.jpg)
Not to completely oversimplify it, but the relative struggles of Russell Westbrook and James Harden head-to-head this season can mostly be traced to one man: Andre Roberson. Roberson is an excellent defender who the Thunder use almost exclusively on James Harden, and Harden is averaging 17.0 points and 7.0 turnovers against the Thunder as a result. Of course, Roberson’s offensive shortcomings are well documented, and playing Roberson 34.5 minutes per game allows Houston to build a wall to keep Westbrook out of the paint. One or both of these players could have a big game because they are just that good, but they won’t be in my DFS lineups, especially with Patrick Beverley back in the lineup to guard Westbrook.
Another reason to fade Harden and Westbrook is to take advantage of all of the other great matchups. The top five teams in points allowed all play Thursday, and the biggest challenge may be choosing which Pacers to play against Brooklyn or which Mavericks you like against the Suns.
Point Guard
Kyle Lowry is coming off his worst game of the season Tuesday against the Spurs, and the only question in my mind is if he has a good game Thursday or a great game.
As good as C.J. McCollum is offensively—more on that shortly—he isn’t a great defender. D’Angelo Russell has at least 15 points, four rebounds and five assists in each of his last three games, and it certainly helps that opponents are shooting 37.9 percent on threes against Portland this season.
Deron Williams isn’t quite as exciting as D’Angelo Russell, but he is safer and costs the same. Williams is probably a slightly better cash game play.
No team on Thursday’s slate has allowed more fantasy points to point guards than the Brooklyn Nets, and Jeff Teague is more than good enough to take advantage. Teague has an excellent shot at a double-double in a pretty weak slate for point guards.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Jeff Teague | IND | H | BKN | 36 | 32.1 | 84% | 0.9 | 15.4 | 3.9 | 7.7 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 43% | 23.10% | 33.4 | 35.3 | 33.6 | 33.8 | $7,800 | $7,400 | $5,600 |
| Kyle Lowry | TOR | H | UTA | 34 | 36.9 | 85% | 3.4 | 22.2 | 4.8 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 47% | 24.46% | 39.1 | 42.5 | 39.4 | 40.8 | $8,100 | $7,800 | $6,400 |
| D'Angelo Russell | LAL | A | POR | 25 | 26.9 | 79% | 2.4 | 15.2 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 40% | 27.49% | 26.2 | 29.1 | 26.4 | 27.5 | $6,300 | $6,000 | $4,750 |
| Deron Williams | DAL | H | PHX | 27 | 30.2 | 89% | 1.7 | 13.9 | 2.3 | 6.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 42% | 24.33% | 25.7 | 27.8 | 25.8 | 26.5 | $6,100 | $6,200 | $4,850 |
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo is averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games since returning from a wrist injury and he is averaging 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists against Houston this season. If Houston slows Russell Westbrook down again, Oladipo is the most likely candidate to pick up the slack.
Luol Deng is dealing with biceps tendinitis, and while Brandon Ingram would likely replace Deng in the starting lineup, Lou Williams could see the biggest bump in playing time. Williams is averaging 26.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per 36 minutes this season, and he could have a big game if he gets close to 30 minutes Thursday.
You have to spend money on somebody if you fade Westbrook and Harden, and C.J. McCollum is that guy for me. McCollum has at least 20 points in each of the last five games with Damian Lillard out, averaging 31.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists over that span.
Allen Crabbe has stepped up with Lillard out as well, averaging 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Crabbe may not have Lou Williams’s upside, but he is cheaper and is probably the better cash game play.
I hesitate to add Wesley Matthews on a night where shooting guard is pretty stacked, but he deserves to be here. Matthews has scored at least 12 points in seven consecutive games and Phoenix is allowing 43.38 fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards on FanDuel.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| C.J. McCollum | POR | H | LAL | 37 | 34.5 | 90% | 2.5 | 23.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 48% | 28.15% | 34 | 36.6 | 34.2 | 35.3 | $8,000 | $8,600 | $5,500 |
| Victor Oladipo | OKC | A | HOU | 27 | 34.1 | 65% | 2.2 | 16.2 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 45% | 20.99% | 26.3 | 28.5 | 26.5 | 27.4 | $5,900 | $5,500 | $4,750 |
| Lou Williams | LAL | A | POR | 38 | 24.7 | 87% | 1.8 | 18.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 44% | 30.29% | 26.4 | 28.5 | 26.5 | 27.3 | $4,900 | $4,900 | $4,600 |
| Allen Crabbe | POR | H | LAL | 37 | 29.1 | 86% | 1.5 | 10.1 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 44% | 14.55% | 16.4 | 17.8 | 16.6 | 17.2 | $3,800 | $4,200 | $3,900 |
| Wesley Matthews | DAL | H | PHX | 34 | 35.7 | 80% | 3 | 15.7 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 39% | 21.19% | 24.3 | 26.7 | 24.5 | 25.8 | $5,500 | $5,600 | $4,600 |
Small Forward
The small forward position this season is like Jimmy John’s. There is nothing wrong with Jimmy John’s, and if you eat there you almost certainly won’t hate it, but nobody is champing at the bit for a Jimmy John’s sandwich. Three of the top four small forwards have really great matchups, and I expect good games from each, but I don’t see any reason to love one over the others. I will almost certainly fill this position last, but you have to be sure to save some money because small forward is not a good position to go cheap.
Only three teams have allowed more points than the Nuggets this season, and the best way to take advantage is with Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is the cream of the crop at a blah position, but you don’t have to break the bank to use him.
You could make almost the exact same argument for Paul George. While George’s teammates are probably better plays than Leonard, George probably has the better matchup. If I’m choosing between Leonard and George I might just pick the cheaper one, but I could easily see playing them in the same lineup.
The third small forward I mentioned above is Harrison Barnes. Barnes is cheaper than Leonard and George but doesn’t provide as much in terms of assists and steals.
If I’m going cheap at small forward, I’m going to go super cheap. Brandon Ingram, like Luol Deng, is a better for the Lakers than for fantasy lineups, but Ingram could play close to 40 minutes if Deng is out. Ingram is a punt play who should at least get you something and may get more open looks playing with the starters.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Paul George | IND | H | BKN | 29 | 35.9 | 93% | 2.4 | 22.4 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 45% | 27.64% | 36.1 | 39.1 | 36.5 | 37.3 | $7,900 | $8,700 | $5,950 |
| Kawhi Leonard | SAS | A | DEN | 33 | 33.2 | 92% | 2 | 24 | 5.9 | 3.1 | 2 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 47% | 29.80% | 39 | 41.3 | 39.3 | 40 | $8,500 | $8,500 | $6,100 |
| Harrison Barnes | DAL | H | PHX | 35 | 36.1 | 87% | 1 | 20.6 | 5.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 47% | 26.90% | 30.2 | 31.7 | 30.5 | 30.7 | $6,900 | $7,000 | $5,100 |
| Brandon Ingram | LAL | A | POR | 38 | 27.3 | 68% | 0.5 | 7.3 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 35% | 15.40% | 15.4 | 16.5 | 15.7 | 15.7 | $3,500 | $3,100 | $3,800 |
Power Forward
Trevor Booker has scored at least 16 points in each of his last two games, and in two games against Indiana this season he averaged 10.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Thaddeus Young was nearly as good against Brooklyn, averaging 150.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in those same games. I like Young better, especially for cash games, but you could do worse than playing them both together.
Among the teams playing Thursday, only the Pacers have allowed more fantasy points to power forwards than the Trail Blazers. Julius Randle is averaging 18.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists over his five games since the birth of his son, and he could easily get similar numbers against Portland.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Julius Randle | LAL | A | POR | 33 | 29.3 | 70% | 0.1 | 13.6 | 8.7 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 50% | 22.12% | 29.7 | 31.5 | 30.1 | 29.7 | $7,100 | $7,100 | $5,300 |
| Thaddeus Young | IND | H | BKN | 36 | 31.4 | 52% | 1 | 11.8 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 53% | 16.70% | 23.6 | 25.2 | 23.9 | 24.1 | $5,200 | $5,600 | $4,550 |
| Trevor Booker | BKN | A | IND | 31 | 27.7 | 69% | 0.4 | 9.9 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 51% | 16.63% | 26.7 | 28.3 | 27.1 | 26.8 | $5,500 | $5,600 | $4,700 |
Center
Only the Pelicans have allowed more rebounds than the Nets this season, and no team on Thursday’s slate has allowed more fantasy points to centers. Myles Turner is averaging 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks against the Nets this season.
Montrezl Harrell is no longer a value play, especially on DraftKings, but the matchup is good enough to make Harrell playable anyway. Oklahoma City likes to trap James Harden, and while that has led to a lot of turnovers, it has also led to a lot four-on-three possessions ending in Houston dunks. All three of Houston’s bigs have had good games against the Thunder, and I see no reason to believe Thursday will be any different.
If Houston is again effective at slowing down Russell Westbrook, that likely means a big game for either Victor Oladipo or Steven Adams. Adams is probably riskier than the centers listed above, but he had 24 points and 10 rebounds in his last game against the Rockets, and he is certainly capable of putting up big numbers again.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Myles Turner | IND | H | BKN | 35 | 29.8 | 80% | 0.6 | 15.6 | 7.3 | 1 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 54% | 20.94% | 30.7 | 32.1 | 31.1 | 31 | $6,700 | $6,800 | $5,600 |
| Steven Adams | OKC | A | HOU | 36 | 29.7 | 71% | 0 | 12.2 | 7.8 | 1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 60% | 16.77% | 25.5 | 26.9 | 25.9 | 25.5 | $5,600 | $5,300 | $4,800 |
| Montrezl Harrell | HOU | H | OKC | 27 | 17.7 | 64% | 0 | 8.9 | 3.7 | 1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 64% | 18.54% | 16 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 16 | $4,700 | $5,500 | $4,000 |