It is a strange Friday night in the NBA with just six games on the board. This makes for a much easier lineup build, but it does require even more focus on our picks as the edges will be easy to find. Let’s dive into some pick recommendations.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel 
Guards
Buddy Hield (SG – SAC): $5,600 vs. Pelicans
Hield has been relegated to the bench over recent weeks and has not played even 30 minutes since February 12th. This makes him a tough guy to play in cash since he has such little time to hit value, but the price is down enough on him where he is still interesting. He has scored 20+ points in two of his last three games and has still found a way to get off double-digit shot attempts in eight straight. He has launched 8, 9, 10, 8, and 11 three-point attempts in those games. There is no doubt that Hield can still smash this price tag even in less than 30 minutes, and the matchup is a pretty good one. The Pelicans add six fantasy points to their opponent’s averages. This is a nice tournament play to take advantage of the price dip.
Josh Richardson (SG – PHI): $5,000 vs. Pistons
J-Rich will make his return after missing three games due to a concussion. The 76ers really need him tonight, with Simmons remaining out and Joel Embiid being listed as questionable currently. Concussions aren’t typically an injury you see a player eased back from in terms of minutes, so I would expect a 30+ minute night from Richardson here. That minute load for a guy that has scored 0.9 fantasy points per minute without Simmons on the floor at $5,000 is an awesome play, and a great way to start your lineup. The Pistons are a bad defensive team, and Richardson contributes in multiple categories, making him one of the top cash games plays on my board.
Josh Hart (SG – NOP): $4,400 vs. Kings
If you have read my articles this year, you know I love to jump on guys that are coming off miserable shooting performances and have seen their prices fall because of it. That is the case here with Hart, as he went 0/8 from the field in his last game in 27 minutes and saw his price come down to a near season-low at $4,400 for this matchup with the Kings. He is more of a tournament type as his results are very inconsistent, but he does have a big-time ceiling here, as he showed that just five days ago when he scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Heat. With the price this low, I don’t see how you can really go wrong, as long as he shoots decently from the field he will meet value and he has an opportunity to really exceed it.
Forwards
Tobias Harris (SF – PHI): $7,500 vs. Pistons
As we talked about in the Josh Richardson paragraph, the 76ers are really thin tonight, which keeps the production door wide open for Harris. He has been shooting a ton since Simmons went down, popping off 20+ shots in four of his last five (the other game in that span was an 18 shot performance). The rebounds could bloat up if Embiid misses as well, making Harris a great play at $7,500. I don’t think FanDuel has brought that price up quite enough for how big of a role Harris should have tonight. It also helps that the Pistons have been pasted by forwards this year, giving up a 5.9x average salary return on the year. Harris might be the strongest play on the board tonight.
Nemanja Bjelica (PF – SAC): $4,800 vs. Pelicans
All Bjelica has ever really needed to give us a lot of fantasy points inconsistent minutes, and he has been getting those lately. He has played 30+ minutes in five of his last seven and has had some nice games in the process. He has a great chance to register double-digit shot attempts in this game with big-time rebounds upside as well. The Pelicans are an exploitable defense, as explored in the Hield section, and I think Bjelica offers a lot of upside while giving you exposure to the Kings tonight.
Centers
Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,500 vs. Hornets
This is a bit of a chase play, as Bam is coming off a ridiculous 27 point game (he averages just 16 on the year), but the current form and matchup are too good to overlook. Bam has played 30+ minutes in five straight games and has been a legitimate four-category performer this year. The Hornets are awful against big men, giving up an average salary return of 5.8x to big men this year. Adebayo brings a really nice floor/ceiling combo to the table even with the slightly bloated price tag.
Al Horford (C – PHI): $6,900 vs. Pistons
This is only a real slam dunk play if Embiid misses, but it’s still a very strong play regardless. Horford has been rolling lately, flirting with a triple-double in his last two games. He has taken 16 and 14 shots in those games, and will be called upon for a big role again tonight if Embiid misses. The Pistons have been one of the worst defensive teams against centers this year, giving up an average salary return of 5.9x to big men. You can pay down for the cheap guys on the 76ers tonight that are getting elevated minutes, but I think I would rather attack the bigger names and lock in all of that freed up usage.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel
Jon Anderson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jon, check out his archive and follow him@JonPgh.
