Point Guard
Top Tier: Russell Westbrook- Westy should thrive in this matchup with NO, but he doesn’t fall into my must-play range for cash games tonight. If you have the salary, definitely play him, but I’m prioritizing Paul George and Joel Embiid at their prices first, and then worrying about the rest of my lineup.
Mid Tier: Kyrie Irving- Kyrie is one of my conviction plays tonight, and that’s part of why I might not be able to get Russ tonight. The Celtics are still going to be without Al Horford and Gordon Hayward tonight, and have you watched the Washington Wizards play basketball this season? I’m feeling a vintage Uncle Drew game coming in.
Low Tier: Jalen Brunson- With DSJ still sidelined, Brunson is locked into minutes with a dream matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of my favorite value plays tonight, especially on DraftKings.
Shooting Guard
Top Tier: Jrue Holiday- I’m not sure if I will end up on Jrue tonight, but he is once again the top shooting guard option with no Elfrid Payton and Nikola Mirotic. The Thunder defense has been legit this season, which is why I may avoid him in cash games but he is an elite GPP option regardless given his floor/ceiling.
Mid Tier: Luka Doncic- Doncic is one of my favorite plays on this slate when factoring in price, in a huge narrative game against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks infamously traded Doncic to the Mavericks on draft night for Young (LOL) and with no DSJ again it’s wheels up for Luka Magic.
Low Tier: Langston Galloway (FanDuel)- Galloway checks in as a possible low score drop on FanDuel, but he took a hit mid-day when Reggie Bullock was bumped up to questionable. If he’s out, you can consider him on FD, but I wouldn’t touch him on DK regardless.
Small Forward
Top Tier: Paul George- PG continues to be a staple, putting up 40+ fantasy points nightly yet he remains an uber affordable price. This game features a big 235 O/U, and starting my cash game lineup with George sounds like my plan tonight.
Mid Tier: Josh Richardson- Richardson won’t be highly-owned tonight against the Utah Jazz, but with Goran Dragic out we can always consider him. He takes over ball-handling duties and his usage has been much more solid this year than in season’s past.
Low Tier: Kelly Oubre- Otto Porter is listed as a GTD tonight, and if he is out, Oubre becomes an instant chalk cash game play at SF. Their game is at 7, so we should know whether or not Porter is playing but you can also pivot to Jaron Blossomgame for even cheaper.
Power Forward
Top Tier: Anthony Davis- As I’ve noted a few times, this is one of the best games of the night with a massive 235 O/U and I’m never going to call Anthony Davis a bad cash game play. I think the price, coupled with the matchup is enough for me to knock him out of my cash game range tonight but I won’t call anyone stupid for playing him…it’s AD.
Mid Tier: Larry Nance- This is your chalk special at PF with Tristan Thompson out. Nance will slide over and see plenty of minutes at center as well, it’s hard for me to envision a let down here at the price.
Low Tier: Cheick Diallo- If you wanna get cheap at PF, I expect Diallo to see 18-20 minutes with Nikola Mirotic out. He has a pretty low floor, but the ceiling is there and he is dirt cheap.
Center
Top Tier: Joel Embiid- Embiid is in a class of his own again tonight against the Brooklyn Nets with Jimmy Butler out. He’s a lock for cash games for me on all sites, and is probably my top overall play of the night.
Mid Tier: Julius Randle- Randle is right there with Embiid, and he is locked into more heavy minutes now with Mirotic sidelined. On FanDuel, he is tournaments only for me, but I lock pairing him with Embiid on DraftKings and FantasyDraft.
Low Tier: Rudy Gobert- This isn’t a low tier play, but I don’t like any real value at center and Gobert is way too cheap on DraftKings. He’s having an all-star season that nobody seems to be talking about, and he should have his way with this matchup with Miami who is still without Hassan Whiteside.
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
