I would have been very pleased with Friday’s article if it weren’t for a couple of crappy performances from our centers. I actually just missed a big payday on Saturday because of that Jalen Brunson injury and you can check out that lineup on my twitter account! We happen to be looking at an eight-game slate here with many lopsided matchups. In fact, we have no teams over .500 playing against one another which is truly bizarre. With that in mind, let’s get into our 2/24 NBA DFS plays of the day!
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2/24 NBA DFS Point Guards
Mike Conley, UTA vs. PHX
DK ($5,300) FD ($5,700)
We’ve been waiting for Conley to return to his Memphis form all season long and it appears he’s finally there. Not only has he scored at least 32 DraftKings points in five-straight games, Conley is also averaging 34 fantasy points per game in that span. The role increase is a great sign too, with Conley averaging 15.4 shots and 34 minutes in that span while posting a usage rate north of 22 percent. That’s the dude that we loved in Memphis and we also like the fact that he faces a Phoenix team who surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
Ish Smith, WSH vs. MIL
DK ($5,000) FD ($5,000)
We saved for the big guns later in the article, so, let’s keep the cheap plays rolling in the backcourt. Smith is arguably the fastest player in the league and that makes him an intriguing option here. The reason that matters is because he faces a Milwaukee team who plays at the fastest pace in the NBA. That caters beautifully to Smith’s skill set and it should allow him to thrive despite their tough defense. Smith has been stellar as a starter this season too, scoring at least 20 DK points in the five starts since Isaiah Thomas was waived en route to 27.9 fantasy points per game.
2/24 NBA DFS Shooting Guards
Caris LeVert, BKN vs. ORL
DK ($7,300) FD ($6,500)
LeVert has really stepped up his game since Kyrie Irving went down. What we really love is his usage, averaging 33 minutes and 20 shots per game since being reinserted into the starting lineup. More importantly, he’s got a 31 percent usage rate in that span while averaging 39.3 DraftKings points per game. That means these prices are due for an increase and we can’t overlook the fact that he faces an Orlando team with a 21st OPRK against opposing SGs.
Josh Richardson, PHI vs. ATL
DK ($4,800) FD ($5,100)
Richardson is just too cheap for someone of his ilk. We’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 28 DK points per game for the season which is more indicative of a $6,000 player. The thing that makes him intriguing here is the Ben Simmons injury. If Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris are out, Richardson will essentially play point guard which raises his value exponentially. We especially love that in this matchup, with Atlanta sitting 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed. In his one game against Atlanta, J-Rich had over 30 fantasy points too which is no surprise by their 29th OPRK against SGs.
2/24 NBA DFS Small Forwards
Kawhi Leonard, LAC vs. MEM
DK ($9,700) FD ($9,900)
I rarely recommend Leonard but he’s always one of the best options out there when Paul George is out. That appears to be the case again here, with Kawhi posting a 34 percent usage rate with him off the floor. That boost in usage has led to his best stretch of the season too, scoring at least 41 DK points in 15-straight games while averaging 54 fantasy points per game in that span. The best part about this might be the matchup though, with Memphis ranked fourth in pace and 23rd in total defense.
Robert Covington, HOU vs. NYK
DK ($6,000) FD ($6,300)
Is there a better fit for Covington than the Rockets? This is the perfect three-and-D guy and it’s led to some serious success in a Houston uniform. Over his last four games played, RoCo is averaging 37 DK points per game across 34 minutes of action. What we love is that he’s doing that damage despite shooting just 36 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range, providing elite defensive statistics. Finding his shot may be a little easier against a team like the Knicks, with New York allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.
2/24 NBA DFS Power Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at WSH
DK ($11,400) FD ($11,800)
This one is pretty simple. Giannis is the best player in the NBA and he gets the best matchup possible. Let’s start with that opposition, facing a Washington team that ranks dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. That means Giannis should go off no matter how limited his minutes might be, averaging over 60 fantasy points per game in fewer than 31 minutes per outing. If this is a competitive game. Antetokounmpo has legit 80-point upside. There is also a small chance that they rest Giannis and if that is the case, ride Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe everywhere.
Naz Reid, MIN at DAL
DK ($5,800) FD ($5,000)
Reid is so cheap on FanDuel and he’s nearly impossible to fade over there. The thing that’s sky-rocketed his value is the injury to Karl-Anthony Towns. That has forced him into the starting center position and it’s even better when you consider that Andrew Wiggins, D’Angelo Russell, Gorgui Dieng, and Robert Covington are all out of the picture too. While it’s obviously a small sample size, dropping 39 DK points across 33 minutes in his debut is a great sign for things to come and he’d still be productive if he provided 60 percent of that production here.
2/24 NBA DFS Centers
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. ATL
DK ($9,500) FD ($10,000)
If Simmons and Harris are out, Embiid is one of the best plays on the board. Even if they do play, Embiid still has 60-point upside. The biggest reason we want to ride him is this matchup, with Atlanta surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. That’s scary against a guy like Embiid, with the big man averaging 53.8 DK points per game across his last four fixtures. Not to mention, Joel is averaging 57 fantasy points per game in his two meetings with the Hawks this season.
Dewayne Dedmon, ATL at PHI
DK ($4,800) FD ($5,000)
The Embiid play actually has a lot to do with this. The reason for that is because Dedmon is really the only guy on this roster who’s big enough to match up with him. That should force Dedmon into 30 minutes of play which automatically makes him a great value at this price. That’s big news for a player who’s averaging 31.4 DK points per game across 27.1 minutes over his last seven games played. If he provides that rate and plays 30 minutes, Dedmon could flirt with 8X upside which is impossible to fade. In addition, Dedmon dropped 29 DraftKings points across 25 minutes in his one game opposing Embiid earlier this season.
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