Cash Plays
Cory Joseph ($4,200) – Kyle Lowry is technically considered a game time decision tonight, but the team has already announced he is out indefinitely with a sore wrist. That being said, there have been a couple instances in which we’ve seen Joseph get the start when Lowry sits, and he hasn’t disappointed. He filled in nicely against the Celtics on Friday and Fanduel still hasn’t raised his price past $4,200. Joseph will be highly owned and should have no issues reaching value tonight against the Blazers.
Demar DeRozan ($8,600) – Sticking with the Raptors guards, the next player on everyone’s radar should be Demar DeRozan. For the same reason as Joseph, DeRozan should be in just about everyone’s lineups tonight. He gets an insane amount of usage anytime Lowry doesn’t play, and that proved to be true against Boston when he dropped 53.5 fantasy points. Fanduel did slightly raise his price since Friday night, but the $8,600 price tag shouldn’t be enough to scare anyone away. DeRozan needs around 40 to reach value, and he should have no trouble doing that tonight when he faces off with Portland.
Andre Roberson ($4,500) – Roberson has proven to be more consistent of late, posting 20+ fantasy points in 6 of his last 7 games. On Friday he stepped up against LA with Victor Oladipo out, putting up 30.9 fantasy points. Tonight he gets a decent matchup against a Pelican team that is still figuring things out with new acquisition DeMarcus Cousins. With Oladipo still sidelined tonight, he should easily hit in the low 20’s and reach value for your team.
Anthony Davis ($9,900) – The DeMarcus Cousins trade has done little to halt Davis’s production. In the 2 games with Cousins as a Pelican Davis has still been able to put up 46.3 and 59.8 fantasy points. The most intriguing part, however, is that he is still priced under $10,000 headed into tonight’s matchup with OKC. Steven Adams should be occupied covering Boogie, leaving guys like Taj Gibson, Domantas Sabonis, and Enes Kanter to guard Davis, all matchups he should feast on.
Jusuf Nurkic ($5,500) – Portland went and got Nurkic for a reason. With no one physical in their frontcourt, Nurkic can be that tough big down low for them. In his first 2 games with the team he has put up 28.1 and 40.9 fantasy points. He got the start against Orlando on Thursday and played 34 minutes. Tonight, he should draw another start against the Raptors and see over 30 minutes yet again. His price has been raised a bit but he should have no problem getting 25-30 fantasy points and reaching value for your lineup.
GPP Plays
George Hill ($6,100) – With most people probably buying up at one of their PG positions to go along with Cory Joseph, many of the middle priced guys will be overlooked. This is great news for guys like George Hill when it comes to GPP games, being that he’s an inconsistent player with some great upside on certain nights. With his own % likely to be low tonight you should definitely consider Hill as one of your tournament point guards. He doesn’t have the easiest matchup going up against John Wall who is a great individual defender, but the Wizards have been struggling as a team lately when it comes to defending the point.
Alex Abrines ($3,600) – Abrines may be fairly owned since news on Oladipo has already been released. But considering no one really thinks of Abrines as being particularly consistent, he’s still a tournament play in my mind. With Oladipo out on Friday Abrines got the start and saw 29 minutes. OKC will be going up against a New Orleans team that typically defends the SG position well, but have been struggling of late as they rank in the bottom 8 in defensive efficiency against the position in their last 10 games.
Otto Porter ($6,300) – The SF position is rather bland this Sunday, leading most people to probably target some value plays in order to buy up for a guy like Westbrook. Because of this, middle-priced guys like Otto Porter can greatly benefit. Porter does not necessarily have a favorable matchup tonight against a defensive minded Jazz team. This, mixed with his low own %, makes him a risky, but good, tournament play.
Nikola Jokic ($9,800) – If you’re looking for a risky GPP play tonight, look no further than Nikola Jokic. His last 2 games have lowered his price to a reasonable $9,800, but in both of those games he posted 18 fantasy points, which isn’t exactly great numbers for a guy who is priced as a superstar. Tonight he matches up against a Grizzlies team that is generally great at defending the power forward and center positions, something that will more than likely draw people away from his name, making him a great GPP option.
Steven Adams ($6,300) –Adams made it into my GPP picks 2 nights ago against a bad Laker defense. Tonight, he gets a little tougher of a matchup against Boogie Cousins and the New Orleans Pelicans. Adams is a consistent guy who will generally get you 25 fantasy points a game (he has 8 straight of at least 25+). But he has shown that he has GPP upside, like on Friday when he put up 43 fantasy points against Los Angeles. Tonight, I think his low ownership is what makes him a great GPP play, as he could easily slide under the radar and help your lineup get to the top.