Jaguar Lou’s Top Plays – 1/5/18
Jaguar Lou’s Top Picks for 1/5/2018 PG Kyle Lowry – 7,500 FD & 7,300 DK Kyle Lowry faces a Milwaukee Bucks team that has allowed the most FD points in the league to opposing point guards over their last five games. Conversely, Milwaukee is in the top five in the league containing the shooting guard. Toronto is very much a two-man team with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. I called DeRozan in Toronto’s last game due to a poor matchup for Lowry, tonight I’m flipping the switch calling a massive game for Kyle Lowry, while DeMar DeRozan struggles in a tough matchup against a Bucks squad that has allowed a mere 33.0 fantasy points to opposing shooting guards over their last five, ranking them 5th best in the league. Other GPP PG Option(s): Kyrie Irving SG Bradley Beal – 8,600 FD & 7,900 DK Bradley Beal has been on fire as of late averaging 58.05 FD points over his last two games. Beal sees a nice matchup tonight against Dillion Brooks and I don’t expect Marcin Gortat or Markieff Morris to score many points considering their matched up against JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol. Washington’s offensive production will have to come from somewhere and John Wall is very much a pass first point guard. This leaves Otto Porter and Bradley Beal. Beal sees the better matchup and comes into this game with more consistent game logs as well as a higher upside. Worth the Price! Other GPP SG Option(s): Wesley Matthews (GPP) SF Giannis Antetokounmpo – 11,000 FD & 10,700 DK Over the last five games the Toronto Raptors have allowed 63.9 FD points to opposing power forwards, Conversely the Raptors have held opposing centers to a league best 23.2 FD points. Considering Valanciunas will not have any hand in guarding The Greek Freak, Giannis will be the superstar that I will be paying up for tonight. Other Small Forward Option(s): Kawai Leonard & T.J. Warren **Both the Jazz and Nuggets have been allowing a ton of points to opposing SF’s, seeing that their playing each other, I recommend having exposure to Ingles and Chandler – One should go off at low ownership and cheap pricing** PF Ersan Ilyasova – 5,900 FD & 5,300 DK The Portland Trail Blazers are allowing a league high 75.0 fantasy points to opposing power forwards over their last five games. Atlanta recently had a slight battle for the starting power forward position with John Collins playing well over a stretch of a time but Ersan has regained the starting role and is clearly the player to benefit from these advantageous DVP the Trail Blazers are exhibiting. Other Power Forward Option(s): Marquese Chriss & John Collins (Hedge off Ersan) C Karl Anthony Towns – 9,200 FD & 9,000 DK Karl Anthony Towns has a great matchup tonight against a Boston team that typically has troubles with the big men. Considering the fact that Jones could potentially be out, in addition to Teague already being out, I’m expecting a large dose of KAT – a staple of consistency for this Timberwolves team, not to mention he has the best matchup of the night against Al Horford. KAT is expensive but worth the price! Other Center Option(s): Dwight Howard & Pau Gasol (GPP)
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 1/4/18
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 1/4/18 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Point Guard Elite PG Play: Steph Curry & Russel Westbrook Mid-Range PG Play: Chris Paul GPP Value/Punt PG play: Milos Teodosic Shooting Guard Elite SG Play: Lou Williams Mid-Range SG Play: Klay Thompson GPP Value/Punt SG Play: Eric Gordon Small Forward Elite SF Play: Paul George **Must Play** Mid-Range SF Play: Trevor Ariza GPP Value/Punt SF play: Andre Iguodala **Value Play** Power Forward Elite PF Play: Blake Griffin **favorite play at PF** & Draymond Green Mid-Range PF Play: Ryan Anderson GPP Value/Punt PF Play: Jordan Bell Center Elite C Play: Clint Capella **Best play at Center** Mid-Range C Play: Steven Adams / DeAndre Jordan GPP Value/Punt C Play: N/A
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 1/3/18
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 1/3/18 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Point Guard Elite PG Play: Steph Curry & Kyrie Irving Mid-Range PG Play: Dejounte Murray GPP Value/Punt PG play: Tyler Ennis Shooting Guard Elite SG Play: DeMar DeRozan Mid-Range SG Play: Donavan Mitchell GPP Value/Punt SG Play: Eric Gordon Small Forward Elite SF Play: Jimmy Butler Mid-Range SF Play: Robert Covington GPP Value/Punt SF play: Jaylen Brown Power Forward Elite PF Play: LaMarcus Aldridge Mid-Range PF Play: Aaron Gordon & Kyle Kuzma GPP Value/Punt PF Play: Jae Crowder Center Elite C Play: Clint Capella & Andre Drummond Mid-Range C Play: Steven Adams GPP Value/Punt C Play: Jonas Valanciunas
Jaguar Lou’s Updated Cheat Sheet – 1/2/18
Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 1/2/18 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Point Guard Elite PG Play: Kemba Walker Mid-Range PG Play: Dennis Schroder GPP Value/Punt PG play: Shabazz Napier (GPP under 3% owned longshot) Shooting Guard Elite SG Play: Tyreke Evans Mid-Range SG Play: C.J. McCollum GPP Value/Punt SG Play: Garrett Temple Small Forward Elite SF Play: Lebron James Mid-Range SF Play: Kawai Leonard GPP Value/Punt SF play: Courtney Lee Power Forward Elite PF Play: LaMarcus Aldridge Mid-Range PF Play: Ersan Ilyasova GPP Value/Punt PF Play: Michael Beasley & Frank Kaminsky Center Elite C Play: Dwight Howard Mid-Range C Play: Willie Cauley-Stein GPP Value/Punt C Play: Pau Gasol
Jaguar Lou’s Top Plays – 1/2/18
Jaguar Lou’s Top Picks for 1/2/2017 PG Dennis Schroder – 7,700 FD & 7,300 DK Dennis Schroder is a safe play with GPP upside at reasonable pricing. That basically sums it up. Look at his last four game logs; 48.1, 37.3, 36.5 & 37.2. Schroder has been the center of this Atlanta offense as of late and with the variety of stats that he’s capable of, Dennis Schroder is just a smart play at 7,700 on Fan Duel and 7,300 on Draft Kings. Not to mention his favorable matchup against the 5’ 10’’ Tyler Ulis. Other GPP PG Option(s): Kemba Walker SG C.J. McCollum – 7,100 FD & 7,300 DK With Damian Lillard returning from a five-game absence tonight, C.J. McCollum finds himself in a nice matchup against J.R Smith/Dwayne Wade. Although I expect Lillard to play his full allotment of minutes, I’m also expecting him to ease back into rhythm tonight with a pass first style of play. In my opinion Lillard’s return makes C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic great plays on tonight’s five game slate. Other GPP SG Option(s): Dwayne Wade & Garret Temple (Value GPP) SF Lebron James – 11,500 FD & 11,700 DK With Kevin Love designated as questionable with an illness, I’m assuming he’s going to be out for tonight’s game. This is the first game, so we will get the confirmed lineup prior to lock. But under the assumption that Love is out, Lebron James is a lock on all sites. His usage is off the charts without Love on the court and that won’t change tonight if Kevin Love is confirmed out. Other GPP SF Option(s): Evan Turner PF Jae Crowder – 4,300 FD & 4,000 DK *If Kevin Love is OUT* Jae Crowder would see an uptick in minutes, shot attempts and overall usage if Kevin Love does not play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Crowder will need to be on the court simply because he’s a big bodied defender on a Cavs’ team that is currently plagued by injuries. Other GPP PF Option(s): LaMarcus Aldridge & John Collins C Jusuf Nurkic – 6,500 FD & 7,000 DK With Damian Lillard returning from a five-game absence tonight, Jusuf Nurkic also finds himself in a nice spot tonight. Nurkic becomes a solid play for many of the same reasons as the aforementioned C.J McCollum. Lillard will be easing himself back and I expect him to be primarily looking for his teammates creating offense. In a solid over-under of 212 favoring the Cavs’ by 8.5 points, there is more than enough fantasy goodness to go around. Other GPP Center Option(s): Dwight Howard (Chalk) & Pau Gasol (GPP)
Jaguar Lou’s Early Morning Cheat Sheet – 12/28/17
Early Morning Jaguar Lou’s Cheat Sheet – 12/28/17 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Point Guard Elite PG Play: Damian Lillard & Elfrid Payton Mid-Range PG Play: Tyus Jones **Only Teague is OUT** & Ish Smith GPP Value/Punt PG play: Jarret Jack/Frank Ntilikina Shooting Guard Elite SG Play: Mid-Range SG Play: GPP Value/Punt SG Play: Marcus Smart **Only if Brown is OUT** & J.J. Redick Small Forward Elite SF Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo Mid-Range SF Play: Jonathon Simmons & Robert Covington GPP Value/Punt SF play: Trever Ariza Power Forward Elite PF Play: LaMarcus Aldridge Mid-Range PF Play: Tobias Harris & Dario Saric GPP Value/Punt PF Play: Ryan Anderson Center Elite C Play: Andre Drummond Mid-Range C Play: Al Horford GPP Value/Punt C Play: Bismack Biyombo & Nene Hilario
Scouting The NBA – 12/27/17
Plays of the Day Value: Josh Hart is playing huge minutes with Lonzo Ball (shoulder) out for the Lakers and he should have another productive game against a shorthanded Grizzlies squad that’s on the second half of a B2B set. Fade: LeBron James is easier to fade as he comes off a rough game against the Warriors, but this is more about the Kings struggles last night in a fair fight against the Clippers, and now that young team faces a motivated and efficient Cavs team, which could lead to a blowout. Point Guards John Wall – (8,900 DK/8,700 FD) Wall is still under priced after exceeding value by a large margin on Christmas Day. Tonight he’ll face a Hawks team that gives up an above average 45.82 FPPG to opposing PGs this season. Atlanta’s starting PG Dennis Schroder could be slightly hobbled by an ankle injury and he doesn’t matchup well against Wall at all, as he was dominated in their last meeting while Wall went for 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists over just 24 minutes of run. Josh Hart – (4,500 DK/4,400 FD) Hart is close to a must play with Lonzo Ball (shoulder) inactive. That is, until his price tag rises a bit, because the Villanova product has played 75 minutes over his last two appearances and hasn’t looked the least bit intimidated by NBA competition. He’ll face off with a tired Memphis squad that’s on the second half of a B2B set tonight and should be able to meet or exceed value with ease considering his significant bump in playing time. Potential Value Darren Collison – (5,500 DK/5,600 FD) Collison will face his former team in the Mavs and could be asked to step up for Victor Oladipo (knee) tonight. Longshot Kemba Walker – (6,600 DK/7,500 FD) Love Walker as a tournament option at home against the Celtics tonight. Shooting Guards Tyreke Evans – (8,400 DK/8,600 FD) Evans continued to carry the Grizzlies offense with 25 points on 10-of-22 FG shooting in a last-second (literally) loss to the Suns and that heavy usage is sustainable considering no one else on Memphis wants to shoot and even Marc Gasol would prefer to be more of a playmaker from the high post. Tonight the Grizz will take on a Lakers team that leads the league in pace and is giving up the fifth-most PPG (109.8) this year, while underrated defender Lonzo Ball (shoulder) won’t be available to contain Evans on drives to the rim. Nicholas Batum – (5,400 DK/6,100 FD) The Celtics are getting everyone’s best shot right now and that’s led to some struggles, especially against rangy wings like Nic Batum. Boston ranks 24th in rebounding over the last month and is giving up the second-most RPG (7.27) to opposing SGs during that span. Batum’s steadily increasing his playing time and he produced 12 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists over 35 minutes against Milwaukee on Saturday. With over three days to rest, he should be ready to play a full slate of minutes in what should be a charged atmosphere in Charlotte against the Celts. Potential Value Bojan Bogdanovic – (4,300 DK/5,100 FD) Bogdanovic could see more shot attempts with Victor Oladipo (knee) inactive or limited tonight. Longshot Jordan Clarkson – (5,700 DK/5,500 FD) Clarkson is a great mid-tier option priced slightly above Hart as the work horses in the Lakers backcourt. Small Forwards Paul George – (7,100 DK/8,000 FD) George could be paired with DeMar DeRozan as two upper-tier options with plenty of upside and PG13 is clearly still under priced on DK after snapping his scoring drought with 85 points on 48.2 percent FG shooting over his last four appearances. OKC seems to have figured out the roles of its three stars and George is fitting in nicely as a secondary scorer next to Russell Westbrook. Ersan Ilyasova – (4,800 DK/5,000 FD) Eligible as a PF on FanDuel and both forward slots on DK, Ilyasova is a very solid value given his situation. The Hawks are still without any true big men with Dewayne Dedmon (leg) on the shelf and John Collins (shoulder) is still working his way back to speed. Ilyasova, meanwhile has played 67 minutes with 43 points and 10 boards over his last two appearances and he faces a Wizards team tonight that’s been surprisingly vulnerable against bigs that can shoot. Potential Value Kelly Oubre Jr. – (4,700 DK/4,400 FD) Oubre Jr.’s production against the Celtics on Christmas was no fluke and he should sustain it in a plus matchup against the Hawks. Longshot Lance Stephenson – (4,300 DK/4,800 FD) Stephenson could be the biggest beneficiary in terms of usage if Oladipo is inactive or limited. Power Forwards Kristaps Porzingis – (8,600 DK/9,200 FD) Porzingis exceeded value in a second consecutive game with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks in a loss to the Sixers on Christmas. His strange 0-for-11 FG shooting performance against Boston behind him, The Unicorn is once again leading the Knicks offense and he faces a Bulls team that’s giving up the second-most RPG (13.21) and fourth-most PPG (22.64) to opposing PFs over the last month. Chicago ranks 25th in opponents 2PT shooting (.519%) and uses a couple of relatively small PFs in Lauri Markkanen and Nikola Mirotic, so Porzingis should have the size advantage down low. Kyle Kuzma – (7,400 DK/7,400 FD) With Lonzo Ball (shoulder) out and Brandon Ingram (quad) questionable, Kyle Kuzma has increased upside, but he’s a solid option regardless of the status of those players. He actually sees a minute dip in usage rate with both of those guys off the floor (over a tiny sample size), but continues to fill it up regardless of the situation with averages of 20.7 PPG and 8 RPG over 11 appearances this month. Memphis plays at the slowest pace in the league but the Lakers lead the league in pace and are at home tonight,
Jaguar Lou’s Core Plays – 12/26/17
Jaguar Lou’s Core Play’s– 12/26/17 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Point Guard Favorite/Core SG Play: Kyle Lowry Other PG Option(s): Milos Teodosic Shooting Guard Favorite/Core SG Play: Tyreke Evans Other SG Option(s): Buddy Heild Small Forward Favorite/Core SF Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo Other SF Option(s): Jonathon Simmons (depending on injury news) & Reggie Bullock (GPP) Power Forward Favorite/Core PF Play: Serge Ibaka Other PF Option(s): Rondae Hollis- Jefferson Center Favorite/Core C Play: Marc Gasol Other C Option(s): DeAndre Jordan & Bismack Biyombo
Scouting The NBA – 12/26/17
Plays of the Day Value: Wilson Chandler remains a solid, if unspectacular value in a plus matchup against the Jazz. He’s met or exceeded value in seven consecutive appearances and is quite cheap on both main DFS sites. Fade: Andre Drummond draws a juicy matchup on paper against the Pacers, but Indy center Myles Turner is playing much better of late and might be worth a look on the other side of the ball as a cheaper tournament play. Point Guards Elfrid Payton – (6,600 DK/7,300 FD) Payton flashed his upside with a 30-point, 10-assist performance in Washington on Saturday. Orlando’s pace of play ensures that he’ll have plenty of opportunities to produce counting stats in transition and he’s had success against the Heat in the past, including a game with 13 points and 9 assists against Miami earlier this season. He’s under priced as a legitimate triple double threat and he could carry Orlando’s offense with three key players (Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Nikola Vucevic) either questionable or ruled out tonight. Isaiah Canaan – (4,700 DK/4,400 FD) There’s simply no reason to ignore Canaan at this price tag and he draws a matchup that’s much better than perception might indicate. The Grizzlies have struggled mightily with Mike Conley (Achilles) out for most of this season, especially in terms of defending opposing PGs. Canaan went for 10 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists over 24 minutes in a meeting with Memphis last Thursday and played 30 minutes in the Suns most recent game, as he’s clearly surpassed Mike James and Tyler Ulis and therefore should have a secure role even with Devin Booker (groin) expected to return soon. Potential Value Andrew Harrison – (4,100 DK/4,500 FD) Harrison is a risky value as the Grizzlies best option at PG in a fast-paced matchup against Phoenix. Longshot Spencer Dinwiddie – (6,300 DK/7,400 FD) Dinwiddie remains the best option in a Nets uniform with D’Angelo Russell (knee) out. Shooting Guards Victor Oladipo – (9,400 DK/9,600 FD) Avery Bradley (groin) will remain out tonight, giving Oladipo a great chance to improve upon his already impressive splits against the Pistons this year. He’s burned the Pacers divisional rivals to the tune of 22.7 PPG despite shooting 35.5 percent from the floor over three meetings against Detroit this year, as Bradley’s elite defense certainly played a factor in that inefficiency. Dipo is obviously rolling with averages of 29.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 4.1 APG over 11 games this month and he’s not priced like other superstars producing at that level. Austin Rivers – (6,600 DK/6,600 FD) Rivers is still the 1B option next to Lou Williams, but both guards are looking to carry the Clippers offense with Blake Griffin (knee) out indefinitely. Struggling with efficiency at first, Rivers has found his stroke with 95 points on 33-for-61 (54%) FG shooting over his last three appearances. Up next is a Kings team that ranks 28th in defensive rating and 27th in opponents FG shooting (.471%) and solid young defender De’Aaron Fox (quad) won’t play for Sacramento. Potential Value Mario Hezonja – (5,000 DK/4,900 FD) Hezonja should continue to see increased minutes and usage with Evan Fournier (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (calf) questionable while Nikola Vucevic (hand) is out indefinitely. Longshot Donovan Mitchell – (7,300 DK/7,200 FD) Mitchell remains a strong bet to carry the Jazz offense in what could be a high-scoring affair in Denver. Small Forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo – (11,500 DK/11,800 FD) The Greek Freak was apparently slowed by a knee injury in win over Charlotte last Friday, but will be playing on three days rest tonight and he’s averaging 33 PPG on 62 percent FG shooting when given that much rest this season. Giannis snared 16 boards in a recent meeting with Chicago, which is playing with more pace during its recent surge while remaining vulnerable in the paint, as the Bulls rank 25th (.519%) in opponents 2PT shooting. Wilson Chandler – (4,600 DK/5,000 FD) Chandler is a crafty veteran, who is capable of meeting value at this modest price tag rather easily. He’s done just that in seven consecutive appearances and won’t have much trouble getting to the rim against a Jazz team that’s playing without Rudy Gobert (knee) and won’t give backup center Ekpe Udoh extended minutes because of his limitations on offense. The Nuggets versatile offense is slightly more effective at home and so is Chandler. Potential Value Denzel Valentine – (4,700 DK/4,700 FD) Valentine doubled the value of his price tag in consecutive games before slowing down in a blowout loss at Boston over the weekend. Longshot Khris Middleton – (8,300 DK/8,000 FD) If you’re concerned about Antetokounmpo’s knee, you could hedge your bets the other way by using Middleton in this plus matchup. Power Forwards Zach Randolph – (6,000 DK/6,000 FD) With Blake Griffin, Danilo Gallinari and Wesley Johnson all inactive, the Clippers are forced to use an inexperienced rotation of Montrezl Harrell, Jamil Wilson and Sam Dekker at PF. None of those players stand much of a chance of stopping Zach Randolph, a savvy veteran scorer, who is averaging 21.2 PPG and 8.9 PPG over 10 games this month. He’s clearly the top option on a Kings team that has no other reliable source of offense and is worth deploying against the Clippers, who are coughing up the seventh-most PPG (22.29) to opposing PFs over the last month. Lauri Markkanen – (5,500 DK/5,400 FD) Markkanen offers about the same floor as flashier teammate Nikola Mitoric at a cheaper price tag. The versatile big man only played 26 minutes in a blowout loss to Boston on Saturday, but has looked sharp since returning from a back injury and matches up well against the Bucks under sized front line. Milwaukee is currently dead last in opponents 3PT shooting (.399%) and Markkanen is 34-for-90 (.378%) from deep over his last 16 appearances. Potential Value Trey Lyles – (4,500 DK/5,300
Jaguar Lou’s Core Play’s – 12/23/17
Jaguar Lou’s Core Play’s– 12/23/17 If you’re not max entering GPP tournaments, I strongly recommend only playing single entry and 3-5 person leagues. Today’s Notes: I have no problem playing 3-4 Bucks due to Giannis’ absence Point Guard Favorite/Core SG Play: Tyler Johnson & Eric Bledsoe Other PG Option(s): George Hill (GPP) & Shabazz Napier Shooting Guard **With Greek Freek out Middleton becomes a must play** Favorite/Core SG Play: Tyreke Evans & Victor Oladipo Other SG Option(s): Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Small Forward Favorite/Core SF Play: Torrey Craig (Value with upside) Other SF Option(s): Jonathon Simmons & Kevin Durant Power Forward UPDATE (5:58 – Kumpo is OUT) Favorite/Core PF Play: Jordan Mickey (With Greek Freek out Henson is a nice play) Other PF Option(s): Draymond Green Center Favorite/Core C Play: DeAndre Jordan Other C Option(s): Joel Embiid