This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
DraftKings has excluded the earlier game as per usual, leaving six games for the featured slate. This article will follow suit and eliminate the UTA/ORL game.
Friday was another good cash showing for me as my primary cash lineup came through with picks like Knox, Adams and Rozier propping up just average performances from Wall and Ibaka. Emmanuel Mudiay and Thaddeus Young were big sleepers among the GPP winners, as players continue to take risks on the whims of David Fizdale.
On the inactive front, our new additions are Lou Williams and Trevor Ariza. Both of their pivots are GPP plays only, but Patrick Beverley ($3,600) should be a reasonable pivot off of Williams. It remains to be seen if Josh Jackson will take the floor, but if he plays, he will slide in to replace Ariza. Most of the other injuries remain static, but we'll try to exploit them as well in our selections below. Also, Zach LaVine's injury didn't look good, and he'll miss at least the next two games. As for viable pivots for LaVine, I would largely stay away. I would instead opt for an established player like Justin Holiday ($5,300) to absorb the output over the backups.
The two games I'm targeting sport the highest O/U's on the slate. LAL/CHA and LAC/OKC are both full of playable options despite the back-to-back implications for the Thunder and the Hornets. We'll get to those picks below as well.
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. LAC ($11,200): I think the All-Star is worth the green you're paying for him on Saturday. The Clippers are on a horrible skid and lack the services of Lou Williams, who is often the glue that holds this team together when the chips are down. Westbrook torched the Clippers for 56 DKFP in their last meeting and LA's recent history versus point guards isn't going them any favors. Their defense has yielded huge totals to both Mike Conley and Justise Winslow over the past week. Westbrook also stands out over Harden, who will face a tough test against the Grizzlies.
Derrick Rose, MIN at PHO ($6,000): Rose enjoys an almost 20-percent bump in production when working on a day of rest, and that's just one reason why he's an excellent play here. The Suns are essentially dumbstruck without Devin Booker at the helm which sets up nicely for Rose, who has put together a nice trio of stat lines against Sacramento, Golden State and Portland over the last week.
Reggie Jackson, DET vs. BOS, ($5,100): With Ish Smith (groin) ruled out, Jackson will likely be forced to increase his time on the court due to a lack of serviceable options at the position. The next option is Jose Calderon, and if you want to ride that horse, be my guest. I won't be dipping for sub-par output like that. Give me Jackson as the beneficiary to Smith's absence.
Other guards to consider:Kemba Walker, CHA vs. LAL ($9,300), Jeremy Lamb, CHA vs. LAL ($5,300), Avery Bradley, LAC at OKC ($3,700)
FORWARDS
LeBron James, LAL at CHA ($10,700): Is this a night to play the King? I think so. You'll have to likely decide between James and Westbrook as your spend-up play, but I think this game checks all the boxes for LeBron. The Hornets are playing on no days rest, and James has been dropping 50-plus DKFP scores on the regular. In many ways, James is a more reliable play than Westbrook here. Vegas also favors this matchup with a narrow spread and a high O/U, so I'm going to fire up James wherever I can.
Kyle Kuzma, LAL at CHA ($7,800): His price is starting to get prohibitive, but Kuzma is the option in this game if you're fading LeBron. I don't think a James/Kuzma stack is terrible either, but if you're looking to diversify risk, I'd only roster one of them. Kuzma has been THE guy in Brandon Ingram's absence, and he'll continue to pick up that slack as long as he's out. 40 DKFP nights are probable while Kuzma is in this game script.
Dario Saric, MIN at PHO, ($4,200): With Taj Gibson out, Saric has the opportunity to contribute, and he'll enter the starting lineup for the first time with his new team. Robert Covington has benefited more from the Philly trade than Saric has, largely because Saric is more of a four and their frontcourt is already solidified with Karl-Anthony Towns running the show inside. Saric's increased minutes should give him an opportunity for more involvement on Saturday.
Other forwards to consider: Paul George, OKC vs. LAC ($9,200), Rudy Gay, SA vs. CHI ($6,400), Marvin Williams, CHA vs. LAL ($5,100)
CENTERS
Clint Capela, HOU at MEM ($8,100): Capela is on a fairly respectable four-game swing in which he's averaged a little over 30 DKFP per game, but he has also recorded three double-digit rebound performances across that same span, and Marc Gasol and company have seen their frontcourts get demolished by Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis in recent days. I'm not including Capela in such elite company, but I think he'll still present some problems for the Grizzlies. Capela's price is more attractive than the elite centers, and I feel like you need to spend down at center on this slate, so this is about as high as I want to go.
Steven Adams, OKC vs. LAC ($6,500): Rather than spend up here, I'm going to look for value at center. Towns is a great way to go but he's expensive, and the Griffin/Drummond tandem hasn't fared well versus the Celtics this season, so it's logical to drop to Adams, who had a 42.8 DKFP game against the Clippers in their last meeting. Adams is on a back-to-back, but I'm not too concerned about it.
Davis Bertans, SA vs. CHI ($3,500): Aldridge could give way to Bertans in what could easily be a blowout for the Spurs, who went two-for-three in their LA swing. Bertans provides an added bonus on the perimeter, where he will regularly heave up some threes to pad your stat line.
