Welcome to the NBA GPP Pivots article, where we’ll be looking to uncover some sneaky-good DFS plays on FanDuel and DraftKings. 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 popular picks makes for 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.
With that, let’s dive into tonight’s eight-game slate!
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POINT GUARD
Cory Joseph – Indiana (vs Cleveland)
We’ve been on to Joseph ever since Victor Oladipo succumbed to a season-ending injury. After a stretch of mediocrity, it appears that Joseph is finally turning a corner towards fantasy upside. He posted an encouraging 13-9-6 line against the Clippers (35 FP) on Thursday, and there’s certainly room for more of that against a Cleveland team that ranks 29th in defensive efficiency to opposing backcourts. Joseph has logged 31+ minutes in four of his past five, so he should see plenty of opportunities to build another strong showing.
Additional Notes: If Elfrid Payton remains out for New Orleans, Tim Frazier (PG – NO) will get a chance to keep rewarding fantasy backers. Frazier has posted 30+ fantasy points in three of his past six with Payton sidelined. However, keep in mind that there’s a significant risk with an undefined role that seemingly changes on a game-by-game basis.
SHOOTING GUARD
David Nwaba – Cleveland (at Indiana)
You could look towards Nwaba or teammate Jordan Clarkson as a plausible GPP Pivot at shooting guard. Nwaba is much cheaper, and there’s a chance he could see garbage time in a blowout. That’s important because Indiana is favored by 13.5 points while hosting a bad Cleveland team on a back-to-back. Alec Burks has been traded away from the Cavaliers, and Nwaba stepped up for a sneaky 33 fantasy points through 29 minutes last night at Washington. He would become an even more confident DFS streamer if Brandon Knight and Cedi Osman are inactive this evening.
Additional Notes: Would this even be a GPP Pivots column if we didn’t mention Terrence Ross (SG – ORL)? Sure, there’s always a risk when it comes to this scoring-dependent “chucker”, but the rewards are in the game log with 39+ fantasy points in three of his past four.
SMALL FORWARD
Nicolas Batum – Charlotte (at Atlanta)
The small forward position is pretty loaded tonight. You have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George all looking at strong matchups. Meanwhile, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jabari Parker represent reasonable value streamers for those looking to save cap space. Batum could find himself underrated within that noise despite playing some confident ball with 34+ fantasy points in two of his past four. He has averaged 35 minutes per game over that span, which is good news in a competitive matchup against an Atlanta team that ranks first in pace and 25th in defensive efficiency to small forwards.
POWER FORWARD
Thaddeus Young – Indiana (vs Cleveland)
There’s a logjam of mid-range power forwards Jaren Jackson Jr., Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, and Bobby Portis all demanding attention in DFS. Young could be a sneaky pick with a much lower ownership rate than that group. He even has one of the better matchups for a power forward, as the Cavs rank 27th in defensive efficiency to the position. Most people will likely shy away from the blowout risk, but there’s a chance Young could post upside in reduced minutes or thrive if Cleveland keeps things somewhat competitive. The Indiana forward has posted 39+ fantasy points in four of his last five, and he’s definitely on my tournament short list tonight.
Additional Notes: Don’t forget about Mr. John Collins (PF – ATL) here. The Hawks forward has posted 50+ fantasy points twice over the past few weeks, and I really like the matchup against a Charlotte team that ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency to power forwards. Collins posted a sweet 23-11-4 line vs the Hornets in an earlier meeting this season.
CENTER
Ivica Zubac – LA Clippers (vs Washington)
We aren’t sure what to expect from Zubac while moving from the Lakers to the Clippers. However, he’s set to play tonight at Boston. I’m projecting Zubac for at least 20 minutes with room for more if things are going well. After all, the Clippers seem determined to keep Montrezl Harrell under 30 minutes, which leaves the door open for another frontcourt member to see quality playing time. We all know that Zubac can make fantasy noise if given the opportunity, and there’s a chance he’ll get that chance while donning a Clippers uniform.
