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Almost every position is thin tonight, but the point guard position is particularly bare. With no good matchups in sight, I will be relying heavily on the “matchup proof” studs. My favorite being Chris Paul ($9,000). Paul is averaging 46/8 DraftKings PPG in the 23 games since Blake Griffin has last played. Compare that to the 29.3 DK PPG in the 24 games with Griffin in the lineup this season. Paul is coming off a massive outing in the last game before the break, dropping 70.8 DraftKings points on the Celtics with a 35-13 effort. While the matchup is less than ideal, Paul has been excellent against the Spurs recently. He scored 52 DraftKings points against SA in their only meeting this season (a game that Griffin also played). Even going back to last year, Paul torched the Spurs (averaging 22/8/5) in their seven game series in the first round of the playoffs.
E’Twaun Moore ($5,400) is the logical option at shooting guard tonight. In the last four games that Jimmy Butler didn’t play, Moore has averaged 30.65 DK PPG and posted his four best games of the season in terms of fantasy points. That average game tonight would be worth 5.6x value at his current salary. Moore is able to contribute in three categories, relying on scoring and being active on the glass. It’s not an ideal matchup with the slow-paced Cavs, but it’s going to be tough to find more usage and opportunity from a player in this price range.
Despite my love for CP3 today, if you can only pay for one stud, make it LeBron James ($9,800). The King showed why he’s still one of the best players in the world, beating up on SAC and LAL in the last two games before the break, dropping 57.5 and 58.75 DraftKings points on them respectively. James is such a physical player that he will probably benefit more from the extended rest than most players. Now he gets the Bulls who are significantly worse defensively without Jimmy Butler in the lineup, allowing an absurd 111 PPG over the last three, which is ten points more than they normally average this season. LeBron has alread torched the Bulls this season, averaging 55.6 DK PPG in their two meetings.
It’s chalk city in the NBA tonight and that mean LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,900) is firmly in play. This is easily the best fantasy run he has had this season, averaging 41.7 DK PPG over the last six contests. He’s cracked 40+ DraftKings points in seven of his last eighteen. That’s a feat he only accomplished five times in the first 31 games this season. A date with the Clippers should allow Aldridge to keep it rolling, as LaMarcus scored 50.25 DraftKings points in their only meeting this season.
A quick note on today’s trade deadline. There have been rumors stirring that Pau Gasol is being targeting by a few teams, including Sacramento. If Gasol gets dealt before this game, there would be plenty of fantasy implications. The Bulls are already down Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic in the front court. Without Gasol, it would be likely that Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis absorb all the minutes.
Marcin Gortat ($6,400) is Mr. Consistent for the Wizards right now. Four straight double-doubles have resulted in an average of 35.2 DraftKings points per game for this owners. It’s been encouraging to see Gortat produce with Bradley Beal back in the lineup for Washington. This is not a good matchup with the Jazz, but there are not good matchups to be had across the board today. Take solace that Gortat will likely score you 5x value and move on!
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.