Welcome to the second Saturday of NBA DFS!
Even though it feels like the season just started, we already have enough data to get a feel for rotations, philosophies, and trends. For instance, it is now clear that Denver is one of the slowest team in the league. And that Memphis is one of the fastest. And that Luca Doncic is a Hall of Famer.
Alright maybe I’m getting ahead of myself on the third one, but given the picture that’s starting to crystalize, let’s try and nail down the best plays on tonight’s seven-game slate!
Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings
Point Guard
Ricky Rubio (PG – PHO): $6,500 @ MEM
Quietly, Ricky Rubio is having a stellar season for the Phoenix Suns. Not quietly, Memphis has been terrible against the point guard position this year. In the case of Rubio, he is doing it all for the upstart Suns, averaging 11 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists to go along with 2 steals a game. Memphis, meanwhile, plays at one of the highest paces in the league and allows opposing point guards to average a line of almost 28-7-8. As the Suns look to keep themselves above .500, it is safe to say that Rubio should be in the middle of the action tonight in Memphis.
Welcome to the second Saturday of NBA DFS!
Even though it feels like the season just started, we already have enough data to get a feel for rotations, philosophies, and trends. For instance, it is now clear that Denver is one of the slowest team in the league. And that Memphis is one of the fastest. And that Luca Doncic is a Hall of Famer.
Alright maybe I’m getting ahead of myself on the third one, but given the picture that’s starting to crystalize, let’s try and nail down the best plays on tonight’s seven-game slate!
Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings
Point Guard
Ricky Rubio (PG – PHO): $6,500 @ MEM
Quietly, Ricky Rubio is having a stellar season for the Phoenix Suns. Not quietly, Memphis has been terrible against the point guard position this year. In the case of Rubio, he is doing it all for the upstart Suns, averaging 11 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists to go along with 2 steals a game. Memphis, meanwhile, plays at one of the highest paces in the league and allows opposing point guards to average a line of almost 28-7-8. As the Suns look to keep themselves above .500, it is safe to say that Rubio should be in the middle of the action tonight in Memphis.
Shooting Guard
Devonte’ Graham (PG/SG – CHA): $5,800 @ GS
As ugly as this game is in real life, the utter lack of defense should provide some fantasy value for this Charlotte Hornets side. Currently, Golden State allows the second most points in the league at 126.4. Given the way Graham has been playing to start the season, this price in this matchup is a steal. In 29 minutes a game, the second-year guard is averaging 16.4 points a game and 7.6 assists. His full stat-line comes out to 32.9 DK points a game, which could be in line to see a jump as he lines up across from the Warriors backups. In a rare spot that see the Hornets favored, it’s not a bad idea to load up on Graham while he is still a relative bargain.
Small Forward
Caris LeVert (SG/SF – BKN): $6,100 @ DET
Playing in the second highest total on the slate, Levert offers us a great floor with the potential for a big ceiling. On the season, he has played 30+ minutes in four of five games. In three of those games, Levert has gone for 20+ points and 36+ DK points. For the season, he is putting up 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists along side of Kyrie Irving, and tonight he gets matched up against a Detroit Pistons team that has trouble limiting opposing guards. With the Pistons allowing the second most assists in the league, there should be plenty of room for Irving and Levert to operate in a game that is expected to produce a lot of points.
Power Forward
Thomas Bryant (PF/C – WAS): $7,200 vs MIN
From what we saw on Thursday, this Minnesota team does not offer much in the way of front court play with KAT involved. Serving the first game of a two game suspension, the T-Wolves big man leaves a giant hole in Minnesota’s defense, and Thomas Bryant should be able to attack that hole. Having played at least 30 minutes in every Wizards game, Bryant has double-doubles in each of them and is averaging 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game to go along with 2.8 assists and 2.3 blocks.
Center
Andre Drummond (C – DET): $10,100 @ BKN
I think I was still in diapers when the old adage, “Play big men against Brooklyn” came into existence, but the words have never been truer. Brooklyn currently hosts the worst center defense in the league, allowing an average of 30 points and 17.5 rebounds to the position. Meanwhile, Drummond is off to a hot start in his contract year averaging 21.7 and 18.5. If those numbers get the Brooklyn bump, he could be in for a massive night.
Guard
Josh Okogie (SG/SF – MIN): $3,800 @ WAS
No matter what direction you go tonight, this game should be a part of your plan. The Wizards are coming off a 159-158 loss to the Rockets, and are a team who attracts points. Okogie is my pick here because he is exactly the type of player Minnesota will need to lean on in the absence of their super star. Okogie is fifth on his team in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and fourth in assists in just 20 minutes a game. Given the extra minutes that need to be soaked up and given the task of stopping Bradley Beal, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Okogie up closer to thirty. If that’s the case, it isn’t unfair to expect him to stuff the stat sheet if the T-Wolves have any hope of winning this game.
Forward
Al Horford (PF/C – PHI): $7,000 @ POR
Another spot where we can take advantage of the fallout from Wednesday’s Sixers-Timberwolves brawl is in the Philly front court. After losing Joel Embiid last game, Al Horford ended the game with his first double-double of the season, snagging 16 boards to go with 12 points. Considering the Trailblazers are at the bottom of the league in offensive rebounding rate and in the middle of the pack in defensive rebounding rate, this shouldn’t be a difficult spot for Horford to notch his second double-double.
Utility
Damion Lee (SG/SF – GSW): $3,500 vs MEM
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and this nightmare of a season for the Warriors can at least provide us some fantasy treasures along the way. In this case, finding the cheap piece that benefits the most from all of the injuries might be tough, but I lean towards Lee over someone like Jordan Poole. The biggest reason is his rebounding. With Draymond Green‘s status unclear for tonight after a finger injury yesterday, Lee could become a more valuable piece to have on the floor. He already has one double-double on the year and is averaging over 5 rebounds in his last four games. On top of this, he can add that dimension without sacrificing three-point shooting as he is 50% on the year. Someone has to play for Golden State, and whoever does will be in a good matchup with a lot of upside.
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Stuart Easton is a featured writer at FantasyPros. Follow him on Twitter @Stueast13.