Cash Plays
Russell Westbrook ($12,900) – I don’t love the other options at point guard, so I’d say I’m more likely to spend up for Russell Westbrook tonight. His price has now dipped under 13k, and a matchup with James Harden and the Houston Rockets should have him see a crazy amount of usage. He hasn’t been reaching value due to the fact that the Thunder’s recent games have been blowouts. Oklahoma City will rely on Westbrook to keep this one close, however, so even if there is a blowout, Russ should have no trouble reaching value for your cash game lineup.
Josh Richardson ($4,600) – Richardson has been our cash game shooting guard quite a few times over the past week. In his last game against the Raptors he finally had a performance in which he reached his price tag, putting up 22.9 fantasy points in 35 minutes of action. However, his past performances with Waiters out were still solid, as he put up 20+ fantasy points in the 3 of those 4 games. With Waiters out again tonight Richardson will log heavy minutes. His price is still $4,600 so he only needs a little over 20 to reach value, which he should easily be able to do tonight against Boston.
Paul George ($8,800) – As expected, Jimmy Butler’s price has sky rocketed to 10k, putting him a bit out of range for cash games. The next highest priced SF, however, is Paul George, who draws a fantastic matchup tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. In my opinion, George’s price actually doesn’t reflect his recent production, as he has scored 40+ fantasy points in 4 of his last 5 games. He should be a high owned guy tonight and is definitely a guy I am looking to work into my cash lineup.
Richaun Holmes ($5,600) – Jahlil Okafor is unlikely to play tonight against Indiana, which once again has me looking at Richaun Holmes as a cash game pick. He’s really been unspectacular in his last couple games, posting fewer than 14 fantasy points in his last 2 contests. However, his price reduction and skill set still has him in my cash game radar if Okafor sits. When Jahlil has sat previously this year Holmes has seen a significant boost in usage, and it should be more of the same tonight against Indiana. Of course, make sure Okafor is out before plugging Holmes into your lineup.
DeAndre Jordan ($7,900) – DeAndre Jordan has been a very consistent play over the last few weeks, consistently posting 30+ fantasy points. He’s beating up the frontcourt of countless NBA teams and gets a chance to do this yet again tonight as he goes up against a weak Sacramento Kings defense. He’s simply overpowering to Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos and should be able to feast tonight against them. At under 8k still I really like Jordan tonight and think he should easily be able to put up 35-40 fantasy points out of the center position.
GPP Plays
TJ McConnell ($5,500) – This is definitely a roll of the dice play considering you never really know when McConnell will really have game/passing going on a given night. But, at $5,500 it’s hard to not consider him in tournaments when he has 30+ fantasy point upside, which he’s shown twice in his last 3 games. He’s playing good basketball and I think has a good shot of continuing his hot streak tonight as the Sixers take on the Indiana Pacers. If you’re looking for a reach down, middle-priced point guard as you make your tournament lineup I highly suggest considering McConnell.
J.J. Redick ($4,300) – Redick is a bit streaky at times. But, with his price down around 4k and the fact that he can score 25+ points if he has his shot going I really like him night to night in tournaments. He is the beneficiary of a matchup tonight with the Sacramento Kings, a tanking team that gives up quite a lot of points. Considering there will be a lot of scoring, I don’t mind plugging in potentially the best shooter on the court in J.J. Redick. He’s so low priced that there isn’t a ton of risk, and he carries amazing upside for a guy with his scoring ability.
Jimmy Butler ($10,000) – With both Russell Westbrook and James Harden in play tonight I don’t see many people trying to fit Jimmy Butler into their lineups. He’s now priced at 10k and is just a bit over priced for me in cash games. However, that shouldn’t take him out of GPP play when you consider the fact that he still has to shoulder the scoring load with Wade out for the year. He can easily get you 60+ fantasy points, which he was able to do just last game against the Milwaukee Bucks. If you decide to fade Harden and Westbrook, Butler is the obvious choice to turn to and could make for a sneaky play in tournaments.
Enes Kanter ($6,000) – Kanter just doesn’t see enough minutes to be a cash game play, but he has proven he has the production to still be a GPP pick. Just last game he posted 24 points and 11 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. This was his 2nd straight double-double and was good for 41.2 fantasy points. Tonight, he gets a matchup with the Houston Rockets, who will already be a bit short with Ryan Anderson out. Kanter should be able to exploit their weak spots in what I expect to be a high intensity game.
Clint Capela ($5,700) – Opposite Enes Kanter and the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight will be Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets. Capela has now strung together 3 straight solid games, all of which he put up at least 29 fantasy points. He consistently flirts with double-doubles and I think has a great shot at another one tonight as he matches up with Steven Adams down low. The high paced game should allow him to see quite a few more alley-oop opportunities as well, so he has potential on both ends of the court tonight. If you’re looking for a tournament center priced under 6k then Capela is your guy.