We've got a nice-sized slate here on Saturday, and I'm here to break down my top targets at each position on FanDuel.
Point Guard
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets, $8,600 - Kemba draws a tough matchup with Russell Westbrook tonight, but while Westbrook has been great offensively, his defense is lacking at times. The Thunder are 22nd in DVP against PG and Kemba has seen upwards of 40 minutes per game recently. He’s seeing a ton of usage due to all of the injuries to the Hornets, and he’s a guy who has shot the ball much better at home than on the road.
Michael Carter-Williams, Milwaukee Bucks, $6,700 - MCW and Khris Middleton have really picked up their game for Milwaukee and are still affordable at under $7,000 on FD. MCW has stepped back into the starting lineup and is stuffing the stat sheet. He can be volatile, so he’s better suited for tournaments, but he’s topped 38 FD points in five of his last seven games. The matchup tonight is solid, as he’ll face Ricky Rubio’s sub-par defense and Minnesota is 20th in DVP against PG on the season.
Also Consider - Ish Smith, Chris Paul
Shooting Guard
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers, $5,000 - Redick has seen more scoring opportunities come his way due to the injury to Blake Griffin, and he’s responded by scoring 26 real points in each of his last two games. He can be scoring dependent, but he’s still cheap and he should score effectively against a terrible 76ers defense that is 28th in DVP against SG over the past two weeks.
Kentavous Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons, $5,700 - He’s a GPP-only option, but he’ll be a guy that is well under 10% owned. He can be very frustrating to roster since he his very scoring dependent, however, he does flash 6x upside and plays a ton of minutes each night. He’s coming off of a big 37-FD point outing and now faces a Pacers defense that is 23rd in DVP against SG. He’s played very well against them this year – he’s averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in two meetings.
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs, $8,600 - He’s the first guy that I’m plugging into my lineups today as he provides the upside of a $10,000 player at a $1,500 discount. The Spurs draw an elite matchup with the weak Houston defense that is 28th in DVP against SF. Kawhi took full advantage in their first meeting as he poured in 50 FD points on Christmas Day and should be in store for another big outing tonight.
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, $6,800 - If you can pair Leonard up with Kevin Durant or Paul George then that is a terrific option, however, you’ll have to save elsewhere. If you can’t quite squeeze them in, Middleton is a solid mid-range play. His price is on the uptick but so is his play as he’s been on fire recently. He’s averaging 15 field goal attempts, 25 points, 5 assists and 3.8 rebounds over his last five games, and Minnesota is 20th in DVP against SG.
Also Consider - Kevin Durant, Paul George
Power Forward
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans, $10,200 - It’s gotten to the point where most people roll their eyes at the mention of Davis, but that is what we want for tournament purposes, as he still brings that 50 to 60 FD upside to the table. That is especially true tonight; he’ll do battle with Dirk Nowitzki, who is outclassed athletically at this stage in his career.
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers, $6,300 - Noel has been rejuvenated by the trade for Ish Smith, as he’s produced 33 FD points in each games since Ish’s arrival. He performed well alongside Ish last year and they have a nice chemistry running the pick and roll. His price has yet to adjust, so he’s still available at an affordable price tag.
Also Consider - Draymond Green, Cody Zeller
Center
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers, $7,800 - Jordan was a beast on the glass last year when Blake Griffin was injured, and that trend has continued this year. He’s racked up at least 13 rebounds in five straight games, including 20 last game, and the 76ers have no answer for him on the interior.
Also Consider - Andre Drummond, Karl-Anthony Towns