NFL Tickets
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Point Guard
Eric Bledsoe $16,550
I was certainly tempted to put Westbrook here, but couldn’t pull the trigger at $25,000. With that being said, he is a very strong tournament play. He also gives you a pretty solid floor, even for his price in cash games. However, there is a guy I like more and that’s Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe is coming off a game last night against the Hornets where he only played 25 minutes. That should allow him to play a full allotment tonight in what figures to be a very high-scoring game. The Suns will match up with the Thunder tonight, which means Eric Bledsoe will garner the scoring responsibility. It will also let Westbrook cover him, which is good news. With so much energy used on offense, Westbrook has not been a good defender this season. Bledsoe should be able to take advantage and have a very nice night. He is my top option at PG in both cash games and tournaments.
Derrick Rose $12,250
Rose may not be the prettiest name to click, but he’s been getting it done. Rose has seen an uptick in minutes since Brandon Jennings was released, predictably so. He takes on a 76ers team tonight that is notoriously bad against guards let alone guards who drive to the basket. With Joel Embiid out for the season and Nerlens Noel being traded to the Mavs, that leaves Jahlil Okafor and Richaun Holmes to protect the rim. Neither are above average defenders in the first place and stand no chance against most guards. Rose will be able to have success once again tonight and will pay off value at a very fair 12,2k on DraftDay.
Shooting Guard
Brad Beal $13,450
Beal and the Wiz faced off with the Raptors just 2 nights ago, with Beal having a very nice game. I expect him to have an even better performance tonight, as he was coming off a back to back with the Warriors in which he played huge minutes. He will draw DeMar DeRozan on defense, which is fairly neutral for a lethal shooter. Beal should be in for another solid 35 fantasy point outing with the upside to top 50. If Wall is having an off night, he has no problem deferring to Beal, who rarely has off nights. Beal is a good play in all formats, though he’s elite in tourneys.
Alec Burks $5,000
Burks saw 28 minutes out of nowhere last game, so it looks like his minutes may be coming back. This is a guy who was one of the best scorers on the team just last year, but fell off due to a horrible leg injury. He looks to be close to full health now and faces off with the Nets tonight. If he does see another 24-28 minutes, he will destroy value. He runs point guard off the bench quite a lot, especially in games that are fast-paced and require a ball-handler with speed. Burks has a lot of upside, but is definitely more of a tournament option.
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Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard $17,250
I don’t think Leonard will be too popular tonight, with many paying up for the likes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Leonard may not have the upside that either of those guys have, but the floor is certainly there. With the new and improved Pelicans interior, I do expect the Spurs to struggle a little bit tonights. This should force Leonard to play a bit more and actually worry about scoring. There is nobody on this team that can cover Leonard, though I’m sure Solomon Hill will give it a shot. Dante Cunningham has the length but is far too slow.
Gordon Hayward $15,450
Hayward will definitely be popular tonight and I don’t care one bit. He sees a match-up with the Nets, who are the best match-up in the league for small forwards. Hayward is the offensive leader of this team and will play a huge part in tonight’s game. He will draw the defense of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is a decent on-ball defender, but lacks the strength to contend with Hayward down low. Hayward is one of the safer options on this entire slate and can be played in both cash games and tournaments.
Power Forward
Kristaps Porzingis $15,900
The hesitance with Porzingis last game came to the uncertainty in his minutes. He ended up playing 33 and scoring around 35 fantasy points, which was plenty good enough. I would expect him to see at least 33 minutes in this one as he takes on the 76ers. Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric will both see time on Porzingis, with neither having much of a chance. Saric obviously matches up better, but still lacks the size that it will take down low. Porzingis has seen a slight price increase, but nothing too much. He is a better option in tournaments, but power forward isn’t great tonight, so I like him everywhere.
Julius Randle $12,400
Randle went absolutely crazy last game out against the Hornets, finishing with 23 points, 18 rebounds, and over 60 fantasy points. While we likely can’t expect that consistently this whole season, he is a player with that upside. He has been hindered by injuries, but when healthy a stud. I think his floor sits around 30 tonight against a Celtics team that is 2nd to last in rebounding. Randle will see Al Horford for most of the game, which will be a fun match-up. I expect Randle to be a little too quick for him. Randle is a supreme cash game play and a great one for tourneys.
Center
DeMarcus Cousins $19,450
Cousins may not be a popular play tonight, but I love him. The Spurs are super weak down low on defense, with Dewayne Dedmon really being the only guy. He stands absolutely no chance against Cousins who is better than Dedmon at literally every single thing on a basketball court. LaMarcus Aldridge might also try, but I don’t need to tell you how that will end up. Cousins has been integrated into this offense well, so I’m not worried about that. Cousins is my top elite play on the board and will be in all of my cash games and tournaments. On DraftDay, I will not be rostering any other center. If you need to pay down a little, my favorite guys are Dwight Howard and Kyle O’Quinn (if Hernangomez is out).
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