Tonight’s contests will feature a strong slate that contains eight games. Only the San Antonio Spurs will operate on a back-to-back, leaving us with lots of flexibility to create our lineups. As we’re now a handful of games into the season, we’re starting to develop a better idea of rotations and usage.

Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel

Point Guard

Spencer Dinwiddie (PG – BKN): $5,900 @ HOU
The Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets matchup is one I want as much exposure to as possible, as I suspect it’ll be the highest-scoring game of the night, and Vegas does too with the game leading in implied total for the night. Dinwiddie operates as a sixth-man, though he receives a bunch of playing time in the process, routinely hovering around 27-30 minutes. He’s a talented scorer who operates well as a ball-handler and passer and is currently 18^th in the league in usage rate at 30.2%. The Rockets are 29^th in defensive rating and 2^nd in pace, providing a dreamy matchup for all Nets players.

Russell Westbrook (PG – HOU): $10,200 @ BKN
Westbrook’s transition to the Rockets has gone incredibly smooth in terms of DFS production as he’s recorded two triple-doubles, three performances scoring over 52 FanDuel points, and only one lower than 50 (46.9). Westbrook’s incredible speed has pushed the Rockets to 2^nd in pace, and his opponent in the Nets rank 7^th in the league. Not only is the game sure to go back-and-forth quickly, but the Nets are also ranked 22^nd in the league in defensive rating.

Shooting Guard

Derrick Rose (SG – DET): $5,700 @ CHI
Point guard Reggie Jackson has already been ruled out of this contest, presenting Rose with a prime opportunity to facilitate the offense and operate as a ball-handler. The revenge game narrative does present itself with the Pistons facing the Bulls tonight, though it’s more likely the 23^rd ranked defensive rating and 19^th ranked pace Bulls lead to a good night from Rose. We’re getting a hint of throwback Rose this season as he’s ranked 8^th in usage rate in the league at 34.8%.

James Harden (SG – HOU): $11,200 @ BKN
Playing both Harden and Westbrook may seem like insanity, though I believe this game presents a beautiful opportunity for all DFS players. As I mentioned above, the Nets are weak defensively and move the ball quickly, as do the Rockets. Harden erupted in his last game, scoring 59 points in 38 regulation minutes, though he was due for some positive regression as hit shot finally began to fall. The addition of Westbrook hasn’t really affected Harden much as he still ranks 4^th in usage rate in the league, which is only down 1.4% from 2018-19.

Small Forward

Danuel House Jr. (SF – HOU): $4,500 @ BKN
More exposure to this matchup comes in the form of House, but it’s much cheaper than the first few in this instance. House has eclipsed over 19 FanDuel points in three contests, shooting over 50% from three in all of them. The ability to drain 3’s and reach value seem to go hand-in-hand for House, which is a positive tonight as the Nets simply lack any true lockdown perimeter defenders.

Luke Kennard (SF – DET): $4,900 @ CHI
The absence of Jackson could lead Kennard to more playing time, though he’s registered plenty of minutes in the first five games of the season. Kennard is coming off his worst performance of the season as he scored only 13.7 FanDuel points, but it’s not likely he shoots 17% from the field again, and has an opportunity to work as a ball-handler more often with Jackson out. The Bulls rank 19^th in pace and Pistons 20^th, though neither side is particularly strong defensively with the Bulls ranking 24^th in defensive rating.

Power Forward

Lauri Markkanen (PF – CHI): $7,300 @ DET
Markkanen has struggled mightily from 3-point land, scoring only 21% of his attempts. He’s due for some positive regression in that regard, and if his shot starts to drop, Markkanen only poses that much more of a threat. The big man – who ranks 45^th in usage rate – is a threat to double-double every night, but he also has some defensive potential and assist-upside. The Pistons rank 24^th in defensive rating and both teams are top-20 in pace.

Jarrett Allen (PF – BKN): $5,400 @ HOU
Allen doesn’t have nearly the upside as others do, but his defensive prowess, rim-protection, and strength around the rim allow him to contribute in a handful of ways. The same matchup that I’ve attacked for exposure plays a role here, though Allen’s production will depend on scooping rebounds, blocks, and steals, among a handful of baskets.

Center

Dwight Howard (C – LAL): $4,800 @ DAL
I don’t have much salary is left, but Howard has quietly performed very well for the Lakers, even if he doesn’t get a ton of playing time. Howard averages 20 minutes per game, but the Mavericks rank 18^th in pace and the Lakers rank 24^th. The Mavericks rank only 21^st in defensive rating, and even though Howard doesn’t need a ton of points to crush, the potential for him to chip in a few baskets is always appealing. Regardless, “D12” will produce through peripheral stats like rebounds and blocks.

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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.