This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday features a loaded slate of 12 games with plenty of matchups that you can use to your advantage. Outside of the marquee game between Golden State and Atlanta, there are some fantasy-friendly matchups that are flying under the radar that could yield big returns. The Utah/Phoenix game is one of those lesser-touted tilts that has interesting fantasy implications. Utah has the size in the frontcourt to push Phoenix's big men around. In their first meeting, Utah outscored Phoenix 66-42 in the paint and out-rebounded them 52-34. Alex Len sprained his ankle Thursday and left the Moda Center on crutches, which could leave the Suns even weaker up front. Another team that has some bargain players with upside is the Lakers, who are going against an Orlando team that allows big points across the board to opposing players.
Friday Value Plays
Point Guard
Deron Williams, BKN, $5,600 - Williams returned to action this week after a rib injury put him on the shelf for most of January. In his two games back, Williams has had 19.1 and 23.6 FanDuel points. More importantly, he's been getting a good amount of time on the floor, with 29 and 33 minutes in those games respectively, and he has come off the bench in both of those games. Williams is still rounding into shooting form, though, going 4-for-12 against Toronto on Wednesday. He doesn't seem to be showing any lingering effects from his rib injury and gets a great matchup Friday against the Knicks. New York is allowing 44.1 FanDuel points to opposing point guards in its last 10 games, fourth highest in the league over that span. Mind you, that's against all point guards, but that still bodes well for Williams. For $5,600, Williams should outscore the other point guards in that price range, such as Mo Williams, Elfrid Payton, and Tony Parker.
Trey Burke, UTA, $5,800 - Burke is another middle-tier option at point guard that's worth exploring. Although Dante Exum has been getting the starts lately, Burke has been averaging 30 minutes on the floor over the last 10 games and has played over 30 minutes in five straight. To build on that, Burke is averaging 16 shots in his last five, and although he's only knocking down 38 percent of them, the sheer volume has led to solid scoring production. Utah's strength is definitely in the frontcourt, especially against a Phoenix team that is weak inside, but that doesn't mean that Burke won't be getting looks.
Shooting Guard
Jamal Crawford, LAC, $5,200 - Crawford turned in an underwhelming performance Thursday despite J.J Redick being sidelined with back spasms, but then again, so did the entirety of the Clippers team (unless you started Austin Rivers for whatever reason). Still, Crawford draws a decent matchup against a Toronto team that is letting up 38.1 FanDuel points to opposing shooting guards over the last five games. Due to the nature of Redick's injury, it's entirely possible that he'll be out Friday, and as such, Crawford will be a solid play at a decent price.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL, $6,400 - Antetokounmpo is coming off a career-high 25 points against the Lakers on Wednesday and has been stellar across the board in other categories of late. He'll be facing off against the Rockets and James Harden, who, though improved, is far from a lockdown defender. Even if Houston uses another defender on Antetokounmpo, he's still such a mismatch that he'll still have success. The Rockets have been allowing 40.3 total points to opposing shooting guards in their last 10 games, and although that number is inflated after facing the likes of Klay Thompson and Monta Ellis, it's still enough to consider using Antetokounmpo. While he may not light up the Rockets for 25 points, the Greek Freak is a good bet to score in double figures and pull down some rebounds.
Joe Johnson, BKN, $6,200 - In two games against New York this season, Johnson is averaging 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. Johnson appears to have broken out of his scoring slump and has averaged 19.25 points in his last four outings. Not only has Johnson been scoring, he's been doing so at an efficient rate, shooting 53 percent from the floor in that span. Brooklyn has played better of late, and Johnson has been part of the reason why. His matchup and recent production make him a good play among middle-tier shooting guards.
Small Forward
Gordon Hayward, UTA, $8,100 - Hayward may be the best bet Friday if you're looking to spend at the small forward position. LeBron James has a soft matchup against the Pacers where he could very well be rested if Cleveland is blowing out Indiana, and Kevin Durant's status is up in the air as he's still nursing that nagging toe injury. That leaves Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard, and Hayward in that upper-tier of small forwards, and while Anthony has a nice matchup, Hayward is going for $1,000 cheaper and can definitely match Anthony's production. There's a lot to like about Hayward's matchup as well. He'll be playing a Phoenix team that was run ragged in the fourth by Portland on Thursday and doesn't have a great defensive answer for Hayward. Portland's small forward, Nicolas Batum, put up 20 points on the Suns on Thursday, and Hayward will almost certainly top that mark Friday.
Khris Middleton, MIL, $6,400 - Middleton has scored over 40 FanDuel points in two straight games and gets a friendly matchup Friday. Houston is likely going to struggle finding the right defensive assignments to combat Milwaukee's length, which will be even harder without Dwight Howard. Middleton should see some good looks as a result, and that's great news for a guy who has been shooting lights out of late. He is connecting on 56 percent of his shots in his last five games and has double-digit field goal attempts in four of those contests. Look for Middleton to continue his hot streak Friday.
Power Forward
Ed Davis, LAL, $5,300 and Carlos Boozer, LAL, $6,000 - Neither of these two were in the starting lineup Wednesday, but both played twice as many minutes as starters Tarik Black and Robert Sacre. Boozer and Davis each had over 30 FanDuel points. Yes, that game went to overtime, but the fact remains that these two are solid value plays against a porous Orlando frontcourt. The Magic are allowing 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds to opposing power forwards in their last 10 games, which, when combined with the other counting stats, adds up to a league-high 47.7 FD points. Boozer is the better option because of his scoring capability and shot volume (13.6 FGA in his last five games). Still, Davis is a good bet for big rebounding numbers thanks to the matchup. You should feel fine using either one of these guys in one of your power forward slots.
Greg Monroe, DET, $8,200 - While Orlando may be letting up the most points to opposing power forwards over the last 10 games, Denver is allowing the second most. That means a big night could be in the works for Monroe. Denver has been nothing short of awful lately, having lost 11 of its last 12, and in that span, they have been dominated up front. It also helps that Denver is one of the league's worst shooting teams, which means Monroe will have plenty of rebounding opportunities.
Center
Timofey Mozgov, CLE, $5,500 - If you aren't looking to shell out $8,000+ on your center for guys like Hassan Whiteside or Al Horford, then Mozgov is a great bargain. Mozgov hasn't played against the Pacers in a Cavaliers uniform yet, but in two games against them with the Nuggets this season, he combined for 21 rebounds and nine points. His offense has improved a bit since being traded to Cleveland and is a good bet to produce for the price you're getting him. Mozgov has three games of 30 or more FD points in his last 10, and his only sub-par showing in that span came against Oklahoma City.
