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If you can find a way to roster Russell Westbrook ($10,600), I’d highly recommend it. I don’t need to tell you how good he is or that he’s the highest scoring player on DraftKings this season. His assist numbers have been off the charts recently, racking up 12, 15 and 15 dishes in three of his last four games. This guy is a walking triple-double and gets an excellent matchup with Brooklyn tonight. It’s worth noting that Westy dropped 64 DraftKings points on Brooklyn in their lone meeting this season. That was a game that Kevin Durant played as well.
So this feels like a really good time to buy on Marcus Smart ($4,900). Smart has been awesome, albeit volatile, since his return from injury. He’s averaging 24.2 DraftKings points per game over the course of his last twelve outings, but 30.6 DK PPG in his last five. That includes two monster outings of 51.8 and 39 DraftKings points. He is very capable of piling it up in multiple categories and will now get a date with the Sixers who have been atriotious against PGs this season. He should also get some added upside if the Celtics blow the Sixers out, creating more minutes for Smart late in the game.
One of the most under-rated players across the league is DeMar DeRozan ($8,300). He’s been the Raptors best player this season and has returned his fantasy owners big time performances in the last two weeks. He’s gone for 46+ DK points in four of six including 50+ in two of those games. It seems like he’s pouring in 30 real points on a nightly basis, which is a feat he’s accomplished in three straight. The opportunity is going to be there for Demar who has launched exactly 25 shots in each of the last three games. In fact, over the last 11 games, he’s averaging 20.2 FGA which would be the most in the league this season.
Speaking of overlooked, many owners have not realized how good Jae Crowder ($6,500) has been this season. Let’s throw out Friday night’s game against Chicago where he posted a pedestrian 7-2-1 line. He has averaged 17.9 PPG over the previous seventeen games, scoring in double figures in each of them. In fact, only once in the previous 28 games did Crowder fail to reach 10 points. He’s instant offense for the Celtics with double-double upside in the form of rebounds. He provides tremendous value tonight against the Sixers who turn the ball over at the highest rate in the league. That’s ideal for Crowder who is averaging nearly two steals a game (11th most in the league). Note that he missed practice yesterday with an illness, so keep an eye on his status tonight.
Chandler Parson ($5,900) is finally finding his place in the Mavericks offense. He’s been red-hot, averaging 24 PPG and 6 RPG over the last three, resulting in an average of 39 DraftKings points per night. If you go back a little further, Parsons has eclipsed 40 DraftKings points in three of his last seven games. He’s taken 16 and 20 shots in the last two games, his two highest totals of the season. Now he gets a friendly matchup with the Rockets who allow opponents to shoot 30.2% on the three ball this season, 7th worst in the league.
The power forward position is the most difficult on the slate. Many will opt for Nerlens or Ibaka by default, but I want you to at least consider Thaddeus Young ($6,400). He’s certainly cooled off since his impressive start to the season but he is still in an excellent position for the Nets. Brooklyn is very short-handed right now, so Thad’s usage has actually ticked up. He’s still going to see 10-15 shots a night and threaten 10+ rebounds on a nightly basis. He’s a GPP play for tonight who dropped 37 DraftKings points on the Thunder in their only meeting this season.
You have to love what Kelly Olynyk ($5,200) is doing right now. Earning 25+ minutes a night in the Celtics front-court, Olynyk has been exactly what Boston has needed. Fantasy-wise, he’s averaged 30.6 DraftKings points per game in the last five contests. Despite bouncing back and forth between the bench and the starting lineup, his minutes have been fairly consistent for the last month. If you watch a Celtics game, you’ll notice how often Olynyk shoots the ball when he touches it, which is fun to see as his owner. Now he will get the porous Philadelphia front-court which is still trying to figure out which big men can play together. If Olynyk sees extended time against Jahlil Okafor…watch out! He would be in for a nice evening.
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.