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2015-16 Game Logs | Player Scoring Calendar | Salary Database | Points Allowed By Position
Obviously it’s recommended having as much exposure to Westbrook and Curry as possible, but let’s look somewhere else at point guard. I am considering Goran Dragic ($6,700) who continues to play the best basketball of his season. In the seven games since Chris Bosh has been out with an injury, Dragic is averaging 38.1 DraftKings PPG. That’s thirteen points higher than his average for the first 43 games of the season. It should come as no surprise that his usage is at a season-high. He’s taking 15.6 shots per game and playing over 34 minutes a night during this stretch. Tonight he gets the ideal matchup with the Phoenix Suns who make every PG in the league look like an all-star. The Suns already average the most points allowed to the PG position and have given up more than that average in three of the last four games. Take a look at the Points Allowed By Position chart, to see how bad it really is.
It’s chalk all the way the SG position tonight. That means Klay Thompson ($7,900). He’s likely the top play at the position whether or not Steph Curry suits up in this game. Klay launched 27 shots without Curry in the lineup on Tuesday night. Despite shooting it poorly, he still finished with 45 DraftKings points in the effort. In the previous seven games (all with Curry), Thompson is averaging 38.9 DK PPG while taking 19.9 shots per contest. He’s scored at least 40 DraftKings points on five occasions in that stretch. That includes a 32 point performance (43.75 DK points) against the Thunder just four days ago. This game is going to an explosive offensive outing and Thompson should be right in the thick of it.
Kawhi Leonard ($7,700) is quietly the hottest player in the league. Always overlooked because he isn’t “sexy”, but he stuffs the stat sheet like no other player. He’s averaging 45.04 DK PPF over his last seven which would put him right at 5.8x value again tonight. He has scored no less than 40 DraftKings points and no more than 47 in that span. He’s one of the greatest cash game plays on the slate as he takes on the Pelicans on the road. New Orleans is giving up the 5th most points per game this season while allowed 113 per game in the last three.
It’s going to be hard to avoid Serge Ibaka ($5,900) tonight. This game has a massive total and the power forward position is incredibly thin. His fantasy outputs have been extremely volatile, but he has scored double-digit real points in seven straight. It’s the other scoring categories that will become a crapshoot. The real appeal here is what Ibaka was able to accomplish against the Warriors just five days ago. He posted a monster 15-20 line, good for 48.5 DraftKings points. That was Ibaka’s single best fantasy performance of the year.
If you thought PF was thin, center will make you cry. Hassan Whiteside is clearly the chalk play. If you cannot afford or are unwilling to roster him, Tim Duncan ($4,800) is a viable option. You really have to pick your spots when rostering the 39 year-old Duncan, but this may be a decent spot. After three full days off, Duncan only played 20 minutes last night in the Spurs win against Detroit. Despite limited minutes, he posted a solid 12-8 line. I don’t think it would be unreasonable for Duncan to play around 25 minutes tonight in New Orleans, with an off day tomorrow. He’s certainly going to be risky, but when Duncan plays a full complement of minutes, he’s a walking double-double and would only need ~25 fantasy points to pay for himself.
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.