Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Help.
Too… many… games.
Last night was calm, cool and collective. Four games with plenty of fantasy goodness, not a ton of havoc. It was good. Fast forward to tonight and I’m about to flip out. There are 14 (!) games this evening and I don’t know what to do with myself. So, I’m just going to do what I normally do.
Write.
Note: FPPG totals are based off FanDuel.
Goran Dragic, PG (vs LAL)
FPPG allowed to PG: 43.20 (27th)
Is it a coincidence that the name Dragic bears a striking resemblance to the word “magic”?
No. No it is not.
After an impressive 28-point, eight-rebound, four-assist, one-block, one-steal outing on Monday night, Dragic has now posted 40 fantasy points in three of his last four games, as he continues to warrant must-start status with Eric Bledsoe on the sideline. Tonight, against the Lakers horrid defense, he is once again in must-start territory. Only three teams are allowing more fantasy points to point guards than the Lakers and there is simply so much to like about this game. It will certainly be a high-scoring affair, seeing as the Lakers are coming off a game where they allowed 120 points to the Cavs, and are now coughing up the 2nd-most points per game in basketball (105.5). Also, both of these teams rank inside the top-10 in pace, so Dragic will see plenty of offensive touches. The last two meetings between these two teams saw a ton of points, as the final scores were 117-90 and 114-108. I love his chances of posting with a 20/5/5 stat line (at least) as the Lakers are also surrendering the second-most rebounds per game to point guards, coming in at 6.15.
Jerryd Bayless, SG (vs TOR)
FPPG allowed to SG: 36.75 (24th)
A morning trade made fantasy headlines, as the Celtics shipped Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Warriors, which means the Celtics will have three active guards for tonight’s game against the Raptors. Bayless is one of the those guards, who was already playing significant minutes since joining Boston, but should be 30-plus minutes this evening. He’s an incredible value at only 6,650 on DraftDay, and the matchup isn’t bad by any means, as the Raptors are coughing up the 7th-most fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards. Bayless is also averaging two steals per game over his last five, while the Raptors are surrendering the second-most steals per game to shooting guards (2.01). He should make for an incredible value play this evening.
Wesley Matthews, SG/SF (vs CLE)
FPPG allowed to SF: 40.55 (28th)
Matthews is eligible at small forward on DraftDay, and I think he is a very safe play tonight, especially when you consider how consistent he is seemingly every night. He’ll never give you a 50 or 60-point fantasy outing, but always manages no fewer than 30. This could be the night he explodes against a Cavaliers team that has struggled to defend the position all season long. And, of course, you target three-pointers with Matthews, who is sinking 2.6 triples per contest. That bodes well against the Cavs, who are coughing up 26.2 points per game from beyond the arc, the third-most in the NBA. 25.8 percent of points scored against them come from three, which is also the third-most in the NBA.
Blake Griffin, PF (vs DAL)
FPPG allowed to PF: 40.67 (14th)
I love Griffin tonight. Dallas has an undersized frontcourt, and Griffin is playing out of his mind right now. I wrote a lot about him last night, so it makes sense for me to advertise him tonight. He is one of only three non-point guards that rank inside the top-25 in offensive touches per game, so there continues to be plenty of volume. And when you consider that both of these teams rank inside the top-15 in pace, Griffin should see plenty of touches in this one. Dallas is also struggling on the boards, allowing 11.5 offensive rebounds per game (10th-most) and 32.6 defensive rebounds per game (12th-most). The last time Blake met Dallas, he went off for a strong 25 points, 15 rebounds and 52 fantasy points. I think he can do that again tonight in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Miles Plumlee, C (vs LAL)
FPPG allowed to C: 49.50 (30th)
If you are looking for a cheaper option at the center position tonight with strong upside, look no further than Plumlee. Averaging a strong 10 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, Plumlee has been one of the unsung heroes for this surprising Phoenix squad. He’s grabbed 11 rebounds in two of his last three games, and could flirt with 20 against the worst rebounding team in basketball tonight. The Lakers are coughing up the most offensive and defensive rebounds per game this season, and they are almost allowing a ridiculous 50 fantasy points per game to centers. Again, this game features two high-pace teams, so Plumlee may get more work than usual. Lakers opponents are also allowing the second-most paint points per game this year, coming in at 48.2. I’ll be playing him quite a bit tonight. Expect a solid double-double.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
