We got five games on today's NBA DFS main slate for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. With smaller slates, often times, the number of value plays is limited given the size of the player pool but there are actually quite a few targets I think are worth building your lineups around for tonight's contests.
Isaiah Hartenstein, C LAC
Three straight games with 30+ fantasy points from Hartenstein and he is doing it while playing no more than 25 minutes off the bench during this three-game stretch. The Clippers have come out and stated that some of their veteran players would see minute caps as the season winds down and Hartenstein looks like a clear beneficiary of those changes. He is not a high-volume shooter but he is wildly efficient, shooting 63.3% from the floor on the season. Along with the scoring he is also filling up the stat sheet, averaging 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 steals during these last three games. Tonight the Clippers face a Jazz team that could be missing Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside which would make his matchup much easier.
Tomas Satoransky, PG WAS
Satoransky has entered the starting lineup for the Wizards and over the last two games as a starter he is averaging, 23 fantasy points over 30 minutes of playing time. Tonight's matchup against the Bulls is a tough one but given his increased playing time and ability to do a little bit of everything he should continue to present solid value at his price tag.
Dwight Howard, C LAL
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis doubtful tonight for the Lakers we should see Dwight Howard back in the starting lineup and continuing to play big minutes for this basketball team. Over the last two games, Howard has played 33 and 28 minutes while going for 20 and 39 fantasy points. The matchup against the Mavericks is one that we have loved to target with opposing centers given how soft Dwight Powell is defensively and if Howard is asked to play close to 30-minutes tonight I don't think a double-double is out of the question.
Coby White, SG CHI
So, we need Zack LaVine to be ruled out here for White to be in play but assuming LaVine does sit then White has a great matchup against a bad Wizards defense. We saw White pop off recently in a similar spot against the Pelicans when the Bulls were down a man. His offensive upside is very appealing in GPPs.
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Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.