Denver Nuggets & Golden State Warriors

Over/Under: 226

Spread: DEN -4.5

Denver and Nikola Jokic take on the Warriors and Stephen Curry in a late-night showdown!

News to Watch:

*Jamal Murray – Questionable (Knee)

*Kelly Oubre Jr – Out

*James Wiseman - Out

Player Breakdown:

CPT/MVP

Nikola Jokic C DEN ($17,400) 

I have hopes for a competitive game, but I’m thinking the current point spread might be a little light so in the back of our minds we have to be concerned about how much Jokic plays tonight. With that being said, he is still the top option for me tonight as he is simply that dominant. If Jokic gets less than 50 fantasy points a night it generally is a let down as he is an assist away from averaging a triple-double on the season. Golden State is light in the middle but does that even matter for someone as dynamic as Jokic as he is working on a streak of five straight games with double-digit assists?

Stephen Curry PG GSW ($16,800)

You had to know this was coming, right? Things have been bad for the Warriors as of late, but Curry can’t be blamed for their misfortune. Over his last four games he has taken between 21 and 24 shots and he has scored at least 32 points in each of his last six games. Curry has been more active over this stretch on the boards than in dishing out assists but as long as he is hitting the 50 fantasy point mark, does it really matter?

Michael Porter SF/PF DEN ($12,300) 

If you choose to be contrarian tonight it’s a substantial price savings down to Porter. There certainly is a risk in doing so tonight since the top two options are so dynamic, but it is something to at least be aware of from a multi-entry GPP perspective. Porter is a high-volume shooter so he has that going for him and he hasn’t been below 30 DK points in his last 10 games. Especially if Murray is out tonight, the forward will be even more involved offensively and he has also been active on the boards with greater than 10 rebounds in four of his last five games. 

MID-TIER

Andrew Wiggins SG/SF GSW ($7,800) 

Wiggins would be a target regardless, but the absence of Oubre certainly elevates his value as the clear secondary scoring option. The problem with this is that he is streaky and the value really comes when he is putting up 20-plus shots per game like he did against Houston on Saturday. It was a solid shooting performance from Wiggins (11 for 21) but all he had to show for it was 40.25 DK points so his upside is limited. However, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be on our radar tonight as that production can’t be overlooked. 

Draymond Green PF/C GSW ($7,600) 

Even when Green doesn’t score, and I mean that quite literally as he had just two points on Saturday, his floor is still around 25 DK points thanks to everything else he does. With Oubre out tonight, I would think that Green will be more involved offensively (he did score 16 points a few games ago so it’s not like he isn’t capable) but he also sets a nice floor with his production across each of the other categories. 

Will Barton SG/SF DEN ($6,200) 

Regardless of whether Murray plays tonight, Barton will be in the starting lineup for Denver. We sometimes have to worry about inconsistency from a shooting perspective for Barton but the volume and production has been there as of late. Playing about 35 minutes a night certainly helps but Barton has been in double-digits with shot attempts while also being active from a rebound and assist perspective. 

DART THROWS

Monte Morris PG/SG DEN ($4,200)  

Morris is the clear beneficiary if Murray is out once again but at a minimum, he will likely be the first guard off the bench for Denver. He can reach the 20-point mark (as recently as two games ago against San Antonio) but that is the upper end of his upside as double figures are a reasonable expectation. If Murray is out, Morris is a must play, but he is one of the safer low-cost options regardless tonight. 

Juan Toscano-Anderson PF/C GSW ($2,200)

With both Oubre and Wiseman out tonight, Toscano-Anderson emerges as the biggest beneficiary. His production has been spotty as of late, but there is a direct correlation to his workload. In his last game on Saturday, Toscano-Anderson took advantage of the 17 minutes of playing time he received as he scored eight points while grabbing five rebounds, handing out four assists and picking up both a blocked shot and a steal. I think everyone would sign up for a repeat of that 24.25 DK point performance.

JaMychal Green PF DEN ($1,800)

If you are really looking for cost savings tonight, I mean we have true two studs at the top of the list, then Green warrants some attention. The forward plays around 15 to 20 minutes per game and has taken either six or seven shots in his last three games so there is some scoring opportunity present. Couple that with his ability on the boards and he brings 15 fantasy point upside in a GPP.