Games to Target
With only two games on the slate tonight, you’re going to need a piece of each to create your roster. Even better, both games look to be fairly high-scoring affairs as both totals sit at over 210. Milwaukee is in arguably the best spot as one-point favorites at home against the Wizards and their miserable defense. The Thunder’s dynamic duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant make up the top two plays, however.
News and Notes
- Gary Neal (leg) is questionable. Neal isn’t really a consideration these days, but his absence would open up more time for Garrett Temple off the bench.
- Kris Humphries (illness) is questionable. Expect him to sit out with the big break coming up, and this should mean more minutes for Nene and Jared Dudley at the 4.
- In case you missed it, Jason Kidd is still Jason Kidd. He benched Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe for O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee last game, and since his team eked out a one-point victory, he’s going to do it again. Monroe still played 30 minutes and was super aggressive in his new role, putting up 21 shots en route to 54 DraftKings points. He has a case for the top center play of the night. I’d avoid Carter-Williams in cash games, but this matchup makes him worthy of tournament consideration.
- John Henson (back) is out for the Bucks. Greg Monroe and Miles Plumlee are the only two fantasy relevant centers on Milwaukee at the moment.
- Bryce Dejean-Jones is likely out against the Thunder as he hasn’t been signed to a new contract. His 10-day contract expired yesterday, and he’s failed to reach a new agreement with the team. Jrue Holiday, Norris Cole and Toney Douglas look like the guards to watch here.
Point Guard
Stud to Target
Jrue Holiday, NO ($6,800): You already know that Russell Westbrook and John Wall are good plays, but if you want to save a bit of cap, go with Holiday. He’s averaging 35 DK points over his last six games, and this matchup with the Thunder promises to give him an excellent ceiling due to the pace.
Others to consider: Russell Westbrook, OKC ($11,200) – John Wall, WAS ($10,000)
Value Play
Toney Douglas, NO ($3,000): Look into the status of Dejean-Jones before tip-off, and pay attention to the starting lineup. It’s likely that Douglas factors in if the team is unable to get Dejean-Jones into the fold, and at minimum price, he could see significant run in a good matchup.
Shooting Guard
Stud to Target
Khris Middleton, MIL ($6,900): Middleton isn’t playing at the lights-out level he was when Jason Kidd was away from the sidelines, but he’s still playing an unbelievable amount of minutes. That ability he showed hasn’t gone anywhere, and the matchup is the best one on the board for his position.
Others to consider: Bradley Beal, WAS ($6,500)
Value Play
Dion Waiters, OKC ($4,600): I don’t think Waiters is very good at NBA basketball, and I rarely feel good about playing him on my fantasy basketball teams. Still, on this short slate, he offers more security than the other obvious value in O.J. Mayo, as he’s playing well over 30 minutes a game as the starting shooting guard.
Small Forward
Stud to Target
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL ($6,900): If you can get Kevin Durant into your lineup, go for it, as he’s the top small-forward play tonight. However, for those that can’t have it all, Antetokounmpo is in a very good spot for his price point. In three games against the Wizards this season, The Greek Freak has put up nearly 40 DK points per game.
Others to consider: Kevin Durant, OKC ($10,400)
Value Play
Jared Dudley, WAS ($4,500): It’s hard to feel great about Dudley because he doesn’t really do anything all that well for fantasy, but he’s getting a steady stream of minutes as a dual-forward for the Wizards. Additionally, he’s averaged 25 DK points over three games against tonight’s opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Power Forward
Stud to Target
Anthony Davis, NO ($9,700): Of the four true studs available tonight, I like Davis just above John Wall, but much lower than Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The production hasn’t always been there to justify Davis’s cap-crippling price tag, and a potential blowout on the road against the Thunder drops him a bit on my stud wish list. Still, he’s easily the best power-forward option on the board.
Others to consider: Ryan Anderson, NO ($5,700)
Value Play
Jabari Parker, MIL ($5,000): If you don’t want Davis, go cheap at power forward. Parker has struggled over his last three games, but a matchup with the Wizards is a good spot to get right. In his only game against Washington this season, Parker put up 31 DK points.
Center
Stud to Target
Marcin Gortat, WAS ($6,700): It’s very close for me between Greg Monroe and Gortat, and while I think Monroe has more upside, Gortat has the much better matchup. The Bucks struggle to rebound, and Gortat has been excellent at racking up big stat lines relative to his price tag this season.
Others to consider: Greg Monroe, MIL ($7,000)
Value Play
Enes Kanter, OKC ($5,100): Kanter is a risky option any time out because his minutes fluctuate so drastically. Tonight, the odds of him having a decent game are pretty good, because the Pelicans are horrible against centers and the Thunder are favored by 12, giving Kanter some garbage-time potential.