Point Guard
Aaron Brooks ($3600, 24.8 USG) – Derrick Rose is highly doubtful for tonight’s game against the Suns. I’d assume Kirk Hinrich will be the listed starter but don’t be fooled, Hinrich is absolutely terrible. Brooks is the guy you want to own between the two. When Rose was out last year, Brooks’ price tag went above $5000. You have a chance to capitalize at $3600. Brooks averages .98 fantasy points per minute meaning if he gets about 25 min, he should easily give you 7 X’s value. Also, keep an eye out for E’Twaun Moore. Coaches love him and it wouldn’t surprise me if outproduced Brooks. Would be a sneaky GPP play with everyone else targeting Brooks.
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Shooting Guard
Dion Waiters ($4600, 17.7 USG) – I’ve always had a hard time trusting Dion Waiters because he’s burned me too many times in the past, but I can’t ignore the matchup against New Orleans. The Pelicans literally have the worst defense in basketball and are always a team you want to target players against. No player you should target more tonight than Russell Westrbook but you need to go cheap elsewhere to fit him in. Waiters played a season high 38 minutes against the Grizzlies on Monday (Andre Roberson was out with an illness but is probable for tonight) scoring 26.8 DK points. If he gets over 30 minutes tonight, he’ll be fine . . . unless he burns me yet again.
Small Forward
P.J. Tucker ($3500, 10.1 USG) – Tucker is having his least productive season in Phoenix. He’s averaging lows if 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. His PER of 10.3 is the worst of his career. So what gives? The emergence of sophomore T.J. Warren has plenty to do with it. They’ve basically been splitting time and eating into each others production. Well, Warren wasn’t present at shootaround this morning with an illness and is questionable to play against CHI. If Warren were to sit, Tucker’s minutes would likely climb back into the mid 30’s. And truth is, they actually play better with Tucker. Plug him in at only $3500.
The Suns’ starting lineup of Bledsoe, Knight, Tucker, Chandler and Morris has played 127 minutes together and boasts an offensive rating of 110.5 and a defensive rating of 95.5. That net rating of +15.0 is among the best in the NBA.
Power Forward
Nemanja Bjelica ($4700, 12.3 USG) – My favorite under the radar player in the league has disappointed us the last two games averaging only 7.15 DK points. His ownership percentage will be low because of this, but tonight should turn things around for the Serbian stretch 4. I don’t expect Kevin Garnett to play (rest) making him a great value play against a Magic team that’s allowed the eighth most fantasy points to teams this season. The Wolves usually give their younger players more minutes on the second end of back to backs. Expect a bump in playing time and production.
Center
Ian Mahinmi ($4200, 14.8 USG) – Mahinmi has delivered 4 straight quality starts averaging 25.4 DK points in that span. With the injury to Myles Turner (thumb), his minutes have hovered around 30. Today’s matchup against the Sixers excites me mainly because of one statistic . . . blocks. Mahinmi averages 1.6 blocks per game and the Sixers love getting blocked. It’s a match made in heaven.
Big men vs. the 76ers this season:
Gobert: 7 BLK
Ibaka: 7 BLK
Gasol: 6 BLK
Duncan: 5 BLK
Mozgov: 4 BLK
Dedmon: 3 BLK
Adams: 3 BLK
Featured Image Credit: By photo taken by flickr user ReneS (flickr) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
