Tonight’s Strategy
We have a five-game slate where three of them contain horrible match-ups, which means most of the DFS world, including myself, will be attacking the other two. The way to handle these smaller slates is to play most of the chalk while sprinkling in a few darts hoping to hit. I am not going to lie; the choices are thin tonight. For this reason, I am only playing two lineups.
As always, all fantasy ppg numbers are FanDuel specific.
So, with the album Firestorm by the band Earth Crisis playing in the background, I bring you today’s Position Coach Article.
Point Guard
Damian Lillard may have a terrible match-up tonight versus the Knicks, but he does have the highest true usage rate at the position while averaging nearly 50 fantasy ppg over his last four.
Goran Dragic is a shiny star on an otherwise dismal slate. The match-up is not the best. but the upside is there facing a Toronto team absent Kyle Lowry.
Tyler Ulis is facing the Nets, you know, that team we love to pick on in DFS. Brooklyn is allowing the most fantasy ppg to the position, and Ulis is the man I am pairing with Lillard tonight in my lineup.
Jeremy Lin is slated to return tonight facing a Phoenix team allowing the fifth most fantasy ppg to the position. I am not using him. I would rather take a shot on Spencer Dinwiddie getting the run one more night in GPPs while Lin plays limited minutes, or comes off the bench.
| PG | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Damian Lillard | POR | H | NYK | 65 | 36 | 90% | 2.7 | 26.9 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 45% | 31.4% | 40.8 | 43.7 | 42.1 | $9900 | $9800 | $42 |
| Goran Dragic | MIA | H | TOR | 62 | 33.4 | 79% | 1.7 | 20.2 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 48% | 27% | 33.5 | 36 | 34.4 | $8000 | $8000 | $35 |
| Tyler Ulis | PHX | A | BKN | 50 | 13.9 | 79% | 0.2 | 5.2 | 1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1 | 41% | 20.3% | 11.2 | 11.8 | 11.3 | $6800 | $7100 | $15 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | BKN | H | PHX | 47 | 22.6 | 80% | 0.6 | 7 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 43% | 14% | 15.9 | 16.9 | 16.2 | $4600 | $4900 | $10 |
Shooting Guard
With the Knicks allowing the third most fantasy ppg, and C.J. McCollum averaging over 33 fantasy ppg in his last four, I could not insert him into my lineup quick enough.
And the Nets again…yes, they are allowing the second most fantasy ppg to the SG position opening the door for who else? Devin Booker. Booker has the second highest true usage rate at the position and is overdue for a big game. He is the player I have paired with McCollum at the two tonight.
Dallas is one of the tougher teams to attack but someone must score, why not take a flyer on J.J. Redick in GPPs. He is averaging over 25 fantasy ppg in his last four with a 30 fantasy ppg upside.
On the other side, Wesley Matthews could be worth a flyer as well in GPPs, the Clippers are allowing the fourth most fantasy ppg to the two and while Matthews does not have the highest ceiling, you can get a 25-spot here if he gets the shots.
| SG | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| C.J. McCollum | POR | H | NYK | 70 | 35.1 | 90% | 2.4 | 23.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 48% | 27.4% | 33.7 | 36.2 | 34.9 | $7800 | $7200 | $33 |
| Devin Booker | PHX | A | BKN | 69 | 34.6 | 83% | 1.8 | 20.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 3 | 42% | 27.7% | 28.5 | 31.1 | 29.4 | $6900 | $6800 | $30 |
| Wesley Matthews | DAL | H | LAC | 64 | 34.5 | 83% | 2.5 | 14.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 40% | 19.8% | 23.5 | 25.6 | 24.7 | $4500 | $4900 | $18 |
| J.J. Redick | LAC | A | DAL | 69 | 27.9 | 88% | 2.5 | 14.9 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 45% | 22% | 20 | 22 | 21.2 | $4400 | $4600 | $12 |
Small Forward
Talk about a crap shoot, the three feels like I am throwing darts blind. You cannot rely on Kawhi Leonard right now, and the rest for the most part are, blah.
Of the blah fest, T.J. Warren does at least get an elite match-up facing a Nets team allowing the most fantasy ppg to the position. I suspect his ownership will be through the roof tonight.
The player I am rolling with is Carmelo Anthony, he is coming off back-to-back fantasy duds but offers that 40 fantasy ppg upside I am looking for at his reduced price.
Harrison Barnes starting in the four tonight is another possible route to go tonight at the three. The match-up is not the best, but with little to choose from, Barnes becomes a superstar.
The player I am pairing with Melo tonight in my lineups is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The Suns are allowing the fifth most fantasy ppg to the four and he is overdue for a 30-spot.
| SF | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| T.J. Warren | PHX | A | BKN | 58 | 30.4 | 78% | 0.4 | 13.8 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 49% | 19.1% | 23.7 | 24.5 | 23.9 | $6600 | $7000 | $24 |
| Carmelo Anthony | NYK | A | POR | 69 | 34.5 | 83% | 2.1 | 22.7 | 6 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 44% | 29% | 34.7 | 37.1 | 35.7 | $6500 | $7100 | $37 |
| Harrison Barnes | DAL | H | LAC | 70 | 35.7 | 85% | 1 | 19.6 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 47% | 25.8% | 28.8 | 30.2 | 29.3 | $5600 | $6000 | $26 |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | BKN | H | PHX | 66 | 22 | 75% | 0.2 | 8.3 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 44% | 18.2% | 19 | 20.1 | 19.1 | $4300 | $4400 | $11 |
Power Forward
Blake Griffin, benefits from the best defensive match-up for the Clippers. I hate to attack Dallas, but Griffin does have the most upside, and was easy enough to fit into my lineup tonight.
If you fade Griffin and look at the numbers, Kristaps Porzingis may be the way to go. The Clippers are allowing the ninth most fantasy ppg to the four while Kristaps is putting up similar numbers as of late to Griffin.
Marquese Chriss is averaging over 30 fantasy ppg over his last four in an elite match-up with the Nets allowing the second most fantasy ppg to the two.
With Serge Ibaka suspended tonight, Patrick Patterson should see plenty of minutes for the minimum salary. At the moment, he is the guy I have paired with Griffin, but I could flip-flop later to Porzingis-Chriss.
| PF | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Blake Griffin | LAC | A | DAL | 51 | 33.7 | 75% | 0.5 | 21.3 | 8.4 | 5.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 49% | 28.4% | 39.2 | 41.1 | 39.5 | $9000 | $8200 | $41 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | A | POR | 60 | 32.7 | 79% | 1.8 | 18.1 | 7.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2 | 1.7 | 45% | 24.2% | 32.6 | 34.7 | 33.5 | $7000 | $6900 | $31 |
| Marquese Chriss | PHX | A | BKN | 71 | 20.4 | 63% | 0.9 | 8.7 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 45% | 19.3% | 16.4 | 17.6 | 16.8 | $5100 | $5800 | $11 |
| Patrick Patterson | TOR | A | MIA | 54 | 25.4 | 71% | 1.5 | 6.9 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 39% | 12.4% | 16 | 17.3 | 16.8 | $3600 | $3600 | $10 |
Center
Jusuf Nurkic, and yes, I had to look to spell his name, is the top play at center tonight. The Knicks are allowing the third most fantasy ppg to the position while Nurkic is dropping 40-spots.
Although if I am spending I prefer Nurkic, Brook Lopez is usually a safe play. He also gets an elite match-up tonight with Phoenix allowing the fifth most fantasy ppg to the position.
The player I currently have in my lineup tonight is Willy Hernangomez, he gets a positive match-up, makes another great late bullet, and feels like a 30-spot waiting to happen.
| C | Tm | H/A | Opp | GP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM/G | PTS/G | REB/G | AST/G | STL/G | BLK/G | TO/G | FG% | Usage | FDPts/G | DKPts/G | YPts/G | $FD | $DK | $Y |
| Jusuf Nurkic | POR | H | NYK | 45 | 17.9 | 50% | 0.0 | 8 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 51% | 23.4% | 17.7 | 18.9 | 17.7 | $7600 | $7600 | $27 |
| Brook Lopez | BKN | H | PHX | 64 | 29.8 | 82% | 1.8 | 20.8 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 47% | 29.4% | 32.6 | 35 | 33.5 | $7200 | $6900 | $27 |
| Willy Hernangomez | NYK | A | POR | 61 | 17 | 71% | 0.0 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 54% | 19.7% | 17.6 | 18.7 | 17.7 | $5100 | $4700 | $18 |
If you read between the lines I gave you the lineup I am using tonight on FanDuel in all my GPPs and Quintuple-ups. I will run a second GPP only lineup that contains the other players from this article.
Good luck tonight, any questions email me at therealjerrycolvin@yahoo.com or hit me up on Twitter @realjerrycolvin
Go Dodgers!