Cash Plays

Russell Westbrook ($13,500) – It almost doesn’t even need to be said, but Westbrook is a clear cut cash game play for tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns. He only needs 1 more triple-double to break Oscar Robertson’s all-time record for a season, so you can bet Westbrook and the rest of his teammates will be aiming for this accomplishment at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns have also given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to point guards over their last 5 games (62.2). If other point guards can do this against Phoneix’s weak backcourt it’s hard to imagine the kind of damage Russ should be able to do. Regardless, he’s the star you’re going to want to reach up for as he chases history and the 2017 MVP award.

Devin Booker ($8,100) – Booker didn’t shoot well from the field on Wednesday (7-24), but he was still able to put up 36.1 fantasy points against the Warriors. It was definitely an outlier kind of game considering Booker definitely shoots better than his performance, but he still threw up the 20+ shots I thought he would. As the season winds down it sees obvious Earl Watson has given Booker the go-ahead to take as many quality shots as he can get, and that will continue to be the trend tonight as the Suns face the Thunder.

Kyle Anderson ($3,600) – With the Spurs resting their main guys tonight there is a whole lot of value from a variety of San Antonio’s bench. However, my favorite play is small forward Kyle Anderson. The last time Kawhi Leonard was out and Anderson got the spot start he put up 33.6 fantasy points in 32 minutes of action. He is likely to see that kind of court time again tonight, so he has the potential for the same kind of production tonight against a tanking Mavericks team at American Airlines Center.

Larry Nance Jr. ($4,300) – Larry Nance Jr. was potentially the start of the night for us on Wednesday when he put up 31.8 fantasy points in 21 minutes of action. He didn’t see the kind of court time we hoped for, but his solid production in the 1^st half was enough for him to easily exceed value. That great game came against a great Spurs defense also, which will not be an issue tonight as he faces the worst defense against power forwards in the Kings. Sacramento is giving up 49.9 FP to power forwards in their last 10 games, which is the most in the league during that stretch. Nance should see a little extra court time tonight and have even more production than he had on Wednesday.

Dwight Howard ($7,500) – There are a few options you can go with at center tonight, but with Paul Millsap out I’m likely to throw Dwight Howard into my cash game lineup. With Millsap out in March Howard really shouldered a lot of responsibility on both ends of the court. With a high intensity game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that is likely to continue tonight. He should easily reach a double-double , and with Tristan Thompson out he should gobble up a plethora of rebounds. Make sure to at least consider him when you’re making your cash game lineup.

GPP Plays

Kyrie Irving ($8,500) – Everyone and their mother will be reaching up for Russell Westbrook tonight, so the next highest priced guy, Kyrie Irving, is unlikely to get any love. Kyrie hasn’t technically reached value since March 19^th against the Lakers, but his price tonight is manageable because of it. A matchup tonight against a fellow Eastern Conference playoff team in the Hawks is also likely to be motivation for the Cavs guys to play well, so I think Kyrie is a great call in GPP play tonight.

David Nwaba ($3,900) – I may be a bit biased to this kid considering he is a fellow Cal Poly kid, but he is really have success for the Lakers as the season winds down. He’s seeing 25-30 minutes a night for Los Angele’s second unit, and he’s making the most out of it. In his last 3 games he’s averaging 10.7 points and 4 rebounds game, which are solid numbers for a guy priced at $3,900. Last Saturday he also showcased his upside, posting 19 points and 6 rebounds in 35 minutes of action. For a guy primarily known for his defense those are some great offensive numbers. A matchup with the Sacramento Kings tonight should definitely be of benefit to him, as they’ve given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to shooting guards on the year (44.2).

Gordon Hayward ($7,800) – I’m generally a no-go on Hayward, but a home matchup tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game they need to win seems like a great time to roll the dice on him. The Jazz are currently a half game up on the Clippers for the 4^th seed and home court advantage in the playoffs, so Hayward and the rest of the Utah Jazz should come out highly motivated to win against a fellow Western Conference team. At $7,800 he needs 39 to reach value, which he most definitely can do against a team that is giving up the 8^th most fantasy points to small forwards in their last 10 games (44.3).

Willie Cauley-Stein ($6,300) – Cauley-Stein has my favorite matchup of the night as he goes up against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. The Lakers are giving up by far the most fantasy points a game to power forwards (48.9). In his last games against the Lakers he was able to put up 20ish fantasy points, but DeMarcus Cousins was also still in Sacramento. With Cousins now gone, Cauley-Stein is the main guy in the Kings frontcourt, and is likely to have a great game tonight against a weak Laker’s defense.

Hassan Whiteside ($8,500) – Hassan Whiteside has now posted 30+ fantasy points in 20 straight games, a remarkable feat for a guy that only needs 42 to reach value from night to night. In 8 of those games he’s put up 40+ FP as well, so he basically reaches value more times than not. He’s fresh off a 13 point/20 rebound effort against the Charlotte Hornets, and has a decent matchup tonight against Jonas Valanciunas and the Toronto Raptors. I see him easily reaching value tonight and obviously has the upside for much more.

Throw this into Double Ups and 50:50’s. Do a tournament or two in case it scores really high.

Cash Plays

T.J. McConnell ($5,600) – With Sergio Rodriguez still out tonight for the 76ers I love T.J. McConnell with the amount of court time he gets. In his last 7 games he’s posted a minimum of 23.1 and a maximum of 31 fantasy points (with an average of 27.4 during that stretch). At $5.6k Fanduel has done little to match his price to his productivity, so it’s still a great time to invest in McConnell as he goes up against a Bulls defense that has given up the 9^th most fantasy points in the league to opposing points guards (48.6 a game).

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot ($4,800) – Even with his price increase it’s kind of hard to fade TLC tonight. Of all the Sixers players he’s been seeing the most court time lately, and that should continue to be the trend tonight as he faces the Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center. In his last 5 games he’s put up a minimum of 23.8 and a maximum of 33.3 fantasy points, all while seeing no less than 32 minutes of action. He’s actually a fairly safe play even at $4,800 and should continue to get a lot of usage for Philadelphia’s backcourt.

Jimmy Butler ($9,900) – Jimmy’s price actually came down after a “bad “ game against the New York Knicks on Friday in which he put up 38.6 fantasy points in 40 minutes of action. However, prior to this outing he had posted 42+ fantasy points in 9 straight contests, with 2 of those games being 60+. One of those 60 fantasy point games (66.9 to be exact) came against the same 76ers team he faces tonight, so he’s in a great position to reach value. Philadelphia has also given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to small forwards in their last 5 games (52.1), so there’s a little added incentive to start Butler if you were having doubts.

Aaron Gordon ($5,700) – Aaron Gordon let a lot of the fantasy world down on Tuesday when he posted only 14 fantasy points in 32 minutes of action. However, I think many will be willing to give him a second chance as he goes up against the same Nets team he burned for 50.5 fantasy points just last week. Brooklyn is giving up 47.6 fantasy points a game to power forwards, which is the 2^nd most in the league this season. At $5,700 he doesn’t even need 30 to reach value, though he should be able to post 30+ against Brooklyn’s weak frontcourt.

Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,200) – KAT’s price has come back down closer to $10k after 4 straight games of not reaching value. He did, however, post 47+ in 2 of those games, which is kind of hard to get mad at. Also, one of those 47+ point games did come against the same Trail Blazers team he faces tonight, so he is in great shape to reach value for your lineup. The Timberwolves no longer have anything to play for, but Thibodeau is still giving his young bucks plenty of court time, whether they’re in the game or not. This essentially means Towns is a lock for 32+ minutes, though he’s seen 40+ in 3 of his last 5. He’s definitely a star I’m looking to reach up for tonight so long as I have the cash.

GPP Plays

John Wall ($10,500) – Coming off a solid 51.9 fantasy point night on Tuesday, Wall’s price is a hefty $10.5k. This will more than likely be enough for people to fade him as he goes up against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. However, he’s burned the Knicks this year, posting 22.3 ppg, 12.3 apg, and 3.7 rpg in their 3 meetings this season. His success should continue as the Wizards look to improve their seeding in the Eastern Conference, so I expect him to get 45+ tonight on his way to what could be a great fantasy night.

Monta Ellis ($4,500) – Monta has killed me when I’ve started him this year, but he’s still starting for the Pacers as they make a playoff push and seeing 30+ minutes of court time most nights. At $4,500 he’s a great bargain player that should be able to reach value against a middle-of-the-road Bucks defense. They’re giving up 43.1 fantasy points a game to shooting guards in their last 5 contests, so Ellis is well equipped to do well against them at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Khris Middleton ($6,000) – Middleton’s price went up well into the 6k range and I think a lot of fantasy players decided to pass on him for the past couple weeks. However, a few disappointing games has brought his price back down to exactly $6,000 and he seems much more affordable as he goes up against a Pacers team that has given up the 2^nd most fantasy points to small forwards in their last 10 games (46.7). Middleton should be able to return to his consistent ways and put up 30+ for your lineup, while also bringing serious upside given the way he can score the ball.

Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,800) – Aminu has scored 20+ fantasy points in each of his last 6 games, with one of those games being 41.9 against the same Timberwolves team he faces tonight. He was on the road for that game against Minnesota last week, but will welcome the Wolves into the Moda Center tonight for a home game that has serious playoff implications for Portland. The Trail Blazers are currently holding onto the 8^th seed by one game, and every game from here on out is a must win for them. All of their guys should be highly motivated to get a win, including their starting power forward Aminu. He should reach value with ease tonight and has the potential to fly under the radar and have a low own %.

Brook Lopez ($7,100) – With so much attention on other centers tonight it seems probable that Brook Lopez flies under the radar for his matchup with the Orlando Magic. I have a lot of respect for Vucevic, but the Magic as a whole give up way to many fantasy points to opposing centers (56 FP a game over their last 10). Lopez only needs 35 to reach value tonight, which seems a bit low for a guy averaging 20+ points a game. I think he has a great shot at a good fantasy night and should be low owned for your GPP lineup.