NBA DFS Position Coach: March 31, 2016

Thursday’s slate is pretty light, and on top of it two teams are resting starters and several other big names are dealing with injuries. There are a couple of studs I really love, and fortunately the injuries have opened up some opportunities for some cheap players to go with the studs.

Point Guard

Most slates usually feature a lot of point guard options, but this one is different. With Jrue Holiday and Chris Paul out and Kyrie Irving questionable, many of the top options are unavailable. When that is the case I usually like to go very expensive or very cheap, and that is the case again Thursday.

Matthew Dellavedova is averaging 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists as a starter this season, and he would likely start if Kyrie Irving misses Thursday’s game with an illness. J.R. Smith is questionable as well, and Dellavedova could see upwards of 40 minutes if both players are out.

On the other end of the spectrum, Russell Westbrook has five triple-doubles in his last nine games. He is averaging 27.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 12.7 assists and 2.0 steals against the Clippers this season. I am a bit concerned he only plays three quarters, but he should get plenty of fantasy points while he does play.

If those guys don’t do it for you, I suggest going with the relatively safe Derrick Rose. Rose had 17 points, three rebounds and nine assists against the Rockets earlier this month, and it would be pretty surprising if he didn’t at least score 18 points with a few rebounds and a handful of assists. His lack of steals and double-double potential caps his ceiling, but he is a solid player with a nice matchup, and that is in short supply at this position.

Shooting Guard

I feel like it has gone under the radar, at least among casual NBA fans, just how well James Harden has played of late. He is averaging 28.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.6 assists in March. Harden has at least 24 points and eight assists in eight consecutive games. 

I really thought Will Barton would take off with Danilo Gallinari out for the season, and it looks like that may have finally happened three weeks later than I expected. Barton has at least 23 points, six rebounds and two assists in each of his last two games, and now he faces the shorthanded Trail Blazers. I would probably rather just pay up for somebody a bit more consistent, but there is no doubt Barton offers a lot more upside than most of the shooting guards who cost less.

With Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick and Paul Pierce all out Thursday, I expect Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers and Jeff Green to take most of the shots. Rivers is probably a better play than Crawford considering his price and likelihood Rivers will stay on the court even in garbage time. That being said, Crawford is safer and probably has the higher ceiling as well.

Small Forward

It may be a coincidence LeBron had a triple-double with Kyrie Irving out Tuesday, but it may not be. LeBron has two triple-doubles in his last four games and even if Irving does play, LeBron is probably a better play then the more expensive Kevin Durant or the less consistent Paul George.

As I mentioned in the shooting guard section, I suspect the Clippers will rely heavily on Jeff Green while they rest their other starters. We know Green is capable of going off—he had 23 points against the Thunder three weeks ago—and based on volume alone he should be well worth his price.

Dante Cunningham is averaging 38.0 minutes, 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists over his last four games, and there is no reason to believe he will slow down now that Alonzo Gee and Ryan Anderson are likely out for the season. The Nuggets are 29^th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards, which is where Cunningham will essentially be playing, and Cunningham could have a pretty nice game as a result.

I am probably not playing him ahead of Jeff Green, but Al-Farouq Aminu is cheaper than Green on FantasyAces and I could easily squeeze both guys into a lineup. On top of that, Aminu has been far more consistent and he has a better matchup. The Celtics are 27^th in fantasy points allowed to small forwards, and they have been even worse since Jae Crowder went down.

Power Forward

Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points in 37 minutes Tuesday while Taj Gibson dealt with sore ribs. Gibson is questionable for Thursday, and Mirotic would likely see most of the power forward minutes if Gibson cannot go, with Bobby Portis picking up the rest. The Rockets appear to be a very good matchup for Mirotic, as they are 24^th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards and they have allowed 9.7 made three-pointers this season.

Kevin Love’s numbers have been much better with Kyrie Irving out, including a 28-point, 12-rebound effort with Irving out Saturday. If Kyrie cannot go Thursday, Love could have another huge game.

The last time Brook Lopez sat out, Willie Reed got the start. In two starts this season, Reed is averaging 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 29.5 minutes. Henry Sims will be involved as well, but if Reed gets the start he is probably the slightly better DFS play.

Speaking of that game Lopez missed, Thaddeus Young took a team-high 17 shots and finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. Young is overpriced on FanDuel, but he is cheaper than Kevin Love on DraftKings and FantasyAces, and I would like Young better on those sites if Kyrie Irving plays.

Center

The Bulls have allowed the second-most fantasy points to centers this season, and Dwight looks like a look to pick up his third consecutive double-double. The Bulls are third in opponent’s rebounds and second in opponent’s blocks this season.

Don’t look now, but Alexis Ajinca has played very well lately. He is averaging 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over his last four games. No Pelican is going to be very safe while they are fielding a D-League roster, but Ajinca has the best chance to score consistently.

Enes Kanter has seven double-doubles in his last 11 games, and he went for 20 and 10 against the Spurs last week when he rested most of their starters. He faces a similar situation against the Clippers Thursday, and it seems extremely unlikely Cole Aldrich et al will slow Kanter down.

The last time Brook Lopez sat out to rest, Henry Sims had 10 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. That was Sims’s first game with the Nets, and he could see a lot more minutes with Lopez out Thursday.