We have a huge 12-game slate tonight which is the first big slate we have this new year. The Rockets are going to be without James Harden for a few weeks, so it should open up some opportunities for other players. A number of teams are on the end of back to backs tonight, so we could see some players being rested. Keep an eye out for that.
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Guards
Eric Gordon (HOU): $6,800 @ ORL
Gordon is in line to see a ton of minutes and usage now that James Harden is out with an injury. When Harden is off the court, Gordon has a 34.7% usage rate, which is highest on the team, and a 7.6% increase from his normal usage. That is a huge increase and we want to take advantage of this as his price is set to increase even more. He has played 36 minutes in six of his last seven games and is going to be in the starting lineup for this game. Gordon is up against the Magic who are giving up 43 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards which is third worst in the league. He is good for any format as he is a lock for minutes and has the upside because of the matchup.
We have a huge 12-game slate tonight which is the first big slate we have this new year. The Rockets are going to be without James Harden for a few weeks, so it should open up some opportunities for other players. A number of teams are on the end of back to backs tonight, so we could see some players being rested. Keep an eye out for that.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Guards
Eric Gordon (HOU): $6,800 @ ORL
Gordon is in line to see a ton of minutes and usage now that James Harden is out with an injury. When Harden is off the court, Gordon has a 34.7% usage rate, which is highest on the team, and a 7.6% increase from his normal usage. That is a huge increase and we want to take advantage of this as his price is set to increase even more. He has played 36 minutes in six of his last seven games and is going to be in the starting lineup for this game. Gordon is up against the Magic who are giving up 43 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards which is third worst in the league. He is good for any format as he is a lock for minutes and has the upside because of the matchup.
Kyrie Irving (BOS): $8,500 vs. CLE
If you like a good DFS storyline then this is the spot for you. We have Kyrie and the Celtics up against LeBron and Cavaliers tonight. All the offseason drama led to opening night where the Cavs were able to come away with the win so it’s time for some revenge for Kyrie. Yes, this is just another regular season game, but the Celtics are far improved since the beginning of the season, and with Irving sporting a 33% usage rate he will see the ball a ton tonight. He has 40 or more DraftKings points in two straight games and has scored 25 or more real points in seven of his last 10 games.
Forwards
Ben Simmons (PHI): $8,800 vs. SA
As of right now, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game. We have seen the 76ers be very cautious with him in terms of minutes and dealing with injuries, so he is likely to sit this one out. Due to this, it opens up Ben Simmons as being one of the plays of the night. He has a 27% usage rate and is averaging 1.18 fantasy points per minute when Embiid is off the court. He will be up against the Spurs, who are one of the better defensive teams, but they will likely be without Kawhi Leonard since they are on the second night of a back to back. Simmons has double-double or triple-double potential most nights and with the increased usage he should be seeing now that Embiid is off the court, he makes a good play tonight.
Trey Lyles (DEN): $5,100 vs. PHO
Lyles offers a bit of salary relief, which is always needed on a large slate, since he will help you get up to the higher priced players. He is up against the Suns who are giving up 50 DraftKings points per game to power forwards which is dead last in the league. Really anytime the Suns are on the slate you want to roster against them since they play at such a fast pace and they aren’t that good defensively. Lyles has 28 or more DraftKings points in three straight games so he offers plenty of consistency along with a great matchup tonight.
Centers
Myles Turner (IND): $6,900 @ MIL
Turner has been very inconsistent of late, but that type of variance is something you can embrace and deploy as a strategy in GPPs. In his last 10 games, he has scored everywhere from 48 to 7.5 DraftKings points. The seven-point game was a bit of an outlier since he got into foul trouble, but that is the type of player you want to avoid for cash games. So why is he a good GPP play? Well, he is up against the Bucks who are giving up 53 DraftKings points per game to centers, which is seventh-worst in the league. Turner does have potential to score 20 or more real points, and with Pacers top scorer Victor Oladipo being out, Turner has the chance to see the ball more. There is certainly risk here, but plenty of upside and reward.
Steven Adams (OKC): $6,300 @ LAL
Adams is up against the Lakers who are giving up 54 DraftKings points per game to centers which is sixth-worst in the league. Adams is averaging 0.93 fantasy points per minute this season while sporting just a 17% usage rate. We know he isn’t one of the top options on the Thunder offense, but he often can see some easier looks since the opposing defense is worried about other players. He has double-double potential and has scored in double-digit real points in eight of his last 10 games.
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Thomas Vecchio is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Thomas, check out his archive and follow him @DFS_Tom.
