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Welcome to the NBA GPP Pivots article, where we’ll be looking to uncover some sneaky-good DFS plays away from the popular selections. These recommendations are usually risk/reward commodities meant to be used in large-field tournaments. Typically, blending these low-owned hidden gems with well-aligned staples contributes to a viable GPP strategy.
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 while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We’ll take a look at Friday’s 11-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Steph Curry – Golden State (vs. Portland) - DK: $9,600 / FD: $9,000 / Yahoo: $40
Curry hit a cooler Sunday vs. Toronto but managed to bounce back Wednesday in Philadelphia with 25 points on 55 percent three-point shooting. Games between the Warriors and Trail Blazers are always fun, and Vegas has a 225-point total on tonight’s. Portland ranks 28th in defensive rating, so although the DvP doesn’t stand out, this is a good matchup for Golden State. Given that Curry’s price is still so high, and that there are a million or so viable PG options, I think he’ll be rostered at a low rate tonight despite his high floor/ceiling combination.
SHOOTING GUARD
Malik Beasley – Minnesota (at Charlotte)
With Patrick Beverley out, we can expect to see more of Beasley tonight and going forward. He’s minimum salary on Yahoo, and close enough on FanDuel and DraftKings to make him a great value play. He may not be rostered as infrequently as some other guys on this list, but he should definitely be on your radar as a risk/reward option in a good situation. This game has a ton of positive factors: pace, defensive matchups, high total, and competitive (1.5-point spread). There are a lot of ways to take advantage, but none cheaper than Beasley, who put up 39 fantasy points on Wednesday.
SMALL FORWARD
Buddy Hield – Sacramento (at LA Lakers)
Hield is a frustrating player to roster and I think he tends to go underowned a lot. Not that he can’t disappoint you, but he can surprise you too. Settling in as a consistent double-digit scorer, Hield provides the most value when he can rack up the peripherals. The Lakers turn the ball over at a high rate, play at the second-fastest pace, and give up the ninth-most overall fantasy points.
POWER FORWARD
Julius Randle – New York (vs. Phoenix)
There are a ton of good PF options on this slate. I think Randle will be among the lowest-rostered of the star players, which is compounded by the many viable value plays at the position tonight. Finally, the Suns are still a highly-rated defensive team and Randle will have to contend with Deandre Ayton much of the night. Still, Phoenix offers a significant pace bump, and the game is expected to be fairly high scoring and close. This is a perfect environment for Randle to at the least continue to put up 45ish fantasy points, as he has done twice already this week. His best games tend to come vs. better teams.
CENTER
Nikola Vucevic – Chicago (at Orlando)
In a revenge game, I have to get a little exposure to Vucevic tonight. While Towns, Gobert and Anthony Davis all have slightly better matchups, the Magic still fall into the Top 10 center matchups. Orlando also gives up the second-most overall fantasy points and turns the ball over at the sixth-highest rate. Vucevic has been very solid this season, a regular double-double machine, despite the increased talent level around him. Using him tonight is hoping his teammates defer to him a little bit, letting him shine for a 50-plus fantasy point game.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Sacramento Kings: Richaun Holmes and Harrison Barnes are both game time decisions tonight, meaning there could be some late-breaking value on this slate. Keep an eye on the starting lineup for the Kings, and consider rostering a minimum salary Alex Len or Tristan Thompson if Holmes is out. If Barnes sits, consider Marvin Bagley. He has been a fantasy let-down, I know, but has also busted out the rare super-value game. Ideal tournament play.
Atlanta Hawks: I’ve wanted to work some Hawks into my lineups tonight without breaking the bank. Memphis is actually the worst defensive team in the league right now, and they give up the third-most fantasy points to opponents. John Collins is a possibility; coming off a dud game Wednesday night he is sure to be left out of even tournament lineups tonight. Trae Young is pretty obvious, but expensive. I like Kevin Huerter a lot, but am also squeezing down to Lou Williams in order to fit the stars I want in a GPP lineup. For the minimum salary, Williams returning 15 or so fantasy points would be fine with me if it means I can have four stars. Huerter is more expensive, but has been averaging about 27 fantasy points per game in the last four games while playing at least 30 MPG.
