Wildcard GPP: Low Owned Stack
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been speeding up the pace in their games this season, ranking ninth in the NBA in pace this season. They get a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, who rank only 24th in the league in pace in 2018. San Antonio only ranks 25th in the NBA in defensive rating, though, while Los Angeles ranks ranks seventh in the league in offensive rating this season. The Clippers are +2.5 point underdogs in this game, but they feature an implied total of 109.5 points.
Lou Williams has been ruled out for the Clippers, leaving a plethora of usage to be distributed throughout the rest of the rotation. Tobias Harris is expected to take over as the leader of the offense, although he has been struggling recently. On the season, though, he’s averaging 21.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists (37.2 DK points) in 34.5 minutes per game. He also scored 52.5 DK points only two games ago against the Phoenix Suns. Furthermore, Harris scored 37.5 DK points in his only matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Danilo Gallinari has been playing well recently, as well, and will also see an uptick in usage. Over the last 10 days, Gallinari is averaging 18.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists (32.0 DK points) in 31.4 minutes per game. He has been extremely consistent, as well, scoring 30+ DK points in nine of his last 10 games, including a 55.5 DK point performance against the Phoenix Suns a few games ago. Patrick Beverley has been far from a great fantasy option this season, but he’ll be locked into solid minutes with Lou Williams out of the rotation. Through 27 games, he’s averaging 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists (18.4 DK points) in 24.2 minutes per game. Beverley also needed only 25.2 minutes to score 27.3 DK points against San Antonio earlier this season. He also comes with an absurdly low price tag, making this stack a bit more manageable in terms of salary.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
De’Anthony Melton
There are a plethora of value guards on this slate, but Melton leads the way. He has seen an increased role over his last five games, averaging 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals (30.2 DK points) in 28.3 minutes per game over that span. Melton has also scored 30+ DK points in each of his last two games, playing 30+ minutes in each of those games.
Melton will see similar minutes tonight, and he could be in for another 30+ minute performance. He gets a great matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, who have struggled defensively against guards this season. This will also be an pace-up game for Melton tonight. His price tag has yet to adjust to his new role, and he’s a safe option, who also comes with quite a bit of upside tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Tyson Chandler
Chandler has played in 17 games for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, averaging 3.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. He has been playing at a slightly higher level recently, averaging 3.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 steal (16.9 DK points) in 23.2 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has also flashed 30+ DK point upside with Los Angeles.
Chandler’s role has been fluctuating for Los Angeles, but he has played 22+ minutes in three of his last four games. He’s expected to see minutes in the low- to mid-20s once again tonight, and he’ll be playing in one of the faster paced games on the smaller slate. Chandler certainly comes with quite a bit of risk, but he also comes with upside for his current price tag.
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