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Jaguar Lou’s Cash Play’s – 10/24/17
PG D.J Augustin – 5,900 FD & 5,100 DK D.J Augustin’s price increased from 3,500 when I last wrote him up two days ago, to 5,900 on Fan Duel tonight. Now that’s a jump, but no surprise! Augustin is no fluke, with Elfrid Payton injured, D. J Augustin took advantage of his opportunity in his first start of the season on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers totaling 33.8 FD points over just 26 minutes. Imagine what he could do with 30+ minutes in a close, high scoring game like he’s supposed to be in tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. D’Angelo Russell is a great offensive weapon but does not scare me on the defensive side of the court. We hope this game stays close which I think it might (Orlando is currently a 5 point favorite). I wrote up Augustin in his first start of the season and it paid off big time! Let’s see if he can do it again against D’Angelo Russel and the Brooklyn Nets. Other Cash PG Option(s): D’Angelo Russel, Kyrie Irving & Darren Collison (GPP Play) SG C.J McCollum – 7,800 FD & 7,100 DK C.J McCollum is a great play tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans who allow the most points to opposing shooting guards this season, averaging 58.9 FD points allowed / game. With Damion Lillard a possible/likely chalk for tonight’s small six game slate, fading Lillard and playing McCollum could be a beneficial contrarian play that separates your lineup from the rest. In fact, in a weird way, including both players in one lineup could be even more contrarian. The matchups are obviously favorable for both guards and with a high 217.5 over-under favored by 5 points I can guarantee there will be plenty of fantasy goodness in this game. Other Cash SG Option(s): Victor Oladipo SF Lebron James – 10,700 FD & 10,000 DK On a small six game slate, I don’t love the options we have at Small Forward tonight. When this happens, I like to go safe. Lebron James is currently at reasonable prices around the industry. With Dwayne Wade requesting to go to the bench, J.R Smith enters the starting lineup tonight. Make no mistake Lebron will be running this offense tonight with 36-year-old Jose Calderon expected to run the point. I think Wade’s move to the bench has a bigger impact on Lebron’s production than some might originally think. I’m expecting BIG numbers from Lebron tonight as he matches up against Paul Zipser who has a 0% chance containing Lebron. On a night where the Small Forward position has limited options, pay up for Lebron James on a Cavalier’s team with no Derrick Rose that is favored by 14.5 points with a 205.5 over-under. Yes, I am worried about the blow out, but I believe Lebron will reach value in the time that he’s on the court. Other Cash SF Option(s): Evan Fournier PF Kristaps Porzingis – 9,300 FD & 8,500 D Kristaps Porzingis is all the Knicks have. His usage and minutes should be through the roof all season for two simple reasons; firstly, he’s the Knicks only/best offensive option which has him heavily involved in the game and secondly, due to his size/weight at his position, he is constantly mismatched. Until Fan Duel and Draft Kings recognize him as an elite Power Forward by changing his salary, I will continue to roster Porzingis in Cash and GPP tournaments. Too safe, too cheap to pass up on. I’m expecting him to match up against Jalyen Brown tonight, which I would consider another mismatch favoring Porzingis. The Knicks are by 7.5 points in a 205 over-under. Let’s just hope there’s no blowout that limits Porzingis’ minutes. I don’t think there will be. Other Cash PF Option(s): Thad Young C Nikola Vucevic– 9,800 FD & 8,300 DK Nikola Vucevic has been one of the most consistent centers in the league over his first three games, averaging 51.3 FD PPG. The Magic’s offense has been dependent on Vucevic’s production over the first three games and I don’t expect that trend to end tonight as the Magic face the Brooklyn Nets at home. The Nets have allowed an average of 62.1 FD points per game to opposing Centers, ranking them fourth worst in the league. Nikola Vucevic matches up against Timofey Mozgov tonight, Mozgov should be no match for Vucevic. Aaron Gordon should be returning to the lineup, but I don’t think that will affect Nikola’s overall output considering his high overall usage necessary for this to function, let alone win. The Orlando Magic are favored at – 5 with a 229 over-under. Other Cash Center Option(s): Karl-Anthony Towns
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Jaguar Lou’s Cash Plays – 10/23/17
PG Goran Dragic – 7,100 FD & 7,000 DK With Hassan Whiteside injured for tonight matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, most of my Cash lineups will start by locking James Johnson and Goran Dragic and/or Dion Waiter. The matchup is great against Malcom Delaney, a solid player but no match for Miami’s PG/Sg Duo in Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters. Goran Dragic will have no problem running this offense benefiting off extra assists, shots and minutes with Whiteside out with a Knee. The Miami Heat are without their best player and still favored by 12 in a relatively high 204 over-under. Atlanta is very banged up at the moment with Dennis Schroder and Ersan Ilyasova already ruled out. I do expect this to be a blow out but Miami’s main offensive players should get the run necessary to hit value and if the game stay close, even better. Other Cash PG Option(s): Stephen Curry SG Devin Booker– 7,200 FD & 6,800 DK With Eric Bledsoe out, Devin Booker is my play of the day. We all saw what Booker is capable of last year when he put up 70 points in a game that Eric Bledsoe was also absent from. This is an easy choice Lock and Load Devin Booker tonight as he matches up against Buddy Hield who will not be able to guard Devin Booker, I can tell you that right now. I don’t know how Sacramento will adjust but Devin Booker is looking at close to a 40 FD point floor (assuming the game stays close). The Phoenix Suns are 2-point underdogs in a 208 over-under. Don’t think too much, lock him in. **I didn’t write up Harden because the news on Ryan Anderson isn’t out yet but if Anderson sits, Harden becomes a Cash Lock at 11,300 FD and 11,200 DK** Other Cash SG Option(s): James Harden SF Khris Middleton –6,900 FD & 6,100 DK With Malcom Brogdon sidelined for tonight game usage, shot attempts and minutes are going to sky rocket for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton – the ONLY real offensively capable players in that starting lineup. Gary Payton is supposed to start at PG while Snell stays at the 2 but I don’t see Payton or Snell’s usage increasing, I don’t even see them running the point. I see a Milwaukee team being carried by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, I suggest investing in both players. The reason I am writing up Khris Middleton is because Giannis Antetokounmpo is an obvious play and priced accordingly, Middleton on the other hand carries the same high floor (relative to the player at hand) but at a much more reasonable salary. Other Cash SF Option(s): T.J Warren PF James Johnson – 5,900 FD & 6,300 DK With Hassan Whiteside injured for tonight matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, most of my Cash lineups will start by locking James Johnson and Goran Dragic/Dion Waiter. The Miami Heat are favored by 12 points in a 204 over-under with their best and most involved offensive weapon not playing! This is the dream. Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters and James Johnson should see a massive uptick in usage on the offensive side of the court. I actually have no problem rostering all three players to guarantee full exposure in Miami’s offense. My only worry is the blowout factor, but let’s hope that Dragic, Waiters and Johnson reach value before the game gets out of hand. If this game stays close all three players could be instore for huge games tonight! Other Cash PF Option(s): Giannis Antetokounmpo & Draymond Green C Marc Gasol – 8,700 FD & 7,900 DK Center was a tough call tonight, nothing popped out to me, with that said Marc Gasol is the safest play of tonight’s small 8 game slate. Marc Gasol will matchup against Clint Capela in a high scoring affair on the road in Houston. Gasol is averaging 48 FD points over his first two game. Considering his usage, it boils down to if the game stays close. This offense is built around Marc Gasol, if he’s on the floor he will reach value. His floor is high and so is his ceiling in a favorable matchup against Clint Capella/ Nene Hilario. Other Cash Center Option(s): Andre Drummond
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Jaguar Lou’s Cash Play’s – 10/21/17
PG D.J Augustin – 3,000 FD & 3,100 DK Okay, so this is more of a risky cash play but at such cheap salaries, rostering D.J Augustin allows for flexibility when making the rest of your lineup. Elfrid Payton sprained an ankle last night and will be benched for tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Derek Rose doubtful for tonight’s game, Augustin will be matching up against another back-up point guard, Jose Calderon – a matchup I’m not afraid of. The over-under in this game remains at 215 despite the absence of both starting point guards. My only worry is that Orlando will be blown out – Vegas has Cleveland at 11.5-point favorites. Despite Vegas’ line, I believe Orlando makes this a game factoring in the mismatch at point guard. D.J Augustin is a younger, faster and overall better player than Jose Calderon, if given the minutes I expect Orlando’s backup point guard D.J Augustin to capitalize off increased usage/playing time and exceed value tonight at minimum salaries around the industry. **Monitor Aaron Gordon’s injury, if he’s out usage goes through the roof for Augustin, Vucevic and Fournier – I have no problem playing all three if Gordon is ruled out** Other Cash PG Option(s): Kyle Lowry (If DeRozan is out), Eric Bledsoe & Mike Conely SG Norman Powell – 5,000 FD (Not on DK slate) **Play contingent on DeMar DeRozan not playing (Illness GTD)** DeMar DeRozan is the safest shooting guard play on the slate as he matches up against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have had trouble guarding opposing shooting guards so far, this season, allowing 45 Fan Duel points to Beal in their first game of the season. If DeRozan is out due to illness lock and load Norman Powell (AND Lowry for that matter) The absence of DeMar DeRozan would mean increased usage rates for the guard positions and considering how poor the 76ers play against opposing point guards/shooting guards, fantasy goodness is likely. The Toronto Raptors are favored by 9.5 points in a 217 over-under. Other Cash SG Option(s): Evan Fournier & Victor Oladipo SG/SF Wesley Matthews – 5,400 FD & 5,200 DK Wesley Matthews will be matching up against James Harden all night against a “Chris Paul-less” Houston Rockets team. Since Chris Paul’s injury it should come as no surprise that James Harden has taken control of Houston’s offense. With these added responsibilities, I am expecting Wesley Matthews to significantly benefit on the defensive side of the court with rebounds, steals and blocks. While I expect Harden to put up the usual, in the process, Wesley Matthews should benefit from the fact that he’s the only Maverick that can guard James Harden – a player that will be on the court for 35+ minutes. Matthews is very capable and involved on the offensive side of the court as well. Expect Wesley Matthews to slowly but surely reach value in the 33+ minutes I’m expecting him to play. The Dallas Mavericks are underdogs at +12 with a 215 over-under. Other Cash SF Option(s): Kevin Durant & Lebron James PF Kristaps Porzingis – 8,600 FD & 7,900 DK The Knicks are favored by 2 in a 206 over-under for their Home Opener against the Detroit Pistons. Madison Square Garden will be electric (or as electric as it could get considering the Knicks stink) and Porzingis will want to show up for the Knicks fans tonight. Kristaps Porzingis matches up against Tobias Harris, a 6’9’’ tall 235 lbs power forward. Kristaps Porzingis is a 7’3’’weighing 240 lbs and has a killer three-point shot. In my mind, there’s no question Porzingis will win this matchup. With a 206 over-under, Porzingis will run this offense benefiting off points, rebounds, blocks and steals – a variety of stats allowing me to project a 35+ FD point floor with a 50-point ceiling. Other Cash PF Option(s): LaMarcus Aldridge C Kevin Love – 7,600 FD & 7,500 DK Kevin Love is a safe play on tonight’s slate for a reasonable salary. The only thing that worries me about this play is the blow out potential but I have no doubt that if given the minutes Love will produce! With no real point guard tonight, this offense will be running through Lebron James and Kevin Love. I don’t think / I know Calderon won’t be the GPP pick of the night, so where does Vegas have their 113-point implied team total coming from? It’s no secret! Lebron James and Kevin Love will be putting the team on their backs and exploiting an Orlando Magic team that is NOT known for their defense, racking up all the fantasy goodness. Invest in shares of Kevin Love and LeBron James, just do it! Other Cash Center Option(s): Clint Capella
Jaguar Lou’s Cash Plays – 10/20/17
Point Guard PG D’Angelo Russell – 8,000 FD & 7,300 DK D’Angelo Russel will be running a Nets offense that is favored in the highest over-under on the slate. Between his favorable matchup with Elfrid Payton and his prominent role in Brooklyn’s offense, I’m expecting a safe 35 FD point floor with a ceiling of 50. With an over-under of 226.5, Vegas’ is expecting this to be a back and forth shootout, who better to benefit from this type of game than D’Angelo Russell – a long range, three-point specialist who thrives in the transition game. The Brooklyn Nets are favored at -1.5 with a 226.5 over-under. Other Cash PG Option(s): Elfrid Payton & Eric Bledsoe Shooting Guard SG Victor Oladipo – 7,100 FD & 6,900 DK With Myles Turner in the NBA concussion protocol, the Indiana Pacers will need to find a way to compensate for his massive offensive presence. Two players I believe will benefit from the absence of Myles Turner are Victor Oladipo and Thaddeus Young. Victor Oladipo had an impressive fantasy performance in his first game with the Pacers posting 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Now, without Turner, Victor Oladipo will be depended on much more and should see an uptick in usage. I’m predicting a 25+ point night with 5+ assist/rebounds paired with 3+ steals and/or blocks – I’m expecting a big game for Victor Oladipo. The Indiana Pacers are underdogs at + 5 with a 224 O/U. Other Cash SG Option(s): Devin Booker Small forward SF T.J Warren – 5,200 FD & 5,000 DK With a 218 over-under as a 3-point favorite, the Phoenix Suns look to improve on their horrific first game. T.J Warren benefits off almost every stat as he is a talented all-around player. With Alex Len limited and Alan Williams out, the Suns big man depth is diminishing – T.J Warren is a Forward that can help with that problem. I see him getting extended minutes and helping the Suns take advantage of a Lakers team that is on the back end of a back to back. Other Cash SF Option(s): Robert Covington Power Forwards PF Thaddeus Young – 6,300 FD & 5,800 DK Thad Young is the other player who should benefit from the absence of Myles Turner. Besides Domantas Sabonis, Thad Young is Indiana’s only other big man – and between the two, he’s the only one capable of putting up real fantasy points. Thad Young will benefit from more rebounds and shot attempts without Myles Turner. Assuming the game stays close, this could be a great game stack, investing in shares of players on both Indiana and Portland. The Indiana Pacers are underdogs at + 5 with a 224 O/U. Other Cash PF Option(s): Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Center C Nikola Vucevic – 8,400 FD & 7,600 DK Nikola Vucevic had a great showing in his first game of the season posting 19 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks and 2 steals against Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat. Vucevic will matchup against Timofey Mozgov tonight in the highest over-under on the slate at 226.5. Aaron Gordon is a GTD, if he’s out, this could potentially be a massive game for Nikola Vucevic. Even with Gordon playing, I will be investing in shares of Vucevic simply because of his usage in the highest over-under of the night. Nikola Vucevic exhibits a safe floor while simultaneously carrying GPP upside at reasonable prices around the industry. The Orlando Magic are slight underdogs at +1.5 in the highest over-under of the night at 226.5. Other Cash Center Option(s): Al Horford
Jaguar Lou’s Cash Play’s – 10/19/17
Notes about tonight: · With Blowouts expected in two of the three games tonight, lineups must be constructed considering that most of your most expensive players could be sitting the entire fourth quarter. · Due to Bobby Portis’ altercation with Nikola Mirotic the Bulls are dealing with a make shift lineup. (suggested fade) PG Russel Westbrook – 11,800 FD & 11,000 DK Despite the realistic chances that Russel Westbrook will be sitting in the fourth quarter, on a small 3-game slate I don’t think you can afford to fade him. Plus, the Knicks could make it a game…Right? Probably not but either way Westbrook’s usage is just too high, on a three-game slate raw points become something you have to prioritize when guaranteed production is limited. Although I see Carmelo and George limiting Westbrook’s shot attempts, there will be more than enough fantasy stats to go around. I don’t know if I will be doing many lineups including all three of OKC’s big 3 (Carmelo, George and Westbrook) but I will be investing of shares in each of the big 3, just not altogether. My favorite combination is Russel Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. The Oklahoma City Thunder are favored with a spread – 12.5 with a 215.5 O/U. **If the Knicks somehow make this a game, having shares of Westbrook will be imperative** Other Cash PG Option(s): Patrick Beverly, Kyle Lowry & Lonzo Ball (GPP) SG DeMar DeRozen – 8,800 FD & 8,300 DK DeMar DeRozen and Kyle Lowry are a two-man team in Toronto. DeMar DeRozen and Kyle Lowry will be taking roughly 60-70 % of the shot attempts in tonight’s game favoring Toronto by 13.5 points with a 207.5 O/U. Rostering Lowry and DeRozen for your cash games becomes an obvious call. Once again, my main concern is the blow out potential but like I said before, on a night like tonight there’s something to be said for raw points. Other Cash SG Option(s): Tim Hardaway (Safer GPP Play) SF Danilo Gallinari – 6,800 FD & 6,200 DK Danilo Gallinari has a nice matchup against a Lakers team notorious for allowing major points to the Small forward position. Gallinari will be matching up against 32-year-old Luol Deng. With a Lakers team that will be franticly trying to contain DeAndre Jordon, I believe Danilo Gallinari has the opportunity to make a splash in his first game with the Clippers, while maintaining a solid floor due to his various statistical abilities. The L.A Clippers are favored at – 6 with a 217 O/U. Other Cash SF Option(s): Paul George SF/PF Carmelo Anthony – 8,000 FD & 7,200 DK The Revenge narrative of a lifetime. Carmelo Anthony faces the New York Knicks in his first game with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I won’t go through the whole history of this relationship but just know that there is bad blood between Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks (and New Yorkers in general for that matter). Carmelo should be matching up against Porzingis all night. Despite the length that Porzingis carries on the defensive end of the court, I truly believe Carmelo will have no problem scoring on the 7-foot 3-inch Power Forward/Center (On the off-chance Hardaway guards Melo, I like this play even more). Beside the fact that Carmelo will undoubtingly want to show up his old team, the matchup is favorable – The perfect storm. I am slightly concerned simply because we have yet to see how this new Oklahoma City squad play’s together but I think it’s safe to say pairing Melo’s favorable matchup/usage rate with the revenge narrative, you can’t go wrong. The Oklahoma City Thunder are favored with a spread of -12.5 in a 215.5 O/U. Other Cash PF Option(s): Serge Ibaka & Kristaps Porzingis **Michael Beasley – if Porzingis in out** C DeAndre Jordan – 8,200 FD & 7,500 DK Brook Lopez is a very poor defender. The Brooklyn Nets allowed the most fantasy points to opposing Centers last season due to Brook Lopez’ defensive limitations. Tonight, he faces a true Center in DeAndre Jordan who should have absolutely no problem producing against Brook Lopez. With Chris Paul and J.J Redick gone, the L.A Clippers need to find players who will step up and fill the void. I’m expecting DeAndre Jordan to be the focal point of a game where the Clippers are favored at – 6 with a 217 O/U. In addition to his 20+ projected points, Jordan will benefit from massive rebound/block production – I fully expect him to reach value at such reasonable salaries. Other Cash Center Option(s): Jonas Valanciunas & Enes Kanter (Revenge/Garbage time)
Jaguar Lou’s Cash Picks – 10/18/17
Point Guard PG Damian Lillard– 8,800 FD & 10,400 DK With C.J McCollum sidelined due to a one- game suspension for his actions in a pre-season altercation, expect Damian Lillard’s overall usage to go through the roof. Vegas has the Portland Trail Blazers favored by 1.5 points with a 217 O/U. These projected points need to come from somewhere. Portland’s offense over the last few seasons has been reliant on the C.J McCollum/ Damian Lillard duo – beside recently acquired Jusuf Nurkic, Portland does NOT have an excess of offensively capable players. I fully expect the Portland Trail Blazers to be carried by two players tonight, Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic. Both players are at reasonable industry salaries considering their expected usage in close game with a 217 O/U. Other Cash PG Option(s): Kemba Walker & Eric Bledsoe Shooting Guard SG Bradley Beal – 7,300 FD & 7,000 DK Bradley Beal has a very favorable matchup tonight against the always vulnerable Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were in the bottom five percentile in points allowed to opposing shooting guards throughout the 2016-2017 season. Let’s not get too tricky here. Bradley Beal is one of the best guards in the league facing either Jerryd Bayless or J.J Redick – neither of whom have a chance at containing Beal. The Washington Wizards are favored at – 6.5 with a 217.5 O/U. Other Cash SG Option(s): James Harden (If Chris Paul is out James Harden is a Lock on all formats) Small Forward SF Robert Covington – 6,400 FD & 5,000 DK Covington is a three-point shooting, rebounding/assist/steals/blocks monster. Covington might be one of the best all-around players in the East in terms of racking up a variety of stats. The 76ers have a young and inexperienced team and will be looking to the veteran in Robert Covington to lead the “Process”. While the 76ers are young and inexperienced, they’re extremely talented and capable of running with any team in the league. Covington should be matching up against Otto Porter tonight but that’s not what I’m targeting, I just think Robert Covington’s overall involvement in the game makes him a safe cash play, especially for the reasonable salaries of 6,400 on Fan Duel & 5,000 on Draft Kings. The Philadelphia 76ers are underdog’s at + 7 with a 217.5 O/U. Other Cash SF Option(s): Maurice Harkless & Jimmy Butler Power Forward PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge – 7,000 FD & 7,300 DK With Kawhi Leonard out the San Antonio Spurs have a major void in their offense. The question is, who benefits from the absence of such an impactful player like Kawhi Leonard? The Answer, LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge is a consistent veteran who Coach Gregg Popovich loves to let loose in situations where injury changes their normal game plan. With 21 year old Dejounte Murray running the point tonight, I would assume Popovich gets the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible and into the post allowing Aldridge to take advantage of the mismatch of either Taj Gibson or Karl Anthony Towns – both poor matchups against the 6 foot 11 inch, 260 pound big man. This will be a close battle and San Antonio will need LaMarcus Aldridge on the court if they’re going to beat a Timberwolves squad let by 2016’s Rookie of the Year, Karl Anthony Towns. The San Antonio Spurs are favored at -1.5 with a 205.5 O/U. Other Cash PF Option(s): Rondae Hollis-Jefferson & Jason Smith (Value GPP/ Cheap Cash play) Center C Jusuf Nurkic – 7,500 FD & 7,500 DK As I mentioned in the Damian Lillard write-up, tonight’s offensive output by the Portland Trail Blazers is dependent on two players, Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic fully showcased his abilities for the first time last season on Denver and Portland (later in the season). Make no mistake about it, last year was not a fluke. Jusuf Nurkic is capable of pulling down 15+ rebound on any given night, pairing that with his blocking abilities AND the extra usage he’s going to see with McCollum out, Jusuf Nurkic is a lock for me at such reasonable salaries. Other Cash Center Option(s): Myles Turner