Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Spread: GSW -5.5

Total: 220.0

 

Injuries:

Golden State

Los Angeles

 

MVP/Captain

Stephen Curry, PG – Welcome back GSOT (Greatest Shooter of All Time) Steph Curry! Finally getting past the early-season shooting woes, Curry has only three games in the past month with less than 40 DK points. He is at 42.3 DK points per game, even with a 27-point dud thrown in there, and three of his last four have gone for 44+. The Clippers are the WORST team against point guards in their last seven games, so the only thing preventing you from locking in MVP Curry is the salary pushing up against $20,000. 

Klay Thompson, SG – That’s now three straight games right at 30 minutes for Thompson, which is a great sign for his progress. He had some of that vintage Klay working in his last game against the Lakers, finishing with 41.25 DK points in 30 minutes. With a salary that is $6,000 less than Curry, I can seriously see a path to letting Klay fill the MVP role while you slot Curry in a UTIL spot. In the past 10 games, the Clippers rank just 21st against opponents’ three-pointers – letting them hit 37% in that span. 

Reggie Jackson, PG – With all of the top-three salary options out of this game for the Clippers, they are seriously lacking in MVP candidates for this Showdown. Jackson fills the role best and comes in at a very reasonable $12,000. Considering he's at 31 minutes and 34.6 fantasy points per game his last 10 games, that could actually be a bargain that allows for more studs lower in your lineup. A build that starts with Jackson and includes Curry and Thompson still has $5,200 per position to fill out the roster. 

 

Utility

Andrew Wiggins, SF – After a couple of down games, Wiggins has picked it back up with more than 30 fantasy points in each of the last two games and 29 the game before that. His shots are down, but he is making roughly 45% from the field and 40% from three the last 10 days or so. His defense has also seen an uptick in production as he's on a four-game streak averaging more than four rebounds, one block, and one steal per game. 

Terance Mann, SF/PF – The best point-per-dollar play in this game might just be Mann, who has been on an absolute tear over his last three. He played 31 minutes per night and averaged 33.8 fantasy points per game in that span. His minutes are secure at the shooting guard spot and the Warriors have struggled there recently, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game in their last 15. Another encouraging sign is that Mann’s usage percentage crossed 20% on Saturday for the first time in a month. 

Marcus Morris, SF/PF – As Mann and Jackson have excelled, Morris’ production was declined over the past three games. He scored under 30 fantasy points in each of his last three despite playing 30 minutes per game. But guards Luke Kennard and Amir Coffey were the only bench players over 15 minutes last game, so the Clippers continue to roll out Morris for long stretches. 

 

Value Tier

Nicolas Batum, PF/C – With Batum, you just have to know that sometimes you'll get the Mavericks game from Saturday (two fantasy points) and other time you'll get the Mavericks game on Thursday (21 fantasy points). That volatility is basked into the $3,800 price tag, and I am buying in when it’s that low. Without Draymond Green around, the Warriors have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to power forwards the last seven games. 

Otto Porter, JR, SF/PF – Porter is a lot like Batum in that the minutes and production are sometimes unpredictable. He can have back-to-back games – as he did 10 days ago – where he has a five-point game and then a 35-point game. Porter will often have his games defined by how involved he is on the glass and in the passing lanes. Fortunately for Porter, the Clippers allow top-12 numbers in both rebounds and steals to the power forward position this year. Jonathan Kuminga may be getting the start and will be popular, but don’t overlook the value of Porter.