Tonight’s slate features only two games, so there will be a lot of overlap among competing entries in any contest you enter. That means it’s time to get creative! The best strategy advice I can offer for this small slate is to play the rock-solid studs and mix them in with some low-cost fliers. A balanced attack won’t get it done on this one, so it’s a stars and scrubs roster build for me. As always, we’ll name values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s get right to it!

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Most Value Per Dollar

Players expected to generate the most value relative to salary.

Point Guard

• Ball has been out of action for the Pelicans’ last three games due to a knee issue, but he’s trending in the right direction ahead of tonight’s clash with Utah. Ball has 40-point upside, and the$5.5K price tag may be the lowest you’ll get him all season. Be sure to check the injury report ahead of tip-off, but if he’s ready to go, fire him up as a value.

Shooting Guard

• Across his last six games, Clarkson has averaged 20.5 points, 5.2 boards, and 2.2 assists while knocking down four triples per contest. He’s hot right now, and he’s got 40-point upside thanks to his electric scoring ability.
• Across his last three games, Dozier has averaged better than 25 minutes, and he’s coming off a season-best 30.3 FD points scored Sunday against Utah.

Small Forward

• Dort scored a season-best 50.3 FD points in his last game, highlighted by 21 points and a career-high six swipes. I’m not advising you to chase that lofty point total, but Dort was a hot scorer to start the season, and he’s made his bones in the NBA as a quality defender. His ability to produce defensive stats and pop off for some big scoring nights gives him a high ceiling at just $5.3K.
• Williams is a risk-reward play tonight, but you’ve got to take some chances to separate yourself from the field on slates with such a small player pool. Across his last two contests, Williams has racked up 56 FD points in just 41 minutes of action. That’s excellent per-minute production, and at just $3.8K, he’s got the kind of upside we’re looking for on slates like these.

Power Forward

• Across his last two games (sans Al Horford), Roby has put up 25 points, 13 rebounds, and seven dimes across 49 total minutes on the court. Horford (personal) may not be available tonight, making Roby a quality value play in a plus matchup with Denver.

Center

• It seems really strange to see a guy with an $11.5K price tag pegged as a value, but the options at center tonight are paper thin. Rudy Gobert ($8.5K) isn’t a thrilling option and neither is Steven Adams ($5.8K). I’m eating the chalk with Jokic and looking for value at another position. There’s no reason to get cute at center tonight.

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Brandon Ingram (NO) $8,400: Ingram has provided consistent production across the board this season, and he’ll be needed to contend with Utah tonight in what shouldn’t be a scary matchup. Ingram’s got 60-point upside – the highest of any player at his position and his price range.
• Nikola Jokic (DEN) $11,500: He was mentioned already, but it’s worth including him here as well. Jokic should be the cornerstone of your lineup tonight, and fading him will likely be costly.

Notable Players to Fade

• Rudy Gobert (UTH) $8,500: With such a small player pool to work with, every dollar counts, which means I’m looking elsewhere to spend my $8.5K. Gobert averages just under 38 FD points per game, and while he’s been rather consistent, his ceiling is too low to entice me here.
• Jamal Murray (DEN) $7,800: Murray’s performances have been a rollercoaster for fantasy managers and DFS’ers alike, and I’m not too confident rolling the dice tonight. Mike Conley ($7.6K) is in the same price range with a higher floor and an equally-high ceiling this season.

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