Today’s Projections

2015-16 Game Logs | Player Scoring Calendar | Salary Database | Points Allowed By Position

I’m not sure what narrative you want to go with for Kyle Lowry ($8,600) but they are all in play. He’s been outstanding, scoring no less than 45 DraftKings points in any of his last five games, including a 21-10 line last night against Washington. Now he travels back to his home town, where he played college ball, to earn the best matchup a PG could ask for with the 76ers. Lowry is having a breakout season and everything is converging in a positive manner for him right now. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a lineup of mine without Lowry in it.

We’ve talked all season long about Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,400) and the massive amount of minutes he logs for Detroit. Well, nothing has changed from that standpoint, but KCP has really gotten to a new level offensively as of late. He’s averaged 33 DraftKings points per game over his L4, which would be 6.1x value again tonight. His usage is on the rise, as he’s launched double digit shots in nine of his last ten games. He earns a solid matchup with Brooklyn who surrendered 34 DraftKings points to Caldwell-Pope in their only meeting this season. He’s a heavy minutes earner, playing well, with upside. That’s a lot of good things for KCP who will be a staple in my lineups.

Gordon Hayward ($7,200) is the ultimate buzzkill. He seems to come up small in every great situation and have a great game when he’s less than 1% owned. It’s incredibly frustrating. Putting that aside, he’s still asked to carry the load offensively for the Jazz and can threaten 20 shot attempts on any given night. He has plenty of upside, but can lay an egg on any occasion, making him strictly a GPP play. On the plus side, Hayward posted a 24-11 game against Miami for 42.5 DraftKings points in their only meeting this season.

The safer play at the position appears to be Otto Porter ($6,100) who provides himself a nice floor with the ability to fill up the stat sheet. Coming into last night’s game, he had averaged 34.8 DraftKings points over his previous five. Then we dropped a well-rounded 16-5-3-2-1 line, good for 32.75 DraftKings points. That’s exactly what you’d expect from Porter again tonight. Porter has shredded Orlando this season, averaging 38.8 DKPPG in three contests versus the Magic. That includes a massive 50.25 point game just one week ago.

No one is happier to have Ish Smith in Philly than Nerlens Noel ($6,600). Nerlens is on the receiving end of so many alley-oops that he’s turned into a walking double-double. Nerlens is averaging 35.8 DKPPG in the seven contests he’s played since Ish came back to Philadelphia. That’s a full ten points more than his average without his new PG this season (25.5 in 25 games). Noel looks like a whole new player and is under-priced in this matchup against TOR coming off a B2B.

Keep a close eye on the Raptors injury report. Already down DeMarre Carroll, they could be without Terrence Ross as well making them really short-handed for tonight’s game. That might open up some extended run for Luis Scola ($4,700) who is a volatile player in his own right. With opportunity, he’s not afraid to shoot the ball and can get hot at any time. He’s scorched Philly in their two meetings this season averaging 21.5 real points and 32.5 DraftKings points per game.

Center is incredibly shallow tonight in my position. I have little confidence in any of these guys. Andre Drummond  ($8,900) looks to bounce back after his season low in rebounds (5) and gets a nice matchup with Brook Lopez who is a defensive liability. Drummond dropped 50.5 DraftKings points on the Nets in his only matchup this season.

It’s probably worth paying up for Drummond, but if you need someone cheaper, you could look towards Jahlil Okafor ($6,000). The rookie is offensively gifted and is a legit 20-10 ceiling type of player. There were glimmers of hope in the Atlanta game that Okafor and Noel could improve each other’s game and it was easily their best outing together (though that’s not saying much). Okafor has destroyed Toronto for 43.6 DKPPG in their two meetings this season.

That’s all folks! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more player analysis as news and injuries break closer to tip-off! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.