NBA FanDuel top 5 plays is back for a loaded Friday Night DFS slate and we are here to help you navigate it!
I think Russell Westbrook just scored again……..Well so much for fading Westbrook, he erupted for 83.9 FDP (Fanduel Points) and Isaiah Thomas failed to play much in the 4th quarter only managing 30.4 FDP’s. I lost a much heated H2H (Head to Head) contest with our very own @2lockSports and @MattyMcMatt17 by a whopping 3 points…but a loss is a loss and the great thing about playing DFS is tomorrow comes quick. Well here we are with tomorrow and I’m ready to get back at it! Last night wasn’t a total dud as my cash game lineup finished in the top 5 across the board with 338 points. D’Angelo Russell, and Kristaps Porzingis did well enough to not stink and Kris Middleton absolutely crushed value scoring 43.4 FDP’s on a $5,300 price tag. Overall I was able to turn a small profit and avoid a losing night.
Tonight the NBA is once again hooking us up with a nice set of games to choose from. There are 7 games on the main slate which doesn’t lock until 8pm Est. The highest total now is the Brooklyn Nets at the Portland Trailblazers at 226.5. This is followed closely by the Charlotte Hornets visiting he Denver Nuggets at 220.5. The most interesting game for me has the 4th highest total of 215.5 which has the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Miami Heat. The Heat have been playing really well of late and I think this is a game they can really see how far they have come, in what should be a good game to watch. The lowest total on the board is 206 so you could easily use players from any of these games tonight. Let’s take a look at who I’m willing to spend up for and who I’m fading in GPP’s.
NBA Fanduel: Top GPP Spend and Fade
Jimmy Butler – $9,100
I’m rolling with Jimmy Buckets tonight at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. Butler has scored over 44 FDP’s in 5 of his last 6 and the Bulls are looking to show beating the Golden State Warriors last time out wasn’t a fluke. They are now 6th in the Eastern Conference and need to keep winning as the 8th place Detroit Pistons are only 2 games back. The Clippers are ranked near the bottom of the league giving up the 6th most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. The total is 210.5 right now in this one and I think we could see a close game with the visiting Clippers listed as a 1.5 point favorite. His price is reasonable in this one and if we get the right game flow Butler should be able to make value on this number. I like Butler in GPP’s tonight and will have a good amount of exposure to him.
LeBron James – $11,100
We have tons of narratives in this one. LeBron is going back to Miami to take on the Heat, who have played well lately. This is something I think a lot of people will be buying in to the revenge narrative tonight and will make room for LeBron on their rosters. James has been spectacular lately averaging over 55 FDP’s in his last 4 games played. The reason I am fading him tonight is this is the third game in four nights for the Cavs and LeBron has played 40 and 39 minutes in the previous two. I think the Cavs will have no problem in this one and will look to experiment how to use some of their new pieces tonight. James is not someone I will be paying up for tonight in any format. Now let’s take a look at my cash game lock.
NBA Fanduel: Cash Game Lock and GPP Flier
Jusuf Nurkic – $6,400
Nurkic has been nothing short of fantastic since he was traded to the Blazers. Over his last 5 games he is averaging 34.02 FDP’s and that is with 2 games with 28.1 and 16.8 FDP’s. He failed to reach 22 minutes in those games, which explains the low scoring. He gets a dream match-up tonight against the Nets who give up the 4th most FDP to opposing centers. This game has the highest total on the board, and Nurkic will no doubt be one of the popular plays in cash tonight. I don’t think that matters, and I’m willing to roster him knowing he is likely going to get me 35 FDP’s tonight. At this price, anything more than that is a bonus. Plug him in at center in your cash games and move on!
Maurice Harkless – $4,800
Mo Harkless gets my call as a GPP Flier tonight. I am going to continue to attack the Nets tonight and roll him out in GPP’s. He is a nice salary saver and gets the worst team in the NBA allowing points to opposing SF’s. The Blazers are still playing without Evan Turner (who will return soon), and I think Harkless takes advantage of his opponent tonight with the continued extra minutes he has got. Harkless isn’t going to get you 40 FDP’s like Middleton did last night, but I do think he could score mid to upper 20’s which is all you need at this $4,800 price tag. I will be using him as a salary saver and hoping for 25 or more FDP’s tonight from Harkless. Now let’s take a look at today’s PayMaker.
C.J. McCollum – $7,600
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m really going to attack the defense of the Nets tonight. I really like McCollum in this spot. The Nets have been the worst team in the NBA defending the shooting guard position this season. I think most people will look to roster Lillard and that makes total sense, as the Nets are bad against PG’s and Lillard has been on fire lately. I’m looking to have a little variance and still attack the Net’s back court with McCollmum. His production has not been great lately and he has seen his price drop as a result. I think this is a great ‘Get Right’ spot for him and he reaches value and scores well over 30 FDP’s tonight. I will have exposure to him in both GPP’s and cash games tonight.
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I really like the way this slate is looking for tonight. We have some great games on tap and hopefully we can continue to not be blasted with late scratches and guys sitting out for rest. I honestly thought we would be seeing more of that by now so that means once it hits it will hit hard. I am looking to continue to be conservative tonight and play about 80% of my bankroll in cash games and 20% in GPP’s. This is a great slate for both cash and gpp contests with options at all positions to be a little different.
Good luck in your NBA FanDuel contests and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter as we bring you the latest roster updates and lineup news!