This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Welcome back to the DraftKings preview for what should be a fantastic weekend around the NBA. In addition to a bunch of top-notch matchups, there are quite a few fantasy-friendly games between fast-paced, defense-averse teams. Throw in the recent Rajon Rondo trade, and you've got the perfect recipe for a weekend full of fantastic value plays.
While Rondo's move to Dallas probably renders him unrosterable for at least the next game or two, his absence leaves an obvious hole in the Boston lineup, with Phil Pressey ($3000), Marcus Smart ($4100) and Evan Turner ($4600) all candidates to benefit. Pressey seems most likely to start at point guard in Friday's excellent matchup with the Timberwolves, and if he does, he'll essentially be a must-start on DraftKings.
Smart, who is dealing with an Achilles injury, will probably be more of a long-term beneficiary, which doesn't help us much in daily fantasy. Turner is far more intriguing than Smart for this weekend, and you could easily make a case for rostering both Turner and Pressey in the event that Pressey gets the start. That's probably what will happen, but the situation still bears close watching. After Friday's game, the Celtics will face the Heat in Miami on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Spurs watch is on high alert, after the boys in silver and black lost a triple-overtime thriller to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Tim Duncan (48 minutes), Manu Ginobili (41) and Danny Green (52) all saw far more playing time than what they're used to, and San Antonio has a weekend back-to-back against the Blazers (Friday) and Mavs (Saturday).
It's a given that Duncan and Ginobili will be rested for one of the two games, but in light of Wednesday's events, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich might opt to treat the first game of the back-to-back the way he'd normally treat the second. With Tony Parker (hamstring) and Kawhi Leonard (hand) still sidelined, there should be some excellent opportunities to find value. Not that this will necessarily affect the decision, but while Friday's game is on national television, Popovich would probably be quite happy to defeat a key rival in what will likely be Mavs' first game with Rondo. If it were me, I'd rest Timmy and Manu on Friday, ESPN be damned.
That brings us to the next team of high intrigue, as the Blazers not only have the possibility of facing the scrubby version of San Antonio, but also have injury issues of their own. With Robin Lopez (hand) sidelined, Thomas Robinson ($3000) got the start and put up 40 DraftKings points in Wednesday's game against the Bucks. If he starts against the Spurs, Robinson will be a fantastic option at the minimum price, even if Duncan suits up.
With Nicolas Batum (wrist/knee) also in danger of missing Friday's game, it's hard not to like Robinson, Wesley Matthews ($5500) and Damian Lillard ($8500). If Batum sits, his minutes will likely be divided between some combination of C.J. McCollum ($3000), Allen Crabbe ($3000), Dorell Wright ($3000) and Will Barton ($3000), which makes it hard to recommend any of them, regardless of who starts. The Blazers might also make use of tiny lineups featuring Lillard, Steve Blake and Matthews, so it's not a great situation to get sucked into. For our purposes, the real beneficiaries would be Lillard and Matthews.
Lastly, Kevin Durant ($10,900) is a game-time decision for Friday against the Lakers, after spraining his ankle at the end of a 30-point first half in Thursday's loss to the Warriors. While the injury makes me a bit hesitant, I still like Durant if he plays, and I love Russell Westbrook ($11,500) if Durant can't go. Should KD ultimately sit, Westbrook and Kobe Bryant might combine for 60 field-goal attempts. It may not look pretty in terms of team records, but Friday's Lakers-OKC showdown is the second-most interesting game this weekend, behind only Rondo's presumed Saturday debut.
Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings…
Point Guard
Damian Lillard, POR (Fri. at SA, Sat. at NO), $8,500 – Lillard carries a very reasonable price for a guy averaging 39.8 DraftKings points, despite tearing it up over the last week or so. He's reached 45 DK points in four of his last five games, including a 49.5-point showing against the short-handed Spurs on Monday. Lillard may get another shot at the Spurs' reserves, and the team is already missing Parker and Leonard. There's also the potential for a Batum injury absence, which could leave Lillard with an increased distributing role. And, even if none of this comes to fruition, Lillard is still a strong option at $8500. I'm not quite as high on him for Saturday, but I'm confident that a big game is coming Friday night.
Other options:Russell Westbrook, OKC (Fri. at LAL, Sun. vs. NO), $11,500; John Wall, WAS (Fri. at MIA, Sun. vs. PHO), $10,400; Aaron Brooks, CHI (Fri. at MEM), $3300; Phil Pressey, BOS (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at MIA); Dennis Schroder/Shelvin Mack, ATL (Sat. at HOU)
Shooting Guard
Gary Neal, CHA (Fri. at PHI, Sat. vs. UTA), $3700 – With Lance Stephenson (groin) out for the weekend, Neal and Gerald Henderson are poised to take on added minutes. Henderson will likely get the start, but Neal is the far more interesting commodity, as he's averaging 19.1 DraftKings points over 24.3 minutes, compared to just 13.3 over 23.4 minutes for Henderson. With the weekend matchups quite favorable, Neal and his sometimes-hot shooting have the potential to provide a huge return at $3700.
Other options:Dwyane Wade, MIA (Fri. vs. WAS, Sun. vs. BOS), $8400; Jimmy Butler, CHI (Fri. at MEM), $6800; Brad Beal, WAS (Fri. at MIA, Sun. vs. PHO), $6200; Tim Hardaway Jr., NY (Sat. vs. PHO); Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (Sat. at LAC)
Small Forward
Shabazz Muhammad, MIN (Fri. at BOS, Sun. vs. IND), $4500 – Muhammad's price is starting to rise, but he's averaging just under one DraftKings point per minute, and he's logged between 27 and 29 minutes in each of the last four games. That makes him a solid bet to hit 25 DK points in a pair of friendly weekend matchups, with Friday's game against the Celtics looking especially favorable. Adding to the intrigue, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders recently suggested that Muhammad could replace Corey Brewer in the starting lineup. Even if he stays on the bench, Muhammad should be a fantastic option this weekend.
Other options:Gordon Hayward, UTA (Fri. at ORL, Sat. at CHA), $7600; Jeff Green, BOS (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at MIA), $6400; Wilson Chandler, DEN, (Fri. vs. LAC, Sat. vs. IND), $5700; Evan Turner, BOS (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at MIA), $4600; Jared Dudley, MIL (Sat. at LAC)
Power Forward
Robert Covington, PHI (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. at ORL), $5800 – Covington's price has finally caught up to his production, ending that stretch of four-to-five games where he was a must-start in any lineup. While no longer an incredibly obvious choice, he still has quite a bit of appeal for the upcoming favorable matchups, though I imagine he'll be a bit overpriced after the weekend. Covington reached 30 DraftKings points in five of his past six games, and he's averaging just under a point per minute for the season. Of course, what I'm really hoping for is another start for Portland's Thomas Robinson, preferably against an undermanned Spurs team.
Other options:Blake Griffin, LAC (Fri. at DEN, Sat. vs. MIL), $10,500; Tim Duncan, SA (Fri. vs. POR, Sat. at DAL), $8800; Serge Ibaka, OKC (Fri. at LAL, Sun. vs. NO), $6800; Kevin Garnett, BKN (Fri. at CLE, Sun. vs. DET), $4100; Thomas Robinson, POR (Fri. at SA, Sat. at NO), $3000; Amare Stoudemire, NY (Sat. vs. PHO)
Center
Kelly Olynyk, BOS (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at MIA), $4900 – While I really don't like the center options for Friday, it does look a bit better for Saturday and Sunday, with Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins likely to carry reasonable prices due to recent absences. Al Jefferson against the 76ers is Friday's obvious pick, but he'll surely be a popular choice, and the price is quite lofty for a guy averaging 35.4 DraftKings points. I slightly prefer Olynyk, who is coming off games of 52.25 and 30.5 points, heading into a favorable matchup with the Timberwolves. I have a feeling that Jefferson, Olynyk and Mason Plumlee will all be very popular choices, and the same may be true for DeAndre Jordan. I guess my point is that I don't love any of these guys, and I'll just pick whichever one fits in a roster. Really, I'm looking ahead to Saturday and Sunday, with eyes on D12 and Boogie.
Other options:Al Jefferson, CHA (Fri. at PHI, Sat. vs. UTA), $8900; DeAndre Jordan, MEM (Fri. at DEN, Sat. vs. MIL), $8200; Jonas Valanciunas, TOR (Fri. at DET, Sun. vs. NY), $6200; Mason Plumlee, BKN (Fri. at CLE, Sun. vs. DET), $6100; Dwight Howard, HOU (Sat. vs. ATL); DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (Sun. vs. LAL)
