The Core
Ben Simmons- We were awarded a plethora of value again today, making it another clear stars and scrubs night. I will be starting my builds with Ben Simmons, who was north of a 25% usage rate with Joel Embiid off the floor in 2018 — Embiid is out for tonight’s game. Simmons was not priced like Embiid would miss this game, so by locking him in with the value options we should have a clear path to a 3 stud build potentially on FanDuel as well as DraftKings.
James Harden- It seems like the consensus is that James Harden had a “down” game in the Rockets first contest with the Bucks, but he still posted 50 fantasy points with a 25% usage rate when playing alongside Russell Westbrook. You could certainly drop down and roster Russell Westbrook should you want, both are great plays, but I still feel a bit better about Harden and there’s so much value on this slate that I don’t really need the savings. The Pelicans and Rockets both have run at a top-five pace this season, and it’s important to remember that Harden provided those 50 fantasy points while shooting just 2-13. He’s going to shoot better tonight, and I’m not worried about a potential blowout because Mike D’Antoni loves to run his guys into the ground anyways, so 30+ minutes should be there no matter what.
Andre Drummond- The final player that I will be attempting to anchor my teams with tonight is Andre Drummond, who will once again be without Blake Griffin. I fully expect the 76ers to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season, but Drummond does see a bump not having to face-off with Joel Embiid, and he has produced at a 1.6 fantasy point per minute clip this season through two games sans Griffin. Al Horford is certainly a good defender, but with the spread being just 3 points in this game we should see a full allotment of minutes for Drummond, which we know can top out around 40. Even with the price increase, he’s a solid bet to beat value.
Value Plays
Celtics- We get the same situation as Friday night with Enes Kanter out, but now Daniel Theis, who started in place of Kanter last night, is out as well. The Celtics are extremely thin in the frontcourt at this point with Tacko Fall concussed as well, meaning we should see a heavy dose of Robert and Grant Williams. Robert — aka TimeLord — is a better per minute guy, but Grant got more run last night. Both are thrust into play tonight, I see both needing to log at least 20 minutes and they are even playable together in the same lineup.
Kings (again)- Similar to the Celtics, we have the same situation as last night with Nemanja Bjelica and Richaun Holmes remaining cheap in the absence of Marvin Bagley. De’Aaron Fox is also questionable, but I doubt we get that news before lock. Bjelica should start once again, with Holmes taking backup minutes off the bench. Both have fantasy friendly games, and if I had to choose just once I would probably lean towards Holmes — slightly.
Frank Kaminsky- Aron Baynes started in place of DeAndre Ayton last night and played well, but it was Frank Kaminsky who saw the most minutes and it resulted in over 30 fantasy points. I expect another 28+ minutes from Kaminsky tonight regardless of the score of the game, and he up there with the Boston guys as the best punt on the slate.
Tyler Johnson/Tim Frazier- Both of these guys are now expected to start at PG for their respective teams, and both are elite guard value plays alongside both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart — who see bumps up with Jrue Holiday out. I like the Pelicans guys slightly more, but picking two of these guards seems to be the move on DK, furthering the emphasis on a starts and scrubs build.
Tournament Plays
Coby White- If you haven’t watched Coby White this season, I encourage you to turn on the Bulls tonight and get in on the fun before it catches on nationally. I like Tomas Satoransky, but his time as the starting PG on this Bulls team is limited with White waiting in the wings behind him. White is super athletic, and aggressive scorer, and while me might not get you a ton of peripheral stats right now, he has free reign to take as many shots as he wants manning the second-unit as the 6th man.
Pascal Siakam- I find it hilarious that Siakam has played exceptionally in his first two games, but doesn’t seem to be getting as much attention on this slate, which shows how strong the groupthink is in DFS these days. Siakam owns a massive 36% usage rate with over 1.5 points per minute through two games this season, and the Bulls don’t have anyone capable on locking him down.
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
