Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off tonight's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's André Snellings and Kyle Soppe, as well as DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
-
Chaos is the norm when it comes to the final month of the NBA season. André Snellings helps to make some sense of the madness that seems to infect fantasy basketball when the calendar page turns to March.
Renee Miller -- Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
There are a lot of reasons to lock in George tonight. First, he comes at a mid-tier salary at a position that's one of the more difficult to fill tonight. He's also been as consistently good as almost anyone, filling the stat sheet in multiple categories on a regular basis. Further, his numbers vs. the Kings are in line with his 40-fantasy point season average. The Thunder are big favorites at home vs. one of the worse defensive and rebounding teams in the league. While I can justify either Russell Westbrook or Damian Lillard at the point, I can live with either Gasol brother at center, and I love the value at PF and SG, George is my building block at SF tonight.
André Snellings -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
There is an intersection here between Antetokounmpo, arguably the most productive fantasy player in the NBA when everything clicks, his Bucks team that has fallen to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but that is still only three games out of the four seed (and potential home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs), and the Grizzlies, an opponent that has been wracked with injury and has nothing left to play for this year. Memphis has allowed the third-most fantasy points to power forwards and the eighth-most to small forwards over the last 10 games, and they'll be facing one of the most motivated and talented forwards in the NBA on Monday. Sounds like a recipe for big numbers.
Kyle Soppe -- Kyle Anderson, San Antonio Spurs
As a proud member of the elite first name club, Anderson enters the night with plenty of hope and I think he hits value in this spot, thus allowing you to have room for a pair of star players on this short slate. Kawhi Leonard remains sidelined and LaMarcus Aldridge (knee) is out as well, opening up a higher usage role for Anderson tonight. Yes, the Rockets' defense is better than it has been in the past, but even the best defense in the NBA allows nearly 100 points a night, so, regardless of how you think this game plays out, there is going to be some cheap value available. At 6'9", Anderson gets a nice bump from non-traditional point guard stats (10.2 rebounds and 6.4 steals-plus-blocks per 48 minutes over his past six games), and if we are looking at a spike in shot attempts, there is the possibility he smashes value with a well-rounded offensive night in addition to his ability on the defensive end.
Players to fade
Renee Miller -- JaMychal Green, Memphis Grizzlies
As I noted in today's Best Buys article, Green has no business being the most expensive option at his position on any slate, which speaks to tonight's canvas. Green is an up and down guy, playing in a slow-paced game and although Milwaukee is a poor rebounding team, they don't allow a ton of fantasy points to opposing PFs. I'd much rather spend down on John Henson across the court from Green, or save more with Ed Davis, who has been on fire recently. Kelly Olynyk, Davis Bertans and maybe even Patrick Patterson all make for fine, salary-saving options as well.
André Snellings -- Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
The Rockets are on the second night of a back-to-back, but James Harden didn't play in the first game on Sunday. He sat to rest his knee, letting Paul lead the troops over a weak Dallas Mavericks squad. Harden is expected to play tonight though, and he will likely return to his usual lead role. Since Paul needs to also remain fresh for the playoffs, it seems natural to me that he may be rested a bit more than usual in this game, especially with Harden back at the reigns.
Kyle Soppe -- Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings
In the right spot, Bogdanovic is a sneaky play. Unfortunately, this just isn't one of those instances. The 25-year-old has hit a bump in the road lately, shooting just 17.9 percent from the field over his past three games, and that's an issue when you consider that those games all came against below average defenses. The Thunder meanwhile boast a top-10 unit that hasn't had to travel in more than a week and is trying to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Bogdanovic's average shot distance is also up over 16 feet, giving him a low floor, and without much hope for other counting numbers, I have zero interest in him in this spot.
0 Response to "Top building blocks and fades for Monday's NBA DFS action - ESPN"
Post a Comment