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Point Guard
Russell Westbrook has a solid matchup against the Magic and he’s likely going to hit value even at his price tag of $13,200. Westy typically performs well even in poor matchups so give him a look especially if you’re playing cash games tonight.
Mike Conley is also in play as a cash game play with Marc Gasol on the shelf once again. The Grizzlies are still fending for playoff position so Conley should see 35-plus minutes against the Pacers. It’s a terrible matchup for Conley but with JaMychal Green possibly out for tonight as well, he’s almost a lock for 17-20 shots.
Kemba Walker will be squaring off against Cory Joseph and the Raptors. The Hornets basically need to win out if they want a chance to squeeze into the playoffs and that’s not going to happen. It’s a small cause for concern, but Kemba’s minutes will likely stay in the 30’s until they’re officially ruled out of the race. He’s averaged 55 fantasy points per game through three previous contests against the Raptors.
T.J. McConnell will be playing 30-plus minutes once again as Sergio Rodriguez will miss another game. He played very well in his last start as he scored 32 fantasy points and he finished just two actual points shy of a double-double.
Player | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y!DFS |
OKC | A | ORL | 73 | 34.7 | 84% | 2.3 | 31.4 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 5.4 | 42% | 41.6% | 58.3 | 62.7 | 59.5 | $13100 | $13200 | $64 | |
MEM | H | IND | 62 | 33.5 | 86% | 2.4 | 20.2 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 45% | 26.1% | 34.8 | 37.3 | 36 | $8000 | $8000 | $36 | |
PHI | H | ATL | 73 | 25.7 | 80% | 0.1 | 6.6 | 3 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 47% | 14% | 21.5 | 22.6 | 21.6 | $5500 | $5500 | $18 | |
NOP | H | DAL | 59 | 32.9 | 69% | 1.6 | 15.8 | 3.9 | 7.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 3 | 46% | 23.9% | 32.9 | 35.3 | 33.7 | $7200 | $7000 | $30 | |
CHA | A | TOR | 73 | 34.6 | 85% | 3 | 22.9 | 4 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 45% | 28.9% | 36.5 | 39.3 | 38 | $7800 | $7800 | $41 |
Shooting Guard
Jrue Holiday is eligible as a SG and he could be worth deploying here, especially if DeMarcus Cousins is ruled out. Holiday hasn’t been spectacular lately but he certainly hasn’t been bad. IF DMC does in fact suit up, it would be wise to look elsewhere.
An interesting, yet unsexy play is Malcolm Brogdon. He surprised everyone early on in the season with his triple-double. Since then, he’s been fairly average in terms of DFS production, but he’s also been quite consistent. He’s just $5,100 and he should see 30 minutes or more against the Celtics tonight. High-floor, low-ceiling type of guy.
Monta Ellis is in a tough spot against the Grizzlies, but he’s one of the few respectable value plays at the SG position. This could be a case of chasing points as he played well in three straight games. Don’t go overboard, but if you need some salary relief at the SG spot, Ellis is probably one of the safer guys now that he starts.
Player | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y!DFS |
MIL | A | BOS | 72 | 26.5 | 86% | 1.1 | 10.2 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 46% | 18.4% | 20.9 | 22.3 | 21.4 | $5600 | $5100 | $17 | |
IND | A | MEM | 66 | 26.9 | 74% | 0.6 | 9 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 46% | 17.2% | 18 | 19.4 | 18.3 | $4400 | $4500 | $10 | |
NOP | H | DAL | 67 | 25.3 | 77% | 1.1 | 9.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 46% | 17.5% | 16.9 | 18 | 17.4 | $3600 | $3400 | $10 |
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard seems to step up in big games, it’s an odd narrative but it’s held true for the past two seasons. He destroyed the Warriors in their first meeting and that was when Kevin Durant was healthy. Now he’s gone and Leonard will have a much easier time on both ends of the court. He’s a great cash play.
Even with the return of Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince should still 30-plus minutes. He has a favorable matchup and he’s played well for the Hawks lately. Thabo Sefolosha remains out of the lineup and Bazemore should return on some sort of a minute restriction. He’s not a must-play like he has been recently, but he’s still in a great spot to hit 5-6x value.
The rest of the SF plays are fairly mediocre, so I’m offering a potential punt option for those interested in the stars and scrubs strategy. If DeMarcus Cousins and Solomon Hill both miss tonight’s game, that leaves over 65 minutes per game open for the reserves. Dante Cunningham will likely see close to 40 minutes and E’Twaun Moore could see close to 30. Neither are great plays, but they’re punt options who should see heavy run if both the aforementioned players sit.
Player | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y!DFS |
SAS | H | GSW | 66 | 33.7 | 89% | 2 | 26 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 49% | 31.2% | 41.3 | 43.6 | 42.3 | $9800 | $9900 | $50 | |
ATL | A | PHI | 51 | 14.6 | 84% | 0.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 40% | 16.9% | 10.6 | 11.4 | 10.8 | $3800 | $5100 | $12 |
Power Forward
Anthony Davis’ price has climbed up to $10,800 -- his old price before DMC was in town. The theme for the other Pelicans player stands: IF DMC sits, AD can be played in both formats, otherwise he’s a fade in cash games. He has 70-80 point upside every time he touches the court sans Cousins so keep an eye on Cousins’ status.
LaMarcus Aldridge is another Spurs player who seems to step up in big moments and he has a decent matchup against the Warriors. This matchup could very well be seen again in the Western Conference Finals and both teams will look to set the tone. LMA and Kawhi should see insane usage and this game should stay close. LMA is $7,100, which is a fair price.
As stated previously, Marc Gasol is out and Zach Randolph will log another start. He’s been decent in his last two games as he scored 41 and 29 fantasy points in those two starts. Zeebo has a favorable matchup against the Pacers and he should see 30-plus minutes. Even though he shot a measly 5-for-18, he still had 17 points and 15 boards. Fire him up.
Brandan Wright is another interesting punt play. He’s a veteran and he rarely plays heavy minutes but the Grizzlies may need him to step up tonight. Even though he’s played a bit more with Gasol out, he’d only be worth deploying if JaMychal Green sat. It’s a real possibility so don’t let Wright slip under the radar tonight.
Player | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y!DFS |
NOP | H | DAL | 70 | 36.2 | 80% | 0.5 | 27.9 | 12 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 51% | 32.5% | 49.9 | 52 | 50.2 | $11700 | $10800 | $55 | |
MEM | H | IND | 20 | 14.1 | 63% | 0.0 | 6.7 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 62% | 17.7% | 12 | 12.3 | 12 | $3500 | $3100 | $10 | |
MEM | H | IND | 66 | 24.3 | 73% | 0.3 | 14 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 45% | 28.8% | 26.3 | 27.5 | 26.4 | $5600 | $6300 | $18 | |
SAS | H | GSW | 65 | 32.6 | 82% | 0.3 | 17.6 | 7.5 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 47% | 24.8% | 31.7 | 32.9 | 31.8 | $7200 | $7100 | $29 |
Center
Rudy Gobert’s price continues to rise and it’s understandable. The Stifle Tower has been absolutely killing it lately and if Gordon Hayward misses another game, we could see another monster double-double. Gobert is averaging a ludicrous 4.8 blocks per game over his last four contests and as I’m writing this, George Hill is now OUT. So if Hayward sits, that leaves Rodney Hood and Rudy Gobert as the only two healthy starters left…
Dwight Howard has been playing very well over his last few games. It probably helps that Millsap has been out and now he has a favorable matchup against the Sixers. He’s averaging 40 fantasy points per game over the last five contests and he’ll look to keep it going tonight.
The Bucks have really played well as of late and a big part of that is small-ball lineups. Al Horford should still be able to hang with the Bucks even if they go small due to his mobility as a stretch-four or five. Horford isn’t in a great spot, but he should be fairly low owned and he’s worth a look. To be clear, he’s not as good of a play as Howard.
Player | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y!DFS |
BOS | H | MIL | 60 | 32.6 | 79% | 1.3 | 14.2 | 6.9 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 47% | 19.9% | 32.6 | 34.5 | 33.3 | $7200 | $6900 | $27 | |
UTA | A | SAC | 73 | 33.9 | 65% | 0.0 | 13.8 | 12.9 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 66% | 16.5% | 35.7 | 37.3 | 35.7 | $9100 | $8600 | $32 | |
ATL | A | PHI | 68 | 29.9 | 52% | 0.0 | 13.4 | 12.8 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 64% | 18.9% | 33 | 34.8 | 33 | $7200 | $7600 | $25 |
Player News
Aaron Gordon had a quiet night, finishing with 13 points (6-of-13 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Gordon was mostly held in check on the offensive end, finishing with his fewest three-point makes of the series, the second-lowest scoring output, and no production from the free throw line. While Gordon has made several big plays down the stretch of games this postseason, he was notably quiet in Game 5, making his line feel even less spectacular. He’s performed well in Denver’s two home games this series and will need to empty the tank on Thursday in Game 6 to help the Nuggets keep their season alive.
Jamal Murray scored 28 points (10-of-27 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, one block and three three-pointers in 42 minutes for the Nuggets in their loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Murray registered his third 20-plus-point game of the series on Tuesday, but did so on rather inefficient shooting. A monster 13-point third quarter is where much of his production came from, which gave Denver a decent lead going into the final quarter. However, Murray cooled off down the stretch, scoring five of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. Both he and the rest of the Nuggets will want a better close to Thursday’s Game 6 if they hope to extend their season.
Nikola Jokic was dominant in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 44 points (17-of-25 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 5 three-pointers.
Jokic bounced back in a big way on Tuesday after a few inefficient shooting performances in Games 2, 3 and 4. The three-time MVP had his fingerprints all over the game on the offensive side, regaining his shooting touch and being particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. He made some contributions as a passer, but still hasn’t found a way to dominate in this series as a facilitator, not yet tallying more than six assists in any game. Even with the Nuggets receiving the inevitable bounce-back game for Jokic, it wasn’t enough for them to take control of the series. Denver will need everything it can get from Jokic in Thursday’s Game 6 if it wants to extend the season.
Luguentz Dort came up big for the Thunder in their win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, finishing with 12 points (4-of-8 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and four three-pointers.
Well-known for his prowess on the defensive end, Dort’s offensive eruption in the fourth quarter helped the Thunder climb from out of a big hole to secure a come-from-behind win and move Oklahoma City one win closer to a trip to the conference finals. His three triples in the final frame were huge, but a late assist on a Jalen Williams three might have been the play that delivered the Thunder the victory. Dort’s double-digit outing marked his third of the series, and Oklahoma City would welcome another as it tries to close out the series on Thursday in Game 6.
Jalen Williams was impressive for the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 18 points (5-of-14 FGs, 6-8 FTs), nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in the win over the Nuggets.
Williams landed in double figures in scoring for the fifth time in as many games this series. And while he continued to struggle with shooting efficiency, he remained impactful as a facilitator. The fourth-year wing also delivered one of the biggest shots of Game 5 as he sank a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead it wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Williams will continue to be relied upon when the Thunder head to Denver for a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points (12-of-23 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in the Thunder’s win over the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder on Tuesday, taking on the roles of scorer and facilitator while remaining active on the defensive end along the way. Most importantly, he was key in the final handful of blows that Oklahoma City dealt Denver down the stretch in what ended up being a dominant 34-19 fourth quarter for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, delivered his third 30-point game of the series and will have a chance on Thursday to produce his fourth as the Thunder try to eliminate the Nuggets.