This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Injury/Rest Situations to Monitor
Victor Oladipo (wrist) is questionable for Friday's game against the Heat, with Mario Hezonja ($3,200) expected to get the starting nod if V.O. can't suit up. Although Hezonza could make for a decent punt play, Elfrid Payton ($5,100) and Evan Fournier ($4,900) would likely be the real beneficiaries of an Oladipo absence. Payton is of particular interest, as he's expected to replace Brandon Jennings in the starting lineup after triple-doubling off the bench Wednesday against Detroit.
Though only dealing with a minor injury, Toronto's Patrick Paterson (ankle) may be in danger of missing Friday's game in Houston and/or Saturday's game in New Orleans. If he sits out either contest, Luis Scola ($3,700) could get minutes in the high-20s in a superb matchup.
Furthermore, the Raptors might rest Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan for one of the games in the upcoming back-to-back. Lowry is a first-rate play when DeRozan sits, and vice versa. Cory Joseph ($3,900), the likely replacement in the starting lineup, would also be a strong option.
Zach Randolph (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game in San Antonio, with a potential absence opening up minutes for a slew of his teammates. Given the matchup, Matt Barnes ($4,900) would be the only guy worthy of real consideration, and it would still be kind of a tough sell.
If Kenneth Faried (back) misses Friday's game against the Lakers, both Darrell Arthur ($4,200) and Nikola Jokic ($5,900) would be solid plays without high ownership. Jokic is a decent option in any case, as he's always a threat to top 40 DK points if he can stay out of foul trouble. Of course, if Jokic were to find himself in foul trouble, Jusuf Nurkic ($3,900) could do some damage off the bench. The Nuggets frontcourt may not be good, but it's certainly been interesting all season.
Point Guard
Deron Williams, DAL (Fri. at GS, Sun. at SAC), $5,600
The Mavs are stuck in a difficult position, desperately clinging to a playoff spot without the services of Chandler Parsons (knee). The scoring load figures to fall heavily on Williams and Dirk Nowitzki, both of whom are also getting a ton of minutes. Williams put up 65.75 and 34.25 DraftKings points in the first two games without Parsons, logging 43 (in overtime) and 39 minutes, respectively. Though Friday's game does carry the obvious risk for a blowout, Williams offers tremendous upside for a $5,600 price tag if the Mavs can keep it close. As for Sunday's matchup in Sacramento, I'll confidently project Williams for 35 DK points.
Other options: Stephen Curry, GS (Fri. vs. DAL, Sun. vs. PHI), $10,500; Kyle Lowry, TOR (Fri. at HOU, Sat. at NO), $8,400; Goran Dragic, MIA (Fri. vs. ORL), $6,200; Emmanuel Mudiay, DEN (Fri. at LAL, Sat. at LAC), $5,900; Jeff Teague, ATL (Fri. vs. MIL, Sat. at DET), $5,600; Elfrid Payton, ORL (Fri. vs. MIL, Sat. vs. CHI), $5,100; Patrick Beverley, HOU (Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at IND), $4,300
Shooting guard
Bradley Beal, WAS (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at LAL), $5,100
With his team needing a strong finish to qualify for the playoffs, Beal has played at least 31 minutes in each of his last four appearances, after often being limited to the high-20s over the past couple months. He is coming off an ugly dud (11.5 DK points in 31 minutes) Wednesday in Atlanta, but a pair of favorable weekend matchups should bring far more success. Despite the recent uptick in minutes, Beal sits at his lowest price point in recent memory. Given that he's averaging 28.3 DK points over 30.4 minutes this season, it's reasonable to project him for 6x salary this weekend.
Other options: James Harden, HOU (Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at IND), $10,400; Dwyane Wade, MIA (Fri. vs. ORL), $6,500; Khris Middleton, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. CHA), $6,400; Wesley Matthews, DAL (Fri. at GS, Sun. at SAC), $4,400
Small Forward
Kyle Anderson, SA (Fri. vs. MEM), $3,000
With Kawhi Leonard (quad), Danny Green, Patty Mills and Boris Diaw all being rested for Friday's game, Anderson is a legitimate candidate to see 35+ minutes, and he should at least be in the high-20s. When Leonard missed three straight contests shortly after the All-Star break, Anderson logged either 28 or 29 minutes in each game, albeit with mixed results. Though he probably won't light up the scoreboard, Anderson does own a respectable average of 11.4 DK points over 14.4 minutes, as he's a solid per-minute contributor in every category besides three-pointers. Kevin Martin ($3,000) also makes for an interesting min-priced option, and LaMarcus Aldridge ($7,100) will likely take a lot of shots.
Other options: Trevor Ariza, HOU (Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at IND), $5,300; Mirza Teletovic, PHO (Fri. at SAC, Sat. vs. BOS), $4,300; Harrison Barnes, GS (Fri. vs. DAL, Sun. vs. PHI), $4,100
Power Forward
Jon Leuer, PHO (Fri. at SAC, Sat. vs. BOS), $4,100
Leuer is a strong candidate to have the highest ownership percentage in Friday contests, coming off performances of 36.25 DK points over 32 minutes and 44 DK points over 41 minutes. With Tyson Chandler (back) set to miss another game and Alex Len still struggling horribly, Leuer should be in for another workload of 30+ minutes in Friday's matchup with a Sacramento team that allows the most fantasy points per game to power forwards this season. The appeal is pretty obvious, as Leuer averages 19.2 DK points over 18.6 minutes per game this season, making him a solid bet to put up 30+ Friday night. He should be in every lineup, even with the expectation of sky-high ownership.
Other options: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (Fri. vs. PHO, Sun. vs. DAL), $10,300; Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (Fri. at GS, Sun. at SAC), $7,200; Julius Randle, LAL (Fri. vs. DEN, Sun. vs. WAS), $6,000; David West, SA (Fri. vs. MEM), $3,300
Center
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (Fri. at WAS, Sat. vs. UTA), $8,300
Though limited by foul trouble in his last outing, Towns still went for 50.75 DK points in just 29 minutes against the Kings, giving him four straight games with 42+ DK points. He had previously played at least 35 minutes in eight consecutive appearances, with double-doubles in all but two of those games. In light of his expanded minutes load, Towns is a nightly threat to top 50 DK points and should average around 45 per game from here on out. Even with a pair of touch matchups this weekend, he's one of the better values at his position and shouldn't be too highly owned.
Other options: Hassan Whiteside, MIA (Fri. vs. ORL), $8,000; Dwight Howard, HOU (Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at IND), $6,800; Alex Len, PHO (Fri. at SAC, Sat. vs. BOS), $6,300; Greg Monroe, MIL (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. CHA), $5,500; Salah Mejri, DAL (Fri. at GS, Sun. at SAC), $3,900
