Ten games on this big NBA Friday night, and pretty much everybody is injured! Open up the DraftKings app, start a lineup, hit the “Utility” spot on your roster and you see the top four priced players all either questionable or listed out. It appears that Antetokounmpo will play tonight, but there are real questions about Luka Doncic, so the slate really is going to depend on those news items. Let’s dig in and find some useful plays for you to build around.
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Guards
Devin Booker (PG/SG – PHO): $7,800 vs. Pistons
This is kind of a goofy price for Booker, as he has spent most of the season closer to $9,000 than $8,000, and now he finds himself way down here at $7,800 in a nice spot against Detroit. He had a bad shooting night in his last game, making just five of his 19 attempts, but he has shot more than 17 times in his last five. The Suns project very nicely tonight, and Booker takes a really high percentage of their team’s shot attempts, he will likely be very popular at this very low price tag.
Buddy Hield (SG/SF – SAC): $6,000 @ Grizzlies
You have to love this matchup for Hield against one of the fastest-paced teams in the league. Hield relies on a big volume of shot attempts to really pay off, and he should be in for that tonight. The Grizzlies have added on nine fantasy points to their opponent’s average totals this year, and have given up a big 5.8x return to wing players like Hield this year. While he always comes with a little risk given the points-dependency of his game, I think this is as good a night as any for Hield to pour in 30 real points and have a massive fantasy output.
Joe Ingles (SG / SF – UTA): $4,600 vs. Wizards
Very cheap salary tag here for Ingles, who has not been performing very well lately. He has failed to reach 20 fantasy points in his last three games, and the shots have fallen off a bit. That is not a good enough reason for me to not be interested in Ingles against the Wizards, however. Washington continues to be one of the worst defenses in the league, giving up an average return of 5.6x to shooting guards and adding on 14 fantasy points to their opponent’s averages. The Jazz should score a bunch of points tonight, and Ingles could definitely find his way to a 30 fantasy point night.
Jeff Teague (PG – ATL): $3,600 vs. Nets
The biggest playing time beneficiary of Trae Young being sick and potentially seeing reduced minutes would be Teague. He has already had some big fantasy games with the Hawks in limited minutes, scoring 29 DraftKings points in 23 minutes on Wednesday as the most recent example. Point guards like Teague are very safe when they get the minutes, and at this price tag, there is legitimate 10x upside for Teague.
Forwards / Centers
John Collins (PF – ATL): $8,600 vs. Nets
The Hawks big man quickly becomes their go-to-guy with Trae Young off the floor. Collins has a 26% usage rate and a 1.12 fantasy points per minute rate without his all-star teammate present. At $8,600, you have to consider the upside that Collins would bring to the floor tonight in that situation. There are a lot of good options around this price range at forward and center, which makes Collins a lower priority play, but you should be able to capture that upside at low ownership because of that fact.
Kristaps Porzingis (C – DAL): $8,400 @ Heat
This is only a play you want to make if Doncic sits out tonight, but if that is the case, you almost cannot fade the Zinger here. He has been one of the most productive fantasy players in the league when Luka has been off the floor, racking up a ridiculous 1.42 fantasy points per minute rate with a 30% usage. He has consistently scored over 50 DraftKings points in these games and is nearly a lock for a 6x return. Keep an eye on the news and jam Porzingis in if Doncic misses.
Deandre Ayton (C – PHO): $8,100 vs. Pistons
The sophomore Sun has been pretty up and down lately, going back and forth between 50+ fantasy point games and games under 35. However, he has been given tons of opportunities and is taking a ridiculous amount of shots for a big man. He has hoisted 20 or more shots in three of his last five games. Tonight he gets a very appealing matchup against the Pistons, whose front court has been a mess all year even before losing Andre Drummond to trade. For the season they are allowing a 5.95x return to centers at all price tags. This is an amazing spot for Ayton.
Serge Ibaka (C – TOR): $5,900 vs. Hornets
The price has dropped substantially from last game on Ibaka, coming down $600 after a horrible game where he scored just 12 fantasy points in 29 minutes. I love jumping on guys after bad games and price drops, and the matchup here is amazing as well. The Hornets have been terrorized by big men, giving up an average return of 5.9x to them. Ibaka does have a bit of a question about his knee right now, but if he’s in the starting lineup, I am very interested.
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Jon Anderson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jon, check out his archive and follow him@JonPgh.
