The way I see it, there are two ways to build your DFS lineups in Thursday’s slate. One way is to start at the scarcest positions, center and power forward, and then go from there. Once you make decisions regarding those positions, you have a crazy number of options for spending the remaining salary. Another way you can go is to start with the guys you like best, and then fill in around them, even if it means playing some forwards you don’t necessarily love. I went that way with my first DraftKings lineup of the day, building a lineup around Goran Dragic, Will Barton, Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard but then facing the prospect of using Jared Dudley in a cash lineup, which I do not love. However you do it, there are a lot of options in Saturday’s slate, especially when it comes to wing players.
Point Guard
The Lakers are playing their fourth road game in five nights after playing in Toronto Friday. Only three teams in Saturday’s slate have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the Lakers, and Andrew Harrison is averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals since Mike Conley went down.
Goran Dragic is averaging 23.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists in his three games since returning from an elbow sprain. I don’t see any reason to believe Dragic’s usage will decrease while all of Miami’s wing players are out, which makes Dragic an excellent DFS value.
It probably isn’t a coincidence Dennis Schroder is averaging 24 points, three rebounds and 10 assists in the two games Paul Millsap has missed. Schroder played just 25 minutes Friday, so he should be relatively fresh against the Raptors.
The Timberwolves have been pretty terrible against point guards all season, and Kemba Walker had 30 points, five rebounds, six assists and five steals against them a couple of weeks ago. While I like Damian Lillard and Steph Curry just fine, I don’t see any reason to pay up for them when Walker has such an attractive matchup.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Andrew Harrison | MEM | H | LAL | 19 | 26.5 | 77% | 0.7 | 6.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 32% | 8.36% | 17.3 | 18.5 | 17.4 | 17.6 | $4,300 | $5,200 | $4,400 |
| Goran Dragic | MIA | A | POR | 14 | 32.8 | 78% | 1.4 | 17 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 1 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 43% | 14.49% | 30.9 | 33.1 | 31.1 | 31.6 | $7,100 | $6,900 | $5,150 |
| Dennis Schroder | ATL | A | TOR | 20 | 29.6 | 77% | 1.3 | 15.6 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 43% | 15.21% | 26.8 | 29.2 | 26.9 | 27.4 | $5,900 | $6,000 | $4,950 |
| Kemba Walker | CHA | H | MIN | 19 | 33.2 | 79% | 2.9 | 23.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 47% | 17.23% | 37.9 | 40.6 | 38.1 | 39.4 | $8,300 | $7,400 | $6,000 |
Shooting Guard
On the one hand, a poor shooting night from Wayne Ellington is almost certainly coming. On the other hand, Ellington has played at least 32 minutes in each of the last two games, and he is still pretty cheap, especially on FantasyAces. Ellington will almost certainly reach double-digit points, and it is certainly possible his hot shooting continues one more game.
Will Barton has played 30 or more minutes in four games this season, and he has at least 16 points, four rebounds and two assists in each of those contests. Barton appears safe to get heavy usage after playing 33 minutes Friday, in which case he is severely underpriced.
I nearly recommended Devin Booker in this spot, but if I am going to pay up at shooting guard, such as it is, I would rather have the safety of Avery Bradley. I love the matchup against the 76ers, and Bradley has scored at least 13 points in every game this season.
Another reason I decided to fade Devin Booker is I believe you can get similar upside at a cheaper price with Wesley Matthews. Dallas hosts a Bulls team on the second of a back-to-back, and Matthews has reached 20 points in four of his last nine games.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Avery Bradley | BOS | A | PHI | 19 | 35.9 | 76% | 2.2 | 17.6 | 7.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 46% | 11.74% | 32 | 34.3 | 32.4 | 33.1 | $6,500 | $6,200 | $4,900 |
| Wayne Ellington | MIA | A | POR | 3 | 30.7 | 75% | 3 | 16 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0 | 0.3 | 56% | 10.04% | 22.6 | 24.3 | 22.7 | 24.1 | $4,300 | $4,000 | $3,300 |
| Will Barton | DEN | A | UTA | 7 | 28.9 | 74% | 1.1 | 12.7 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 38% | 10.41% | 21.5 | 22.9 | 21.8 | 22.1 | $4,800 | $4,300 | $4,350 |
| Wesley Matthews | DAL | H | CHI | 17 | 36.3 | 86% | 2.8 | 14.4 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 35% | 9.91% | 22.3 | 24.8 | 22.5 | 23.7 | $4,800 | $5,000 | $4,200 |
Small Forward
Robert Covington is doubtful, which means Hollis Thompson is a safe bet to lead the 76ers in minutes and finish second to Jahlil Okafor in field goal attempts. Thompson is a strong punt play, especially in GPP lineups.
In seven games as a starter, Joe Johnson is averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals. Johnson is worth starting across the board, but he is dirt cheap on FanDuel and FantasyAces.
Gordon Hayward played 40 minutes and took 22 shots to go with seven assists Thursday with George Hill, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors all out. Heyward may not shoot 54.5 percent from the field Saturday, but I expect he will have to carry a similar load, which makes him pretty safe.
DeMarre Carroll sat out Friday to rest, so he should be fresh while everybody else plays for the second time in two nights. Carroll has scored in double-digits in six consecutive games after a slow start.
I think you almost have to get at least one Warrior in your lineup, and while that will usually mean Draymond Green, I have no problem paying up for Kevin Durant. As much as I like Jimmy Butler and Gordon Hayward, Durant is the best small forward on the slate by far.
I couldn’t decide between Harrison Barnes and Jae Crowder, so I decided to mention both of them. They are both safe, and while I prefer Crowder’s matchup, I don’t think he has Barnes’s upside. If you can afford to pay up for Barnes you probably should, but Crowder could easily wind up the better value.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Hollis Thompson | PHI | H | BOS | 19 | 19.8 | 69% | 1 | 6.8 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 44% | 7.44% | 13.5 | 14.3 | 13.6 | 14 | $3,500 | $3,000 | $3,300 |
| Jae Crowder | BOS | A | PHI | 11 | 28.8 | 93% | 2.2 | 13.4 | 4.9 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 49% | 10.70% | 24.6 | 26.6 | 24.9 | 25.7 | $5,300 | $5,900 | $4,750 |
| Joe Johnson | UTA | H | DEN | 20 | 24.9 | 90% | 1.3 | 9.2 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 46% | 9.11% | 17 | 18.2 | 17.1 | 17.6 | $3,700 | $4,500 | $3,500 |
| Gordon Hayward | UTA | H | DEN | 14 | 35.8 | 90% | 1.5 | 22.1 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 44% | 16.05% | 36.6 | 38.6 | 36.9 | 37.3 | $7,900 | $7,700 | $5,700 |
| DeMarre Carroll | TOR | H | ATL | 15 | 25.7 | 75% | 1.7 | 10.3 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 46% | 8.21% | 18.6 | 19.8 | 18.7 | 19.4 | $4,300 | $4,400 | $4,100 |
| Harrison Barnes | DAL | H | CHI | 18 | 37.5 | 87% | 0.9 | 20.3 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 46% | 13.90% | 29.6 | 31.1 | 29.9 | 30.1 | $6,100 | $6,400 | $5,100 |
| Kevin Durant | GSW | H | PHX | 19 | 35.2 | 86% | 2.2 | 27.7 | 8.6 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 56% | 18.40% | 49.3 | 51.9 | 49.7 | 50.4 | $10,500 | $10,700 | $7,550 |
Power Forward
Dario Saric is more expensive than Hollis Thompson, and probably riskier too, but he stands to gain from Robert Covington’s injury as well. Only three teams in the NBA have allowed more rebounds than the Celtics, and Saric is more likely than Thompson to take advantage.
Power forward in today’s slate reminds me a lot of how the shooting guard position usually looks. There is one guy who is clearly better than everybody else, and a bunch of okay to below-average players after that. Julius Randle is at the top end of the okay group, but he is the only one who can challenge Draymond Green for most fantasy points by a power forward Saturday. Randle played just 22 minutes Friday, and if he plays closer to 30 minutes like I suspect he will, he should get his third double-double in the last four games.
As I mentioned above, Draymond Green is the favorite to lead the position in fantasy points, and this could be the safest he will ever be. The Suns are a joke defensively, and Green had 14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists against them two weeks ago.
If you want a cheaper power forward and don’t trust Saric, Jared Dudley is probably a bit safer. The Warriors played down to their competition the last time they faced Phoenix, which allowed Dudley to rack up 14 points, three rebounds and five assists. Dudley is averaging 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds on two days rest this season.
The last time Dwyane Wade sat out to rest, Nikola Mirotic had 15 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes. Mirotic costs more than Saric and Dudley, and he is just as risky, but his ceiling is much higher.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Dario Saric | PHI | H | BOS | 19 | 24.6 | 69% | 1.2 | 8.7 | 5.6 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 37% | 10.75% | 17.7 | 19.6 | 18 | 18.3 | $3,800 | $4,000 | $3,700 |
| Julius Randle | LAL | A | MEM | 18 | 27.2 | 71% | 0.2 | 12.9 | 8.8 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 52% | 15.24% | 28.4 | 30.5 | 28.9 | 28.5 | $6,600 | $6,500 | $4,950 |
| Draymond Green | GSW | H | PHX | 18 | 33.7 | 69% | 0.9 | 10.7 | 9 | 7.1 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 42% | 8.98% | 37.8 | 39.7 | 38.3 | 38.3 | $8,000 | $8,200 | $6,300 |
| Jared Dudley | PHX | A | GSW | 18 | 25.3 | 61% | 1.5 | 8.8 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 49% | 8.30% | 17.3 | 18.8 | 17.5 | 18 | $3,800 | $3,600 | $3,800 |
| Nikola Mirotic | CHI | A | DAL | 18 | 22.8 | 71% | 1.4 | 9 | 5.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 38% | 9.75% | 19.1 | 20.7 | 19.4 | 19.8 | $4,200 | $4,300 | $4,000 |
Center
With all due respect to Andrew Harrison, the only player you can really trust to take advantage of a tired Laker team is Marc Gasol. Gasol is averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists over his last four games, and he is a solid cash play.
Dwight Howard failed to reach double-digit points or rebounds Friday, the fifth time that happened this season. In the games following the four previous instances, Howard is averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Those are basically Hassan Whiteside numbers at a far cheaper price.
When I discussed Hollis Thompson I mentioned Jahlil Okafor would probably lead the 76ers in field goal attempts, and that is enough to make Okafor an attractive play if you want to go cheap at center, especially on FanDuel or FantasyAces. Okafor is coming off a season-high 28 minutes Friday, and if I knew for certain he would get that many minutes again, he would be a must-play.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Marc Gasol | MEM | H | LAL | 19 | 33.2 | 82% | 1.5 | 18.4 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 45% | 14.62% | 33.3 | 35.4 | 33.6 | 34.1 | $7,100 | $7,100 | $5,600 |
| Dwight Howard | ATL | A | TOR | 19 | 28.9 | 48% | 0 | 13.8 | 12.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 61% | 15.94% | 33.1 | 35 | 33.7 | 33.1 | $7,800 | $7,300 | $5,550 |
| Jahlil Okafor | PHI | H | BOS | 18 | 21.5 | 51% | 0 | 11 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 51% | 15% | 19.2 | 20.1 | 19.4 | 19.2 | $4,400 | $5,200 | $3,800 |