High Salary C
DeMarcus Cousins, NO at NY ($10,900): Cousins had 63.25 fantasy points against the Knicks on Dec. 30. He remains a better play than Anthony Davis due to his playmaking and three-point shooting ability. Both the New Orleans big men should be in for another strong night, as they were on Friday. I like Cousins more, but he also costs more. ****
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs MIL ($7,300): Whiteside has hit value in three straight, posting a double-double in each contest. Along with his knack for points in the paint and rebounds, he adds to his value with his ability to block shots. He’s looking healthier with each passing game and this feels like a big game for him given the undersized nature of the Bucks. *****
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs POR ($9,200): Towns has hit value in four of his last five and came within .9 fantasy points of making it five straight. Production has not been an issue for the Minnesota center. The Timberwolves have been blowing teams out, so his minutes have been down in some contests. He had 32.25 fantasy points against the Blazers on Dec. 18. I expect his numbers to be well over that number given his recent play. ****
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at MIN ($6,500): Nurkic had 35.25 fantasy points against the Timberwolves on Dec. 18. He’s playing his best basketball of the season, which is a good sign for his value moving forward. The Timberwolves defense, especially the defense of Towns, has been most better in recent weeks, which makes this a tougher matchup than it was a month ago. I like him at value (29.5 fantasy points), but not much higher. ***