Denver Nuggets & Golden State Warriors

Over/Under: 228.5

Spread: DEN -2.5

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

Injuries:

*James Wiseman – Out

*Kent Bazemore – Out

*Monte Morris – Out

*Juan Toscano-Anderson – Questionable (concussion)

*Damion Lee – Out

*Jamal Murray - Out

Player Breakdown:

CPT/MVP:

  1. Nikola Jokic DEN ($19,200)

There is no need to overthink things here. You know things are going pretty well when a 25-point, nine rebound, five assist performance that goes for 44 DK points is a letdown. It was the worst we have seen Jokic over his last 10 games as he is truly playing at an elite level and making that MVP push. The absence of Murray also works in Jokic’s favor here as Denver leans on his offensive abilities even more so. 

  1. Stephen Curry GS ($18,600)

Moving “down” to Curry isn’t exactly a letdown but he doesn’t have quite the same upside Jokic does. It’s hard to complain with a player averaging 50 DK points per game, but Curry’s upside is really tied to his success on the offensive end as he is averaging just 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. We do have to note though that Curry has broken the 40-point barrier in three of his last five games. 

  1. Draymond Green GS ($13,200)

If you want to take a contrarian approach at the top of your lineup tonight, I have the most comfort with Green. He isn’t scoring at the level we previously were accustomed with but the opposite is true when it comes to assists. Of course, we would like to see him take more than six or eight shots a game but the potential for double-digit rebounds and assists is always there. 

MID-TIER:

  1. Michael Porter Jr DEN ($9,600)

With the two top options being as prolific and costly as they are, salary cap management certainly comes into play tonight. Porter isn’t exactly cheap, but the volume is there from an offensive end. He is generally a good bet for 20 to 25 points and his value will really come down to how he does on the boards (average of 7.7 per game) as he is really a two-category contributor. 

  1. Kelly Oubre GS ($7,400)

Between Oubre and Andrew Wiggins , I’m looking to save $1,000 tonight as this is also the version of Oubre we were waiting for since the start of the season. In four of his last five games, Oubre has played 37 minutes while scoring between 19 and 24 points. After we get the eight rebounds per game, he averaged in those four games, that does it for the extent of his value but that isn’t something we should understate either. 

  1. Will Barton DEN ($7,000)

It seems to be pretty obvious that Barton would truly step in to replace Murray in Denver’s offense, but there is some inconsistency in his game. We don’t have to worry about the volume (both playing time and shots), at least we shouldn’t, but efficiency is a concern. On Wednesday, Barton was five of 13 from the field which was good for 14 points along with six rebounds and four assists. That was good for 28.5 DK points which is a solid baseline knowing that he put up 28 points and 52 DK points previously. 

DART THROWS:

  1. Facundo Campazzo DEN ($4,800)

I’ll always sign up for a starting guard at this price. I would like Campazzo to take a few more shots per game, and be more efficient at that point as well, but his floor is generally around 20 DK points. There isn’t much in the way of upside here, but with Morris and Murray sidelined, Campazzo should fit nicely in your lineup. 

  1. Jordan Poole GS ($4,200)

With Bazemore and Lee sidelined, Poole is really it as far as scoring options off Golden State’s bench. You have to like the 16 shots Poole took on Wednesday and it was the fourth time in his last five games that he was in double digits as far as shot attempts as well as points. He’s going to play about 20 to 25 minutes a game and the volume will be there. From a DFS perspective, it doesn’t necessarily matter if the efficiency is there as Golden State doesn’t have many other options. 

  1. Shaq Harrison DEN ($1,000)

If you really need to take a bargain basement approach, then Harrison is worth a look. He’s going to play around 10 or 15 minutes based on the opportunities in Denver’s backcourt and it doesn’t bet any cheaper. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but whatever you get from him at this price in a GPP format might be worth it depending on how the rest of your lineup is constructed.