This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
*Editor's note: I apologize on behalf of our staff for the late posting of this article the last two days. For those of you who look forward to it, we'll have all the wrinkles ironed out for tomorrow and going forward.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: Knicks, Jazz, Celtics, Hornets, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Rockets, Nuggets, Lakers, Kings, Bucks
Second game of a back-to-back: None.
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Mo Williams, PG, CHA ($7,000): Williams has been a ridiculously great value on DK since being traded to the Hornets, and until they move his salary up to a level that matches his production, Williams should continue to be a fixture in daily games lineups. Through his first five games with the Hornets, he's averaged 23.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.8 three-pointers on 9.0 attempts per game in 35 minutes. That isn't a typo. Williams is launching threes like they;re going out of style, and with the bonus you get for three-pointers on DraftKings, that makes him all the more valuable. Ride or die on Williams.
Other suggestions: Isaiah Thomas, at CLE ($6,200), Michael Carter-Williams, at DEN ($6,900), Ty Lawson vs. MIL ($7,100) Post-Brian Shaw freedom parade on tap?
Shooting Guard
Bradley Beal, SG, WAS ($5,500): Beal's salary is good, and with the Bulls playing without Derrick Rose (knee), Jimmy Butler (elbow), and Taj Gibson (ankle), the Wizards should be able to score and defend the Bulls' backups more easily, which should open up the game for Beal. Without Butler guarding him, his job should should be noticeably easier, and in Beal's first game back in action Saturday, the Wizards played him a full complement of 33 minutes. Through three games against the Bulls this season, Beal has averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 37 minutes per game.
Other suggestions: Tim Hardaway, vs. SAC ($4,200), Will Barton, vs. MIL ($3,800), Corey Brewer, at ATL ($4,000), Jason Terry, at ATL ($3,200) - Crappy matchup, but with no Harden, someone has to score.
Small Forward
Josh Smith, SF, HOU ($6,500):James Harden is suspended for Tuesday's game, and with a league-leading 27.1 points left to be claimed by the Rockets, Smith seems like a safe bet to make value on his $6,500 salary. This is the first game Harden is missing all season, so it's anyone's guess who is going to get the extra shots, but even if Smith doesn't score more, he should at least play more minutes and collect more stats in other places.
Other suggestions: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, vs. LAL ($6,100), Trevor Ariza, at ATL ($5,900), Paul Pierce, at CHI ($4,300)
Power Forward
Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN ($5,000): Coach Brian Shaw was fired early Tuesday morning, and there were several players who a difficult relationship with him. Assuming Faried is in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Bucks, he should be used in tournaments in case the Manimal is uncaged. There's no guarantee that interim coach Melvi Hunt will curtail the idiotic rotations Shaw was running, but if he does, Faried would likely be one of the biggest benefactors.
Other suggestions: Terrence Jones, at ATL ($7,000), Pau Gasol, vs. WAS (9,500) Someone has to score for the Bulls.
Center
Marcin Gortat, C, WAS ($5,700): There are too many good value plays to use in the Bulls-Wizards game, but I'll be stacking a tournament lineup with all them for the absurdity of it. After struggling on the boards and playing limited minutes for a good deal of the season, Gortat has put up five straight games with double-digit rebounds, and his stretch culminated in a 49.75 DraftKings points outing Saturday against Detroit. While it's not a good policy to chase points, the Bulls are the 28th-WORST team in the league at defending centers according to DraftKings' stats.
Other suggestions: DeMarcus Cousins, at NYK ($9,800) - He's probable.
INJURY REPORT
See our Injury Updates page for a full rundown today.
