-priced players against the Jazz. Once a defensive juggernaut who were a must-avoid for opposing players, the Jazz have been the complete opposite this season with Rudy Gobert missing much of the season. LeBron was $12,500 last time vs. the Jazz and “only” had 55 so look for him to post a better point per price ratio this time against the Jazz who rank second-worst in DVP on the slate against SFs (47.7).
Thabo Sefolosha (UTA): $3,500 v. CLE
Thabo got the start last game and was able to put up 29 points at the bare minimum price. The Cavs are the only team worse in DvP on the slate than the Jazz so give Sefolosha a look if he gets the start once again as his price is still at $3,500.
Power Forwards
Derrick Favors (UTA): $6,200 v. CLE
It’s pretty simple, the Cavs don’t play defense, and these Utah Jazz aren’t anything like your 2016 Utah Jazz. Favors will occupy the center spot with Gobert on the sidelines, and unsurprisingly the Cavs let up plenty of points to primary frontcourt players. Favors is picking up some steam with two straight 30-point games and has shown the capability of reaching the 40s without Gobert stealing his boards. The Cavs are the perfect team to do that against.
John Collins (ATL): $5,800 @ POR
It’s a mystery as to why John Collins doesn’t get more playing time over the likes of Miles Plumlee, but let’s hope he gets more than 20 minutes on the second half of the back-to-back. Despite the limited playing time, Collins still managed 31 points against the Raptors. He gets another very strong match-up against the Blazers, and gets the added bonus of playing center as a PF on FanDuel.
Center
Nikola Jokic (DEN): $9,500 v. PHI
Don’t think, just play centers against the Sixers. Jokic is healthy again and playing his full allotment of minutes as evidenced by the 41 minutes he played against the Timberwolves last time out. DeMarcus Cousins may have had the big 83-point game last night, and Richaun Holmes may very well be the value play with Embiid resting, but Jokic is the premier center play against the Sixers who have a 54.6 DVP vs. centers. Enes Kanter and Jusuf Nurkic have both gone off in the previous two games against Philly, and if you think it’s better without Embiid in then think again. In Holmes last start, Karl-Anthony Towns put up 19 points and 16 rebounds in a full line. Expect Jokic to make it three straight big games for centers vs. Philly.
That’s it for the Saturday slate. Happy New Year!
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Joey Korman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joey, check out his archive and follow him @leaveit2divac.