Welcome to the last Tuesday slate of the year. We’re coming to the late-season stretch where teams will be making their run for the playoffs or a better draft pick. It’s important to know which teams are in each situation. There will be a lot of news leading up to these games, so make sure you pay attention to any changes made to starting lineups. As always, I’ll try to point you in the right direction.
DAILY FANTASY BASKETBALL PLAYS OF THE DAY
POINT GUARD
Dennis Smith Jr.: $7300 DK, $6400 FD
Attacking the Suns is something we’ve been doing all season, so it’s no surprise that Smith is a top option on this slate. He’s put up two big games in his last three contests and has the most advantageous matchup tonight. Smith is currently listed as questionable due to left knee soreness. Make sure to follow the news as it’s possible he does sit out. The Mavericks don’t have anything to gain by playing him.
Tyler Dorsey: $4400 DK, $4500 FD
Dorsey has been playing a decent amount of minutes recently, and his salary still hasn’t risen too significantly. He’s coming off a poor performance against a good defensive team where he only put up 10 DK points, but before that he hit value in four straight games. There will be a lot of value that opens up as the news about players resting comes out, but Dorsey is one of my initial value plays.
Also Considered – Tyler Ennis: $4500 DK, $4700 FD
SHOOTING GUARD
J.J. Redick: $5600 DK, $5700 FD
Philadelphia still has something to play for as they have a much easier path to the finals if they can avoid having to play both Toronto and Cleveland. Redick has played well recently, scoring at least 25 DK points in seven straight games, and he has a great matchup tonight against the Hawks, owners of one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Redick has even shown the ability to hit a high ceiling, posting a 40 DK point performance against Detroit a few games back.
Josh Hart: $5900 DK, $5600 FD
Hart has been getting a lot of minutes recently while some of the Lakers starters have been sidelined. He’s played at least 32 minutes in four straight games and scored at least 24 DK points in all four of those contests. My assumption is that the Rockets may sit a few of their starters since having their players healthy for the playoffs is the No. 1 priority. If this is the case, Hart and the Lakers will have an easier time putting up points on Houston.
Also Considered – Danuel House: $5900 DK, $4300 FD
SMALL FORWARD
Robert Covington: $7200 DK, $7500 FD
On a normal slate I would say Covington is overpriced, but there’s a good chance a lot of top-priced guys either sit out or don’t play their normal allotment of minutes because their teams don’t have any incentive to go all out. Philadelphia is one of the few teams that has something to play for and Covington has played well recently, putting up a couple 40-plus DK point performances over his last few games.
Johnathan Motley: $5400 DK, $6000 FD
Motley strung together two impressive games where he played at least 40 minutes but followed that up with a poor performance where he only played 16 minutes. Harrison Barnes has already been ruled out, giving Motley a good shot at a lot of playing time again against the porous Suns defense. His latest box score may cause him to go under-owned.
Also Considered – Lance Stephenson: $4500 DK, $4700 FD
POWER FORWARD
Ben Simmons: $10700 DK, $10500 FD
Simmons is going to be a very popular play as he’s really the only high-priced player on a team that has something to play for. Since Joel Embiid has been sidelined, Simmons has been hit or miss but has come up big in a few games when it counted. He has a great matchup and would be a must play for me in cash, however, there’s always merit to fading someone who will be this highly owned.
Dwight Powell: $4700 FD, $5800 DK,
Powell is another guy I’ll be looking to against the Suns. He hasn’t been given many minutes this season, but with so many players resting, Powell should get a decent amount of time. He played 35 minutes in their last game against the Sixers and put up 37 DK points. He has an even better matchup tonight, and I would expect similar playing time.
Also Considered – Dragan Bender: $4700 DK, $4300 FD
CENTER
Greg Monroe: $6100 DK, $6200 FD
This play is predicated on the thought that Boston may rest some of their starters or at least play them a lower number of minutes than normal. (Boston can’t change their playoff seeding.) Monroe should get closer to 30 minutes of playing time, and he’s played well against Washington recently. He put up 35 DK points in their last matchup.
Alex Len: $5700 DK, $4600 FD
Len is really the only viable option at center if Tyson Chandler and Alan Williams are going to continue to sit. However, even in similar situations, the Suns have chosen to go small and Len hasn’t necessarily played a ton of minutes. Fortunately, Len’s salary is still pretty low on FD so you aren’t risking much. If he does get the playing time, he has the chance at a big day.
Also Considered – Marcin Gortat: $4600 DK, $4300 FD
That’s it for tonight’s slate. If you have any questions about these plays or any others, don’t hesitate to hit me up on twitter @thisisntdrew.
Good luck!
