I will be happy next week when the NBA schedule gets back to normal. There are just five games on Saturday’s slate, and two are rematches from Friday. Every team is on a back-to-back, and all of the worst defenses get the night off. As of this writing no rest days have been announced, but it would drastically change the slate if a few guys get the day off, especially if any of them are point guards. The hardest part of the slate will likely be finding cheap plays, so I would fill those guys in first and then get the best guys I can afford to fill the last few spots.
Point Guard
Kemba Walker only played 32 minutes in Friday’s overtime game, and he could be one of the freshest players on the court for the rematch Saturday. Walker had a rather pedestrian game Friday, and I would be pretty surprised if he has two down games in a row.
It would make me extremely nervous to pay for Russell Westbrook, but nobody in this slate can come close to matching his upside, which is why at the very least I would probably include him in one GPP lineup.
Memphis brought Mike Conley off the bench Friday and only played 23 minutes. Assuming Conley starts, he should get his typical workload and he could be even better than ever against a depleted, presumably tired Miami squad.
| 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 |
| Russell Westbrook | OKC | H | DET | 17 | 35.2 | 82% | 1.9 | 32 | 9.8 | 10.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 5.4 | 44% | 23.99% | 58 | 62.2 | 58.5 | 59 | $11,900 | $11,900 | $8,450 |
| Kemba Walker | CHA | H | NYK | 15 | 32.9 | 81% | 2.8 | 24.3 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 47% | 17.19% | 39.5 | 42 | 39.7 | 40.9 | $8,500 | $7,900 | $6,150 |
| Mike Conley | MEM | A | MIA | 15 | 32.8 | 89% | 2.5 | 19.4 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 43% | 14.80% | 34.2 | 36.9 | 34.4 | 35.5 | $7,600 | $6,700 | $5,250 |
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo has finally stepped up his game, averaging 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists over his last six games. If this is who he is now, he is underpriced and the best shooting guard by far in this weak slate.
I don’t love Tyler Johnson or Josh Richardson as much today as I did yesterday, but they will both play around 30 minutes and handle the ball a ton. They should be relatively safe for cash lineups.
| 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 |
| Victor Oladipo | OKC | H | DET | 17 | 34.9 | 70% | 2.2 | 17.3 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 1 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 46% | 11.24% | 27.2 | 29.5 | 27.4 | 28.3 | $6,000 | $6,400 | $4,900 |
| Tyler Johnson | MIA | H | MEM | 15 | 29.7 | 74% | 1.1 | 12.4 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 43% | 10.42% | 24.6 | 26 | 24.9 | 25.2 | $4,700 | $4,800 | $4,350 |
| Josh Richardson | MIA | H | MEM | 11 | 27.9 | 67% | 1.7 | 10.5 | 3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 39% | 8.87% | 18.2 | 19.8 | 18.4 | 19.1 | $4,000 | $4,900 | $4,450 |
Small Forward
I wasn’t planning on playing a bunch of Timberwolves, but it looks like I will anyway. No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing small forwards than the Warriors this season, and we know Tom Thibodeau will not be shy about playing Wiggins heavy minutes.
Small forward is probably the thinnest position of the day, and I think the cheapest I am willing to go is Marcus Morris. Morris won’t get a double-double or score 30 points, but he is extremely safe, and you can count on him to contribute in other areas when his shot is not falling.
I don’t really know how the Warriors will play if Draymond Green is limited or out, but I suspect they will lean on Kevin Durant even more to make plays. Durant has been remarkably consistent, and I am happy to lock in his production.
| 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 |
| Kevin Durant | GSW | H | MIN | 16 | 34.1 | 83% | 2.1 | 27.1 | 7.9 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 57% | 18.24% | 47.7 | 50.3 | 48.1 | 48.8 | $9,900 | $9,600 | $7,550 |
| Marcus Morris | DET | A | OKC | 17 | 31.3 | 86% | 1.3 | 13.8 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 43% | 9.96% | 23.2 | 24.5 | 23.4 | 23.9 | $4,900 | $4,700 | $4,500 |
| Andrew Wiggins | MIN | A | GSW | 15 | 36.2 | 77% | 1.6 | 24 | 4.1 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 43% | 17.70% | 31.1 | 33.5 | 31.3 | 31.9 | $6,200 | $7,000 | $5,550 |
Power Forward
The Warriors have allowed the most offensive rebounds in the NBA this season, and Gorgui Dieng is averaging 2.7 offensive rebounds per game. If Minnesota can keep this game close it will likely be by Dieng crashing the glass on offense, and he could have a much easier time if Draymond Green is limited or has to sit due to his ankle injury.
Frank Kaminsky played 40 minutes Friday thanks mostly to Marvin Williams’s injury, and Kaminsky would be a very nice play if he starts Saturday.
LaMarcus Aldridge had his streak of three straight 20-point games broken Friday, but I suspect he will get right back at it Saturday. Washington doesn’t have anyone who can stop Aldridge, especially when Pau Gasol is on the bench.
| 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 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | A | WAS | 14 | 32.8 | 86% | 0.5 | 18 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 47% | 14.25% | 30.8 | 32.1 | 31.1 | 31 | $7,000 | $6,300 | $5,650 |
| Frank Kaminsky | CHA | H | NYK | 13 | 25.5 | 71% | 1.5 | 12 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 44% | 11.93% | 22.3 | 23.9 | 22.5 | 23 | $4,600 | $4,800 | $3,500 |
| Gorgui Dieng | MIN | A | GSW | 15 | 31.5 | 73% | 0.1 | 10.3 | 8.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 53% | 10.61% | 27.2 | 28.7 | 27.6 | 27.2 | $5,900 | $6,100 | $4,650 |
Center
The Spurs are 28th in fantasy points allowed to centers this season, and as good as they are defensively, they don’t have anyone who can bang with Marcin Gortat down low. Gortat is pretty dependable but he won’t break the bank.
Cody Zeller was great in his return from a three game absence; the only thing that held him back was his reduced playing time. Zeller has an excellent chance to play 30 minutes Saturday, especially if Marvin Williams is out. Frank Kaminsky might be safer, but I believe Cody Zeller is the better value.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the only true big men the Warriors cannot run off the court, and they no longer have Andrew Bogut to defend him.
| 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 |
| Marcin Gortat | WAS | H | SAS | 14 | 35 | 63% | 0 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 59% | 9.57% | 30.1 | 31.5 | 30.7 | 30.1 | $6,200 | $5,500 | $5,200 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | A | GSW | 15 | 34.7 | 72% | 1.7 | 21.3 | 9.4 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 50% | 15.83% | 38.2 | 40.6 | 38.7 | 39 | $8,800 | $8,400 | $6,450 |
| Cody Zeller | CHA | H | NYK | 12 | 23.4 | 63% | 0 | 12 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 63% | 13.86% | 22.3 | 22.9 | 22.6 | 22.3 | $4,500 | $4,000 | $4,350 |
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