Plays of the Day
Value: Jordan Clarkson struggled on Wednesday with Lonzo Ball out but now he could see a significant increase in run with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Achilles) also ruled out ahead of a plus matchup at home against Indiana.
Fade: John Wall is coming off a rough shooting performance and is not the best high-priced option tonight against a Pistons team that defends the paint and begs opposing guards to shoot. Fade him and play more of a balanced lineup on this 7-game slate.
Point Guards
Goran Dragic – (7,500 DK/7,500 FD)
Dion Waiters (ankle) and Tyler Johnson (ankle) are both expected to remain out tonight, making Dragic very reliable and increasing his upside as well. Since returning from injury on Dec. 23, he’s scored in double figures in 13 consecutive appearances while averaging 5.8 APG and 4.4 RPG during that span. Tonight the Heat face a Nets team that allows the fifth-most PPG (106.1) overall and the most 2PTM (63.5) per game this season, which bodes well for a guard in Dragic, who prefers to attack the rim more often than settling for jumpers. D’Angelo Russell (knee) is expected to return tonight for Brooklyn and he’s a poor defender who should be rusty after a long layoff.
Jordan Clarkson – (5,200 DK/4,200 FD)
Lonzo Ball (knee) is unlikely to play tonight, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Achilles) has been ruled out and Kyle Kuzma (finger) is questionable. Clarkson sees the greatest rise in usage (6.7%) to 35.2 percent of any Laker when those three players are off the floor this season. There is some concern that the Lakers won’t be competitive with three key players out, but they are at home and Clarkson should benefit from increased usage with two starting guards inactive.
Potential Value
Josh Hart – (4,600 DK/4,500 FD)
Hart should also play an increased role with Ball and KCP out for the Lakers.
Longshot
Darren Collison – (5,600 DK/5,300 FD)
Collison is a solid mid-tier play with more potential tonight since the Lakers PG defense diminishes when Ball is out.
Shooting Guards
Tyreke Evans – (8,800 DK/8,800 FD)
Evans continues to dominate touches in the Grizzlies offense and he just went for 23 points and 10 assists against the Knicks Wednesday. He will become an even safer play if Marc Gasol (illness) or Andrew Harrison (ankle) is out tonight. Reke killed his former team with 26 points and 7 assists in a meeting with the Kings earlier this season, which is not surprising against a team that ranks 29th in defensive rating this year.
Will Barton – (6,500 DK/7,700 FD)
Barton was solid with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists against the Clippers Tuesday and could keep rolling in a much better matchup tonight, especially if Jamal Murray (concussion) remains out. Phoenix ranks dead last in defensive rating and plays at the fourth-fastest pace in the NBA, which plays right into Barton’s hands. He went for 17 points, six rebounds and six assists against the Clips and is rocking a 24.2 percent usage rate while averaging 1 FP per minute with Murray off the floor this season.
Potential Value
Bogdan Bogdanovic – (5,600 DK/6,200 FD)
Bogdanovic has become the Kings most reliable scorer out of the backcourt.
Longshot
DeMar DeRozan – (8,300 DK/8,400 FD)
DeRozan could have a huge game against the Spurs with Kawhi Leonard (quad) out indefinitely.
Small Forwards
Brandon Ingram – (6,100 DK/6,300 FD)
Apparently Ingram could’ve returned from a mild ankle sprain to play in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Thunder if it had not gotten so out of hand. So he should be good to go tonight against a Pacers team that’s far inferior defensively and shorthanded with Myles Turner (elbow) out and Lance Stephenson (illness) clearly diminished. Ingram’s going to have to carry a heavy load if Kyle Kuzma (finger) is out in addition to the Lakers starting backcourt of Lonzo Ball and KCP and there simply aren’t many other SFs on the board with upside tonight.
Kelly Oubre Jr. – (4,500 DK/4,700 FD)
If you want to afford one or both of those high-priced PFs tonight you’ll need to save at SF and Oubre Jr. offers a solid floor at a very reasonable price tag. He’s playing 29 MPG over his last six appearances despite coming off the bench and could continue to see increased run with Markieff Morris (ankle) clearly hobbled. The Pistons allow the tenth-most FPPG (42.03) to opposing SFs this season and could be without two good defenders in Avery Bradley (groin) and Stanley Johnson (hip) tonight.
Potential Value
Wilson Chandler – (4,300 DK/5,000 FD)
Chandler has a good chance to meet value against a weak Suns defense tonight.
Longshot
Michael Beasley – (6,200 DK/5,600 FD)
Beasley is capable of going off against any opponent and the Jazz has struggled to defend the perimeter this year.
Power Forwards
Kristaps Porzingis – (8,900 DK/9,400 FD)
Rudy Gobert (knee) remains out and that leaves the Jazz quite vulnerable down low. Porzingis went for 22 points and eight rebounds in a meeting with Utah earlier this season and towers over natural PF Derrick Favors, giving him a decided advantage on jumpers against a Jazz team that ranks 29th in opponents 3PT shooting (.383%) this year.
LaMarcus Aldridge – (8,600 DK/9,100 FD)
An even safer play than Porzingis in the same price range, Aldridge is back to carrying the Spurs offense with Kawhi Leonard (quad) out indefinitely once again. He scored 59 points on 24-of-45 FG shooting over his last two appearances and will look to keep rolling on the road against a Raptors team that’s increased its pace of play and started giving up more FP production all around. His 36.3 percent usage rate when Kawhi, Pau Gasol and Rudy Gay (heel) are off the floor this season dwarfs that of any other Spur and Gasol could get some rest after playing 30 minutes in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Potential Value
Skal Labissiere – (4,300 DK/5,500 FD)
Labissiere will serve as a very good value on DK if he can return from a shoulder injury tonight.
Longshot
Domantas Sabonis – (6,400 DK/6,000 FD)
Sabonis remains a quality option in any format with Myles Turner out for the Pacers.
Centers
Hassan Whiteside – (8,400 DK/8,700 FD)
Whiteside went off for 27 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks in a plus matchup against Milwaukee on Wednesday and perhaps most importantly, he played 30-plus minutes for the first time in awhile. He draws an even better matchup tonight against a Nets team that gives up the second-most FPPG (55.35) and most RPG (16.68) to opposing centers this season. Whiteside went for 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks over just 20 minutes against Brooklyn in his second game back from a knee injury last month, but he’s likely to exceed that production by a wide margin now that he’s healthier.
Willie Cauley-Stein – (6,800 DK/7,200 FD)
The Kings continue to move in a youthful direction and Cauley-Stein is proving to be their future presence at center, producing 26 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists over nearly 37 minutes of run in a loss to the Jazz Wednesday. His matchup isn’t great tonight, but Marc Gasol (illness) is questionable and might not be up to his usual defensive standards if active. WCS managed 21 points and eight rebounds over 28 minutes off the bench in a meeting with the Grizz earlier this season and is clearly seeing more run as a starter.
Potential Value
Julius Randle – (6,100 DK/6,500 FD)
Randle is another Lakers player who could see more run due to those injuries.
Longshot
Pau Gasol – (6,400 DK/5,700 FD)
If active, Gasol will likely have an increased role within the Spurs offense with Kawhi out.
