We are a few weeks into the NBA season and things are really taking shape. The 76ers might set the record for losses in a season, the Knicks are still the same garbage team after paying Melo, Brian Shaw has made a mess with the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings set a NBA record for losing consecutive games in which they were up 18+ points after the first quarter. With that said how about we get on with some picks.
On Saturday night we have a big 10 game slate:
Point Guards
If you want to spend at point guard then look no further than Stephen Curry ($10,300), Chris Paul ($10,200) , and John Wall ($9,600). I don’t have to tell you how good these guys are but I will tell you that all three play at home.
If you don’t want to spend that much for point guard and wanted to go little cheaper, Damian Lillard ($7,900) has been playing great as of late. With Nicolas Batum ruled out and LaMarcus Aldridge questionable, Lillard will be needed to set up again in the scoring department.
Derrick Rose ($7100) is questionable with a hammy. If he is out again then fire up Aaron Brooks for the bargain basement price of ($3000).
Shooting Guards
There isn’t much to get excited about with shooting guard on Saturday night. It seems we will have to wait for some injury news to come out before we finalize this position. If Derrick Rose is out then I shouldn’t have to tell you to play Jimmy Butler. He sees more of an offensive role with Rose out but his price has risen to ($6,800).
Klay Thompson ($7,000) has turned the corner this year IMO. His dribble drive game is a lot better. He has a solid usage rate of 26.0 on the season. I don’t think he should have a problem hitting value.
Wesley Matthews ($6,000) and Courtney Lee ($5,000) have been really consistent this year. You know what you’re getting with these guys. Both average just under 30 DraftKings points on the season.
P.J. Hairston ($3,000) should draw the start with MKG out.
Small Forwards
Once again small forward isn’t great, but we all know LeBron James ($11,000) is. Not much to say here about the best player in the league. If you can fit him then do so.
San Antonio will be on the second half of a back to back. If Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are not playing then Kawhi Leonard ($7,100) will have to carry the offensive load. Either way I’m fine with playing him.
I don’t see much value at cheap SF. If you had to dig deep then Corey Brewer ($3,800) has seen an uptick in scoring with Ricky Rubio sidelined.
Power Forwards
Power Forward has some nice high end plays. Blake Griffin ($9,600) is the most expensive PF on the board for a good reason. The Phoenix Suns give up the most points in the league to power forwards. Think that says enough.
Pau Gasol ($8,500) has been on fire with back to back 52 Draft Kings points. If Roy Hibbert is guarding Joakim Noah then that makes Pau even that much better of a play.
Note: Check the status of LaMarcus Aldridge ($9,200). He is listed as questionable with an illness. If he is out then Thomas Robinson ($3,000) is listed as his backup.
Thaddeus Young ($5,800) had a death in the family and probably will not play. Anthony Bennett ($3,000) should see more playing time, because starting Gorgui Dieng next to Nikola Pekovic didn’t work well. Not a bad punt option.
I like Tim Duncan ($7,900) if he plays, but if he doesn’t play on the second game of a back to back then Boris Diaw ($4,600) is another punt option at PF.
Centers
Joakim Noah ($7,400) is trending in the right direction. Seems to be getting healthier and his production is showing. The Pacers by the numbers are the worst team at defending centers.
Throw Tyson Chandler’s ($6,200) last game out. Only played 19 minutes and really wasn’t needed in the beat down of the 76ers. The three games prior he has had three consecutive double/doubles. Now there is some risk of a blow out again with the Timberwolves coming to town, but if you want to save money he isn’t a bad option.
Chris Kaman ($4,300) has been solid with the limited minutes he is getting. He has been well over a point a minute in the last three games. If LaMarcus Aldridge sits the game out he should see more run.
On Sunday we a small 4 game slate:
Denver at New York – One thing I don’t understand is the Nuggets rotation. The only player I like is Ty Lawson. He’s the only player that has a solid role with Brian Shaw. If you’re looking to save money then look at J.J. Hickson. Carmelo Anthony is always in play. He’s basically all the Knicks got. Iman Shumpert has been steady, but I like him more when he was running the point.
Milwaukee at Miami – There is only one Buck I want in my cash games and that is Brandon Knight. Giannis Antetokoumpo is a GPP option. I don’t have any interest in anyone else. Dwyane Wade was out on Friday so check his status. Mario Chalmers had a great game with Wade out on Friday. Chris Bosh is always an option but will be pricey. With the Heat front court back from their injuries the Shawne Williams experiment is over.
Houston at OKC – Top options are Dwight Howard and James Harden. On a 4 game slate Trevor Ariza is a fine play. If you need to save money at PG then Isaiah Canaan is your man. On the OKC side of the ball look no further than Reggie Jackson. His usage rate is 7th among point guards and he’s averaging over 40 minutes a game. Jeremy Lamb is still getting lots of run too. Anthony Morrow has come back from being injured and should be a nice value.
Golden State at L. A. Lakers – Don’t over think it. Fire up all the starters on the Warriors. The Lakers it’s the Kobe Bryant show again. He has the highest usage rate in the league and it’s not even close at 36.2. Jordan Hill really has been playing at a high level too. Kinda surprises me to be honest. I don’t know if I can recommend Carlos Boozer because his lack of defense might see him on the bench in the 4th quarter. Ronnie Price will be back from suspension, so Jeremy Lin won’t see all the minutes at the point. If you need to save money then Ed Davis is a salary saver.
Get over to Draft Kings and get in on some NBA action. They have games at all different price points.
Don’t forget to check twitter for any late scratches and player news. As always you can catch me on twitter @realdaddybigs or leave a comment below. Good luck this weekend in your games.
