NFL Tickets
Get a Free Entry to a $200 DraftDay Contest using Bonus Code: RANT
Point Guard
Dennis Schroder $13,400
The Hawks are in a really interesting spot right now. While they are currently the 5 seed, they are just 3 games ahead of the 9 seed. For this reason, you can expect the Hawks to give it a full go each and every night from here on out. With Paul Millsap still out, you can count on Schroder to see the usage he has been seeing. The 76ers have no chance of covering Schroder, who can be an electric scorer at times. Those times have been recent, scoring 40 fantasy points in 3 straight contests. He has taken over as of late and gets another great match-up with the likes of T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas. Schroder will be able to dice up both of them with ease and score at will in the lane. The 76ers are one of the worst rim protecting teams in the league, which is something I look at a ton for a guy like Schroder, who derives his scoring upside from floaters and driving to the basket. Schroder is someone I consider to be safe in both cash games and tournaments. The price is fair for the recent production and there’s no reason to think anything changes tonight.
Russell Westbrook $25,000
Westbrook comes in at an insane 25k price tag, which is max. DraftDay doesn’t have an option, as Westbrook will be 100% owned if he isn’t priced like this. Westbrook and the Thunder are in a spot where they do need to win, as they are tightly tailed by the Grizzlies for that 6 seed. The Thunder also have a chance to overtake the Clippers at the 5 spot, which would give them a significantly better match-up in the first round. You can bet you will see Westbrook out there for at least 36 minutes tonight and you know the type of effort you will see. He’s a guy who hit 70 with ease and blows off the doors when hot. Elfrid Payton is a fine defender, but like most, has absolutely no chance of slowing him down 1 on 1. While not 100%sure as I’m writing this, it looks like there should be some value appearing as the day moves forward. If a few of the questionable players are marked out and value arises, I would expect to see a huge spike in Westbrook ownership as well. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a balanced lineup with consistent 5.5x, look elsewhere. If you want to go a bit more variant with some value options and a couple stars, Westbrook is the guy. Westbrook is as solid as it gets and has the legitimate chance to hit value at an insane price, which can’t be said for anyone else tonight.
Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan $17,400
DeRozan is putting the ball in the basket on a different level right now, hitting 36+ real-life points in 3 of his last 4. The rest of this Raptor team has been struggling quite a bit, which has forced DeRozan to shoulder the load and score a ton. Nicolas Batum has been a solid defender for a while now, but has taken a dip this season. Ranking league average against SG’s, the Hornets are a team that can be taken advantage of. DeRozan is a unique talent and the Hornets have nobody that can stop his specific skill set. For a game that I do expect to stay close and rather high-scoring, I will have a lot of exposure to DeRozan. I expect another huge scoring night with a few added peripherals in transition. While DeRozan has seen a sharp pricing increase, he’s definitely worth it. He’s playing like a superstar right now and is shooting more shots than he has ever before. It’s clear who’s team this is and he’s completely comfortable shooting every time. Great for us.
Tim Hardaway Jr. $10,500
Hardaway Jr. was the only Hawks starter to not reach double digits, finishing with just 9 fantasy points on 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Hardaway Jr. was one of the higher owned players on the Hawks and burned a lot of people. I will go right back to the well here and expect the Hawks to rely on Hardaway quite a bit on the 2nd half of the back to back. Similar to what Popovich does, Budenholzer tends to play 1 or 2 guys lesser minutes in the first half of a B2B and extend them for a huge run in the 2nd game, while giving others some minutes off. Hardaway Jr. will be able to score when on the floor tonight, as the 76ers simply don’t play defense at this point. They have absolutely no interior presence, which makes it impossible for their guards to cover anyone. With no fear of getting your shot blocked, it’s quite easy to penetrate and score or kick each time. TLC and Stauskas will both see time on Hardaway. They are both bad defenders that Hardaway will have no problem scoring on. While Hardaway obviously has the potential of having a horrible game, I don’t mind him in cash games. I definitely expect an uptick in performance tonight from him.
Get a Free Entry to a $200 DraftDay Contest using Bonus Code: RANT
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes $12,100
Harrison Barnes had one of his worst games ever last time out, which is saying a lot if you watched him over the past couple years in Golden State. Andre Roberson ended up shutting him down and he only ended with 13 fantasy points. I expect Barnes to go right back to his normal self tonight, sitting around 30 fantasy points. The Pelicans will throw a combo of Solomon Hill and Dante Cunningham at Barnes, while AD might see some time as well. Barnes has a clear advantage over each and every guy, which means he should be able to score with ease. While it likely won’t be that easy, I do expect Barnes to have a big night. He sees 36-38 minutes on a consistent basis and has played well recently. If Seth Curry is out, he gets another bump. Curry is a big shot-taker and usage stealer. Barnes is my favorite SF option with price considered and will be my highest owned in cash games. I don’t see him flopping on this price tag in this match-up.
Joe Ingles $6,300
Gordon Hayward missed last game and it resulted in Joe Ingles having a very solid night. Putting up 28 fantasy points, Ingles demolished value. He took plenty of shots and made himself a big part of the offense. While the upside was likely hit last game, that’s fine for the price. This match-up is a prime one as the Kings are one of the worst perimeter defensive teams in the league. With Buddy Hield and Tyreke Evans taking most time at the 2 and 3, you can certainly take advantage. If Hayward is out again, Ingles will be in my cash games. Joe Johnson also had 30 fantasy points in 31 minutes and makes for an interesting option if Hayward is out. He is more of a scorer and does have a higher upside, if he gets hot. Make sure to keep an eye on the news for any status update on Gordon Hayward and who will start for him. I don’t hate pairing the 2 in cash games and stacking elsewhere.
Power Forward
Ersan Ilyasova $9,650
Talk about steady take a look at Ilyasova’s box scores. Scoring 20+ in 6 straight and 30+ in 3 of the last 6, Ilyasova has been pivotal for the Hawks with Paul Millsap out and will continue to play at this level until his return. He has given the Hawks a rebounding boost while doing his best to hold his own on defense. Ilyasova should be able to get open tonight, as the likes of Richaun Holmes and Dario Saric don’t play much defense. The 76ers also give up the most 3 pointers to PF, which could definitely come into play for Ilyasova, who can shoot extremely well. Howard spaced the floor well last night for Ilyasova and caused some problems for the Suns down low. The 76ers are a very similar interior as they don’t play much defense at all. Ilyasova is an elite cash game option with nearly no risk. In tournaments, the upside is there.
Serge Ibaka $12,600
Ibaka sees some of his cheapest prices of the year here, sitting 12.6k on DraftDay. While he hasn’t been blowing anyone away recently, he’s been extremely consistent and has a fantastic match-up. The Hornets struggle to rebound the ball and give up a ton of transition turnover and rebounds. Ibaka is an athletic forward that likes to run the court and take advantage of transition. The Hornets and specifically DeRozan, have gotten Ibaka involved more recently, taking more shots in each of the last 3 games. The Hornets played a back to back last night, which should mean the bigs are pretty tired. Marvin Williams and Frank Kaminsky will both cover Ibaka and neither are anywhere near lockdown. Ibaka is one of the safer options for his price and the upside is obviously there. Ibaka is right up there with Ilyasova as my favorite PF after Zach Randolph.
Center
Dwight Howard $15,9000
What Howard has been doing with Paul Millsap out has been undeniable, hitting 30 in all 6 games and 35 in 4 of them. While he hasn’t had any huge performances, he’s been consistent and really good. With Millsap out, his usage and minutes have gone up. His confidence has also gone up, shooting more and more as the season progresses. Howard finally looks to be comfortable in Atlanta and I’ll be targeting him a ton. The 76ers are absolutely putrid down low and Howard will literally do whatever he wants. If Howard wants to get 25 rebounds tonight, he can. He can score 25 points as well. It will just be a matter of how the Hawks want to attack this defense and whether Schroder or Howard will be the main weapon. This is a game I will be stacking a ton as I see a lot of potential on the Hawks side of the ball. As a team who needs to win, the concentrated offense is something to love.
Hassan Whiteside $16,950
Whiteside has played well and consistently as of late, topping 35 points every night and often sitting above 45. The Heat need him every single night to win as they just don’t have the firepower without him. He was the hero last night and will look to return against the Knicks with a huge game. The Knicks are one of the worst defenses down low, ranking 2nd worst ahead of just the 76ers since the All-Star break. Hernangomez is a great young player, but lacks any type of defensive skill. Whiteside will be able to bully him down low and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of the monster Whiteside games we have come to see over the past couple seasons. The Heat are in a tough spot and need to win if they want to move up in the playoff seedings. hiteside knows he needs to have a huge night and I plan on him having one. He is the only player on this court that will stop him. Nobody on the Knicks will at least.
Get a Free Entry to a $200 DraftDay Contest using Bonus Code: RANT
Share 
