High Salary C
Players costing over $6,250
Joel Embiid (vs ORL – $10,000): Needs 44.6 fantasy points. Embiid looked more like himself against the Bulls, finishing with 60 fantasy points. Of course, it was against the Bulls. That said, the Magic aren’t much better and Orlando is on the road on a back-to-back. All of those things make me believe Embiid is going to have another big game. He’ll continue to split numbers with Simmons, but the rebounding and scoring opportunities are going to be there to go along with his defense. Plus I’m not sure he’s a big fane of Mo Bamba. Diagnosis: Don’t anger Embiid. And Mo angered him in the offseason. If he dies, he dies.
Andre Drummond (at CHI – $9,700): Needs 43.2 fantasy ponts. I don’t know why Drummond is shooting 3s, but he is. Even with the odd decision to take him out of the paint, Drummond is still an outstanding scorer and rebounder. His assist numbers have taken a big hit with the arrival of Blake Griffin, but the scoring and rebounding is no issue. Going against Chicago helps. Diagnosis: Good matchup for a guy who puts up big scoring and rebounding numbers.
Deandre Ayton (at DEN – $7,200): Needs 32.1 fantasy points. Ayton is currently expected to play, which is why he’s on this list. Check his status before making any decision. Ayton had a great debut against the Mavericks and DeAndre Jordan. The fact that he hung with Jordan has me believing in him early in the season. The Nuggets defense offers little resistance, which means Ayton should have no trouble getting points and rebounds. Diagnosis: It’s one game, but I’m sold on Ayton. Famous last words when talking about a rookie.