NBA DraftKings 2/23/16

PG

John Wall, $9,300- Ignore Wall’s last game in Miami.  It was his 3rd game in as many nights, and for a guy that carries the offense, that is a lot of mile logged in such  sort span of time.  48 and 50 fantasy points in the previous two games is outstanding, and the Pelicans don’t scare me.

Rajon Rondo, $8,600- He went for 61.5 fantasy points in his last game, and that was coincidently the same team he gets tonight (now on the road, however).  As you will see later on, you will need to save somewhere to fit a certain somebody into your lineup, so Rondo might be the play if you must pay up at PG.

Shelvin Mack, $3,600- Mack is now a Utah Jazz point guard, and an irrelevant fantasy option has landed in a position where he could turn out some great value.  He got 24 minutes off the bench in his first game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the start here.  Great play on this slate.

D.J. Augustin, $3,100- Like Mack, Augustin has been shipped to a new city during the trade deadline, and he is currently the backup point guard in Denver while Jameer Nelson is out with an injury.  He received 19 and 30 minutes in his first two games, putting up about 23 fantasy points in both.  Playing Sacramento means a lot of offense, and if Augustine get the minutes, he will easily pay off his price tag.

 

SG

CJ McCollum, $7,200- It hasn’t been just Damion Lillard on a hot streak, it’s been Portland’s entire backcourt.  McCollum may be a little pricey, but it’s a decent contrarian play in a game versus Brooklyn that is expect to have a lot of offense.

Victor Oladipo, $6,700- When you get 40+ minutes per game, you are going to get your chance to shine.  Oladipo has done just that in his last two games, averaging about 46 fantasy points during them.  He is a lock for cash games.

Will Barton, $5,800- Denver’s 6th man started the year hot, then went through a stretch of not seeing the court as often as he was used to during the start of the year.  He’s gotten 30+ minutes in his last two games, and while his production hasn’t been the same as before, he is in a fantasy goldmine of a matchup.  He’s worth a look.

Evan Fournier, $5,800- He, like Oladipo, is getting a lot of playing time for Orlando, and he’s done very well with said time.  What worries me is that Fournier relies a lot on his scoring to turn fantasy production, so a cold night shooting means a busted lineup.  The positives?  He gets to play the 76ers tonight.

 

SF

Danilo Gallinari, $7,100- He’s the most expensive option at the ugliest position on tonight’s slate, but like his last game versus Sacramento, he’s the guy that shoots the 3 for Denver, and he will get his chance to torch them again tonight.

Trevor Ariza, $6,200- Recency-bias?  Perhaps.  Then again, this is daily fantasy, and recent production could mean a trend.  I don’t really know who plays for the Rockets these days, but I can tell you that they aren’t that good, so Ariza is going to get his minutes.  A guy that can shoot the 3, rebound decently, and rack up steals is a solid play, but also a risky one.

Jared Dudley, $4,500- Not much confidence with this pick, as I expect Morris to eventually start getting most of Dudley’s minutes as soon as he gets acclimated to his new team.  With that said, Dudley is producing with at least 25 fantasy points in his last 2 games, and at this price, it may be worth a start.

Maurice Harkless, $4,400- Harkless is going to be in all of my lineups tonight, so just a warning for all of you.  He has found his spot in the rotation in Portland, and with 25+ minutes per game recently, he’s a threat for a double-double every night.

 

PF

DeMarcus Cousins, $11,200 and Anthony Davis, $10,200- Cousins is the top play on the slate, but that price tag can be tough to get to.  Then there is Anthony Davis, who has awoken from his slumber of disappointing production and went for 93.5 fantasy points his last time out.  Yup. 93.5.  You read that correctly.  Regardless, I can’t trust this guy entirely, but considering all of the great plays available tonight, it’s much easier to pay for Davis and hope this isn’t a fluke than to pay allllllll the way up to Cousins.

Derrick Favors, $7,300- Derrick Favors has been very good recently, and if you look at his game versus Boston where he went for 51 fantasy points, you get the sense this guy can eat up great matchups.  Howard will be on Gobert most likely, leaving Favors a delicious feast of underperforming and banged up big men that make up the Houston Rockets front court.  He’s a mighty fine fade off of Cousins/Davis.

Thaddeus Young, $6,800- He is such a safe play for 30+ fantasy points because who the hell is going to take his touches away on an abysmal Nets roster?  Nobody, really, unless Brook Lopez just throws up 50 field goal attempts.

Aaron Gordon, $6,300- Ride the hot streak.  Gordon has been good for 30+ fantasy points for the past 5 games, and he’s getting plenty of minutes.  Great play on tonight’s slate.

 

C

Brook Lopez, $7,500- Brooklyn’s top player, and he’s having a very solid year.  46.5 and 55 fantasy points in his last two games, and he gets a plus matchup against Portland.  Love Lopez here if you can get him in.

Nikola Vucevic, $7,400- Orlando Magic players are fun to start, and Vucevic might be the best one.  He gets Jalil Okafor tonight, who is one of the worst defensive big men in the NBA.

Marcin Gortat, $6,600- He is so undervalued in my eyes.  He’s a near lock for a double-double, and centers have dominated New Orleans all year.  Love Gortat here.

Mason Plumlee, $4,500- No confidence with this, but Plumlee has been producing the past couple of games and I see him getting minutes as Portland will need a big to guard Lopez down low.  Don’t love this pick, though.

Ryan Jackson

About Ryan Jackson

My name is Ryan Jackson and I love fantasy sports. I graduated from the University of Maine in 2014 with a degree in Journalism, and I am now a graduate student at Quinnipiac University working on a sports journalism degree.