NBA DFS Position Coach: April 6, 2016

With eight games on Wednesday’s slate, I had a harder time finding strong DFS plays than I thought I would. The problem, as I see it, is a lot of teams have begun cutting down the minutes of their top players. I would love Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant if I was convinced they would play 30-plus minutes. On top of that, a lot of good players are getting shut down for the season and replaced by guys like Henry Sims and Thomas Robinson. There are, of course, still some exciting DFS plays, and the good news is you can gain an even greater advantage by finding less-obvious fantasy values.

As you may have noticed, the charts below are a bit sparse due to some technical difficulties, but we hope to have them straightened out for our next NBA Position Coach. 

Point Guard

D’Angelo Russell is shooting a putrid .296 from the field in his last five games, but he is still averaging 33.2 minutes and 16.2 field goal attempts per game. His shots are going to start falling again sooner or later, and this is likely as cheap as he will ever be. I am willing to use him in a cash game lineup, and he makes an awesome tournament play.

Tim Frazier is averaging 16.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 34.0 minutes over his last three games. His price is higher and his matchup is tougher than in those three contests, but at the very least he could give you double-digit points and a handful of assists at a still-modest price.

Jeremy Lin had 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes with Nicolas Batum out Tuesday, and while he has always been a bit of a streaky shooter, he should at least play 35+ minutes if Batum sits again Wednesday.

The point guard middle class has been thinned out by injury, but there is hope if you want a more stable guy who won’t break the bank. Only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, and Reggie Jackson is averaging 18.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists over his last three games.

John Wall has double-digit assists in 13 consecutive games, with 12 double-doubles and two triple-doubles over that span. Wall has also played at least 32 minutes in 11 straight games, which makes him a bit safer than the other elite point guards.

Shooting Guard

I suspect I will have James Harden in all of my lineups Wednesday. At a time when a lot of the top players are getting fewer minutes, Harden has played 40 or more minutes in seven consecutive games. In three games against he Mavericks this season, Harden is averaging 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists in 37.7 minutes.

Wesley Matthews is averaging 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals over his last three games. Only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to shooting guards than the Rockets this season, and only the Kings have allowed more three-pointers.

Jeremy Lamb didn’t do a whole lot with Nicolas Batum out Tuesday, but he did play 19 minutes. Lamb has proven he can fill the stat sheet in limited minutes off the bench, and if Batum is out Wednesday we shouldn’t be surprised if Lamb gets hot and earns more minutes the way Jeremy Lin did Tuesday.

C.J. McCollum is your best bet if you need a safe shooting guard who doesn’t cost as much as James Harden. McCollum is averaging 21.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists over his last five games, and he has averaged 20.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists against the Thunder this season.

Small Forward

The Pacers, Trail Blazers and Cavaliers are third, fourth and fifth in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to small forwards, so I am not rushing out to play any of the stud small forwards Wednesday. If I have to pick one I will go with LeBron James, as he has averaged 28.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in three games against the Pacers this season.

Jae Crowder has averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals in 33.0 minutes in the two games since returning from his sprained ankle. The Pelicans are 23^rd in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to small forwards, and Crowder could see even more minutes with Evan Turner out Wednesday.

James Ennis is averaging 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.0 steals in 18.3 minutes in four games since joining the Pelicans. He has at least 11 points in all four games, and he is as safe as it gets at such a cheap price.

Beasley is probably the only player in this article I wouldn’t really consider for a cash game. That being said, he has scored 20 points or more in three of his last eight games, and if he does so again he will be a very nice value.

Power Forward

Can I just not play a power forward today? Blake Griffin isn’t playing enough to justify his price, Kevin Love isn’t worth playing while Kyrie Irving is active, and everybody else is either hurt or has a really tough matchup. Since I can’t punt the position, I will go with Dirk Nowitzki. The Rockets are 22^nd in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to power forwards, and Dirk is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists against them this season.

Markieff Morris has played 32 or more minutes in three consecutive games, averaging 17.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in those games. The Nets are third in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to power forwards, making Morris my favorite power forward play of the day.

Thomas Robinson has four consecutive double-doubles, and while he costs too much on FanDuel, his price is still reasonable on the other sites. Robinson should continue to start and produce with Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez out for the rest of the season.

Center

I’m not quite as bullish on Alexis Ajinca as I was Tuesday, but I doubt you will find a cheaper center who will play 25-plus minutes and has a decent chance at a double-double. The Celtics are allowing 46.1 rebounds per game this season, which certainly helps Ajinca’s chances.

If I knew for sure Henry Sims would play close to 30 minutes I would probably like him better than Ajinca, even though Ajinca has the better matchup. Sims has started twice this season; he played 19 minutes in the first start and 30 in the second. He had 12 points and seven rebounds in those 30 minutes, which is why he is worth a shot Wednesday, especially in a GPP. Ajinca is just a little bit safer.

Andre Drummond has double-doubles in eight consecutive games, and that kind of safe production is in short supply Wednesday. The Magic are 24^th in fantasy points allowed to centers this season, and Drummond has averaged 23.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in two games against Orlando this season.

In his only game against Brooklyn this season, Marcin Gortat had 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists. With the Nets’ starting frontcourt out Wednesday, Gortat could easily have another big game.