NBA DFS Position Coach: March 4, 2016

There are a lot of value plays at every position Friday, so you really have a lot of flexibility in setting your lineup. Small forward and center are probably the weakest positions, so it may be worth it to fill those first. There are also a lot of situations that could turn based on a couple of game-time decisions, so be sure to check back with FantasyAlarm for the latest news before tip-off.

Point Guard

Trey Burke is behind Shelvin Mack and Raul Neto in the point guard pecking order, but Jazz head coach Quin Synder will likely need Burke’s scoring punch if Rodney Hood is out. Burke scored 11 points in 14 minutes Wednesday, and he will likely be worth a shot if Hood is out Friday.

D’Angelo Russell will likely come back down to earth soon, but it probably won’t be Friday. Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson and Kobe Bryant could all sit, making Russell and Julius Randle responsible for all of the scoring. Russell has attempted at least 19 shots in three of his last four games, and he would likely take at least that many with so many teammates out.

Ronnie Price has been pretty terrible over the last two games, but he is still the starting point guard in Phoenix, and the Magic are still 28^th in fantasy points allowed to point guards this season.

On the other side of the ball, no team has allowed as many fantasy points to opposing point guards as the Suns. Elfrid Payton’s minutes are down since Brandon Jennings arrived in Orlando, but he has still averaged 29.2 minutes per game over the last five games. Payton had 12 points, 10 assists and five steals in his only matchup with Phoenix, and no team has allowed as many opponent’s steals as the Suns.

John Wall is averaging 25.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 11.7 assists against the Cavaliers this season. Damian Lillard and Kyle Lowry will likely be more popular plays Friday, but Wall could be worth the extra money you have to spend to get him.

Michael Carter-Williams has missed two consecutive games, and Jerryd Bayless averaged 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists over those two games. If MCW is out, Bayless is a safer—albeit slightly more expensive—alternative to Burke and Price.

Shooting Guard

Kobe Bryant is listed as questionable for Friday, but I would like him quite a bit if he plays and Jordan Clarkson sits. If Clarkson and Kobe are both out, Nick Young would virtually be a must-play, especially in GPP lineups.

Will Barton has struggled this week, but he is still averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.2 minutes with Danilo Gallinari out. Barton has been pretty streaky this season, and sooner or later he is going to bust out of his shooting slump and go on a hot streak. I’m willing to take a chance it happens Friday.

J.R. Smith is probably due to knock down a bunch of threes and have a big game, and there is an excellent chance it comes Friday. The Wizards have allowed the second-highest opponent’s 3-point percentage and the third-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

If you are looking to pay up at shooting guard, which I don’t necessarily recommend, Dwyane Wade is a fine choice. Wade is averaging 23.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his last six games, and should be extremely safe for cash games against the lowly 76ers.

Small Forward

For whatever reason I don’t often recommend spending a bunch on small forward, but I’m making an exception Friday. There are some reasonable options if you want to go cheap, but I much prefer the more expensive options.

Gordon Hayward played 37 minutes and took 22 shots Wednesday as Rodney Hood played just 13 minutes after suffering a blow to the head. Hood is questionable for Friday, and Hayward will likely be forced to pick up the offensive slack if Hood is out.

LeBron James has averaged 29.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in two games against the Wizards this season. On a day in which small forward is pretty thin and Kevin Love is out, I think it makes a lot of sense to lock in LeBron’s production despite the price.

Kent Bazemore has a good chance to play extended minutes against Kobe Bryant and Nick Young, which would just be awesome. Only two teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing small forwards than the Lakers this season, and Bazemore has at least 14 points and six rebounds in three consecutive games.

Shabazz Muhammad may never be terribly consistent, but he has two 20-point games in his last six contests. The Bucks have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season, and Muhammad is your best bet if you are looking to go cheap at small forward, especially in a GPP.

Power Forward

As has been the case more often than not lately, there are a lot of worthy power forward plays Friday. Power forward is a good place to spend some money, but I like the idea of paying up for Paul Millsap as well. Millsap is one of the safest power forwards for DFS, and his shooting struggles in February have kept his price down. The Lakers are third in opponent’s points and second in opponent’s rebounds, and I like both Atlanta big men in this game.

As mentioned above, Julius Randle could get a ton of shots if Kobe Bryant and Jordan Clarkson are out. Randle is a pretty strong play anyway against an Atlanta team that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season, but he will likely be in all of my lineups if Kobe and Clarkson sit.

Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel are both questionable, and Carl Landry would be a must-play if both starting big men sit. Landry has averaged 11.3 points in 14 minutes per game over the last three games, and he would see far more playing time with Okafor and Noel out.

Kevin Love is averaging 32.6 minutes since the All-Star break, and most of those minutes will be split between Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye with Love getting the day off Friday. I could see both guys playing more than 30 minutes Friday, and while Thompson is probably the safer play, Frye has a ton of upside at a bargain price.

Center

As much as I like Paul Millsap, I like Al Horford even more. The Lakers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, and Horford is averaging 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 blocks over his last 10 games.

Despite a poor game Thursday, Hassan Whiteside is averaging 18.4 points, 15.0 rebounds and 4.1 blocks since the All-Star break. Whiteside isn’t even the most expensive center on FanDuel, which seems a bit ridiculous.

I am almost certainly paying for Horford or Whiteside in most of my lineups, but Robin Lopez and Jonas Valanciunas are cheaper alternatives. Valanciunas is a great value on DraftKings, while Lopez is cheaper on FanDuel and FantasyFeud. Both players had double-doubles the last time they faced their respective opponents, and have an excellent chance of doing the same again.