NBA DFS Playbook Position Coach: January 22, 2016

Friday is a crazy day for injuries, so be sure to check Fantasy Alarm for the latest news before finalizing your lineup. Regardless of injuries, I think you will want to go cheap at small forward, and pay a bit more at center. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Point Guard

Russell Westbrook was ejected the last time the Thunder played the Mavericks, and assuming that doesn’t happen again, Westbrook could go off. The Mavs have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, and Westbrook had 31 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and five steals against Dallas back in November.

The Heat are a mess right now, and while Tyler Johnson is fine defensively, I think Toronto will put up a ton of points. Jonas Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan are my picks to click, but Lowry is just as capable of going off and is probably safe.

Ty Lawson scored a season-high 18 points Wednesday, and with Patrick Beverley and Jason Terry both questionable, Lawson could be worth a start. He remains frustrating for fantasy, but he has reached 12 points in two of his last three games, so perhaps he is turning a corner.

Lawson isn’t turning a corner on defense, which is good news for Jerryd Bayless. If Houston’s best defensive point guard and rim protector are both out, Bayless could have a huge day, even if he only plays 25 minutes.

Nicolas Batum is out, and if Jeremy Lamb is out as well, Jeremy Lin should get a lot of minutes and shots. Even when he plays a lot he is inconsistent, but at the very least he is a GPP play Friday.

Shooting Guard

Most of my flex plays Friday will probably be shooting guards. On the one hand, shooting guard is probably the best place to spend up. On the other hand, there are a couple of bargains that will be very difficult to pass up.

Beno Udrih, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside are all out Friday. Tyler Johnson will be forced into point guard duty, and he had 14 points and five assists in 35 minutes Wednesday. Josh Richardson had six points, three rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 30 minutes Wednesday, and is worth considering as well. Richardson’s value would be helped if Gerald Green (questionable) is out.

DeMar DeRozan has topped 30 points in back-to-back games, and while that streak will come to an end soon, it may not be Friday. The Heat have struggled in the games Hassan Whiteside has missed, and they may struggle to put five healthy bodies on the floor. Josh Richardson could guard DeRozan for much of the game.

If Jeremy Lamb joins Nicolas Batum on the bench, P.J. Hairston could get around 30 minutes per game. Jeremy Lin is probably the better DFS play in that scenario, but Hairston is cheaper and also worth playing.

Victor Oladipo is active Friday, but there is no word yet if he is starting. He is averaging three points and nearly three more rebounds per game as a starter, and is worth playing if he gets the start.

Finally, James Harden makes this list mostly because you need to spend money somewhere. The difference between Harden and the rest of his position is vast, and I like him better than the top plays at other positions.

Small Forward

There are bargains at nearly every position Friday, but you almost have to go with a bargain play at small forward. The best of the bunch is probably Justise Winslow, who played 36 minutes Wednesday.

Winslow scored just nine points, but he had six rebounds and six assists. Winslow could play even more with Luol Deng out, and should provide solid production yet again at a bargain price.

Chandler Parsons is averaging 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the two games he has played without Dirk Nowitzki this season. Parsons is a solid play if Dirk is out, especially on DraftKings.

Marcus Thornton has played at least 18 minutes in four consecutive games, and he could play even more if Patrick Beverley and Jason Terry are both out. Thornton is a GPP play if Beverley is out, and a cash game play if Beverley and Terry are out.

With Kevin Durant, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony all facing potentially tough matchups, Kawhi Leonard is the best play if you are looking to spend up at shooting guard. I am concerned this game will be a blowout, but Leonard could get his numbers even if he only plays three quarters.

Power Forward

Hassan Whiteside has been ruled out for Friday, and in the two games he has missed this season, Chris Bosh has averaged 23 points and 11.5 rebounds. Depending on who else is out, the Heat may have to run their offense through Bosh, which could help as well.

Terrence Jones has played 30 minutes in seven games this season, averaging 16.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in those games. Jones has an excellent chance to top 30 minutes if Montrezl Harrell is out

Trey Lyles has scored at least 13 points in three of his last four games, and is a safer alternative to Jones if Harrell suits up.

Center

Center is the only place I’m not really going cheap, though there are a couple mid-priced guys I like. It may be best to fill this position last, as you could go expensive or cheaper depending on how much you have left.

Only the Spurs are allowing fewer points than the Heat this season, but opponents are averaging 105.5 points against Miami when Hassan Whiteside is out. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 12.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in January, and should be able to take advantage of Whiteside’s absence.

The Bulls have allowed the second-most opponents' rebounds this season, so it is no surprise Jared Sullinger is averaging 11.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games against the Bulls this season. Amir Johnson has struggled lately, which could mean even more minutes for Sullinger.

On the other side of the ball, the Celtics are have allowed the fourth-most opponent’s rebounds this season, and Pau Gasol is averaging 16.5 points and 16.5 rebounds against Boston this season. Gasol could get even more shots if Jimmy Butler is limited or out.

Clint Capela is a near must-start when Dwight Howard is out, especially on FanDuel. Capela had seven points, 10 rebounds and three steals the last time Dwight was out.

Only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing centers than the Nets, and there is little reason to believe Brook Lopez or anyone else on that team can slow down Rudy Gobert.