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 2nd 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 1st 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 19th 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 2nd 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 4th 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 8th 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.