Daily Fantasy Basketball: Raptors’ PG Kyle Lowry is Thursday’s top play

Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

HIGH FIVE/low five

Daily Fantasy can be quite the grind!  Let us do the grinding for you with “High Five/Low Five”.  Each day, we help put you in the money by presenting you with FIVE of the “top-tier” plays, as well as a quick list of FIVE “value plays”.  Toronto Raptors’ PG Kyle Lowry flies high as Thursday’s top Daily Fantasy Basketball play.

Let’s rip it up.

HIGH FIVE:

Point Guard: Kyle Lowry, TOR ($8,300): Really digging Lowry in this spot tonight against the Washington Wizards.  For starters, Washington ranks in the bottom half of the league at defending the point guard position over the past two weeks, ranking just 21st.  More importantly, Lowry has played well recently, averaging over 35 FPs over his last four, after having over 40 FPs in each of the three games prior to that.  One of those 40 FP games came against the Wizards just over a week ago, in which Lowry had 24 points and 10 assists for 42.4 FPs.  On the season, Lowry has averaged over 18 points and 10 assists in three games vs. the Wizards and as such, should have no problem producing similar numbers again and getting you close to the 41.5 FPs you’ll need from him to reach value.

Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade, MIA ($8,000): Wade has been playing out of his mind in the last two games, averaging nearly 50 FPs.  Granted, one of those games was without LeBron James, but nonetheless, Wade should be good for the 40 FPs he’ll need to reach value given his recent play and tonight’s opponent.  Over the past two weeks, the New York Knicks have given up the eighth most FPs to opposing SGs and should continue to give up plenty to Wade, who may be asked to should a heavier load tonight.  Look for Wade to do work in what should be one the higher scoring games.

Small Forward: LeBron James, MIA ($11,400): Small Forward is a tough position to read tonight. You’ve got Paul George in a game vs. Milwaukee that is very likely to be a blowout and though he performed well against them last time, that game was also much closer than expected.  After him, you get down into a bunch of boom or bust middle-tier guys that can’t really be called “top plays”.  Then you have LeBron, in a mask.  Whatever, Batman where’s a mask too.  So, unless that game in Indianapolis is much closer than expected, I’m expecting LeBron will be the top scorer at SF, against a New York Knicks team he almost always plays well against.

Power Forward: Carmelo Anthony, NY ($10,800): The nice thing about a small slate of games, is that it makes the top plays a little more obvious.  It also makes you wonder if you’re better off fading the top guy at a certain position and going with a couple of cheaper value plays.  That’s for you to decide though.  What I will tell you though, is that after cooling down a bit, Anthony has heated right back up again with three games over 55 FPs in his last four.  Factor in that the Miami Heat have been middle of the road for most of the season at defending the PF spot, and that they’re a team against whom Carmelo usually does well, and I ‘m thinking you’ve got all the makings of at least a 45 FP night.  Which is not something you can say for any other PF on tonight’s slate.

Center: Marcin Gortat, WAS ($6,700): There are a couple of nice options at center tonight, but Ill be rostering the man that has topped 30 FPs in each of his last five games.  With a value threshold of 33.5 FPs, Gortat should have no problem hitting that number against a Washington Wizards team he put up 18 points and 11 rebounds (35.2 FPs) against last time out.  Add in that he’ll be playing big minutes again with the injuries to Nene Hilario and Kevin Seraphin and there is really no reason that he shouldn’t push his current streak of five games over 30 FPs to six games.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

low five:

Point Guard: Aaron Brooks, DEN ($4,200): With Ty Lawson once again expected to be out, Brooks should draw the start and produce value against a Brooklyn Nets team that’s just 24th vs. PGs over the last two weeks.  Expect him to score somewhere between 20-25 FPs, just as he has in each of the last three games.

Shooting Guard: There are more than a few equally viable punt options at SG tonight, so I can’t really recommend any one player over the other.  So, ranked in descending order, here is a list of a few players, each of whom I think can reach their value thresholds tonight: Pablo Prigioni, NY ($3,900)/Evan Fournier, DEN ($4,400)/Terrence Ross, TOR ($4,400)/ Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL ($4,600)

Small Forward: J.R. Smith, NY ($5,500): Smith has been getting minutes and topping 20 FPs on the regular over his last four games, and should be able to do so again tonight vs. the Miami Heat.  His value threshold is 27.5 FPs, so I’m not sure he’s got it in him to reach that, but I don’t think it’s impossible.  Like I said, expect 20-25 FPs.

Power Forward: Trevor Booker, WAS ($3,500): With news that Kevin Seraphin is out, the PF spot in Washington is all Booker’s in the wake of Nene Hilario‘s injury.  I expect Booker to be one of the more widely owned player tonight, and he shoal be able to reach his value threshold of 17.5 FPs tonight against a Toronto Raptors team that has been middle of the road vs. PFs in recent weeks.

Center: Timofey Mozgov, DEN ($4,300): Mozgov will likely draw the start again tonight vs. Brooklyn and performed admirably in his start the other night, scoring 25 FPs, despite being thoroughly outplayed by the man whose starting job he took, J.J. Hickson.  Another sneaky punt option at the center position is Zaza Pachulia, MIL ($4,100), who put up nearly 26 FPs against the Indiana Pacers just a few days ago.

Thank you and good luck tonight !!!
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