This article aims to highlight some of the alternative plays at each position for tonight’s main NBA slate. These are some potentially lower-owned, higher risk/reward options for use in large field GPPs. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop. Today’s main slate includes all four games starting at 1:30 ET.
POINT GUARD
Luka Doncic – Dallas (at LA Clippers) – Yahoo: $55, DK: $11,000, FD: $10,500
I’m assuming, as I did on Monday, that Kyle Lowry and Jamal Murray will be the most popular point guard options today. They are reasonably priced, and both played well in their Game 1. Neither played as well as Doncic, however, and he remains the most expensive player on all three sites. That should be enough to hold his DFS usage down, but I think you can fit him into your GPP lineups if you’re willing to take on more risk at some other positions today.
Also Consider: Kemba Walker
SHOOTING GUARD
Marcus Smart – Boston (vs. Philadelphia) – Yahoo: $18, DK: $5600, FD: $5600
We loved Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert on Monday and they did NOT disappoint. There is no reason to doubt their continued success tonight, only at a much higher roster percentage, not to mention price point. Enter Smart, who is coming off an almost inexplicably bad Game 1 vs. the 76ers (for fantasy, anyway). Smart went 0-5 from the field, pulling off a single rebound and one assist in 31.5 minutes. He scored two points on free throws. I’m calling it an off night, and with Gordon Hayward out for the foreseeable future, Smart needs to take on a more prominent role. I have to note that Jaylen Brown is also considered probable today with a bruised thigh. If Brown were to sit out, Smart would certainly be rostered at a higher rate, becoming much more chalky. He’s a great value today if you can overlook Monday’s debacle.
Also Consider: Paul George
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SMALL FORWARD
Joe Ingles – Utah (at Denver) – Yahoo: $18, DK: $5600, FD: $5500
Ingles is only rarely going to put up GPP-winning numbers, but he can get hot in bunches. With Mike Conley out, Ingles played 43 minutes Monday and tallied around 38 fantasy points. On the season, he is averaging about six more fantasy points per game against Denver than overall, so there is clearly something about the matchup that fits. I’m willing to spend down here and differentiate a bit from the Kawhi Leonard/Tobias Harris lineups.
Also Consider: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (DK, Yahoo)
POWER FORWARD
Michael Porter Jr. – Denver (vs. Utah) – Yahoo: $28, DK: $7000, FD: $6700
I’m not the biggest Porter believer, but I do think we’ll see some fireworks from the young forward during this series. He was a popular play on Monday, where he fizzled with just 27 fantasy points. That made three games in a row where Porter played basketball like a second-year kid rather than the league MVP. This is all fine, except that his salary has reflected the MVP-like stats of his mid-bubble breakout. Now that it’s down a bit, I’m buying back in to Porter. He’s a nice fit in my tournament lineups on all three sites, and is a definite pivot from more popular players like Tobias Harris or Pascal Siakam.
Also Consider: Maxi Kleber (if Kristaps Porzingis is out)
CENTER
Rudy Gobert – Utah (at Denver) – Yahoo: $33, DK: $7400, FD: $7800
I’m honestly just hoping that Gobert is a pivot from Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, who were both excellent in their Game 1s. Gobert is priced far lower than either, and while he also didn’t post the numbers they did, he came away with a respectable 38 fantasy points on Monday. If his free throw shooting had been better (1-6), it would have been nice, but his four blocks and two steals made up for that. Tonight you either pay up for one of the top centers, or you pay up for Doncic. I like both paths, and if you choose Doncic, Gobert is my favorite alternative at center.
Also Consider: Jarrett Allen
