Fantasy Basketball Top Plays and Fades, Monday January 7

ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 09: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during free throws against the Atlanta Hawks at McCamish Pavilion on October 9, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Fantasy Basketball Top Plays /

Welcome into the Monday edition of Fantasy Basketball Top Plays and Fades! We have a very nice eight game slate tonight with James Harden once again ranking as the top play.

The one way I’m starting to build any lineup for this slate is to lock in James Harden. I know he had a poor game this past outing but he could also score 90 DK points like he did two games ago. I won’t get caught on the wrong side of things with Harden and it makes it slightly easier because the other super studs on this slate aren’t in the greatest spot. There’s a lot of ways to build the lineup around him but that path seems to be the best as we sit here today. Let’s get into who we need to be targeting tonight with our Fantasy Basketball Top Plays and hopefully they bother to show up, unlike Justise Winslow yesterday.

Fantasy Basketball Top Plays – Point Guard

Top Play – Mike Conley, Grizzlies

I don’t often target Grizzlies players as a rule, unless it’s Kyle Anderson in cash games in great game scripts. While Anderson does get such a situation tonight, Conley has my attention, especially on DraftKings. Conley is under $8,000 and draws a very nice pace bump against a team that gives up the third most DK points to the position.

I wouldn’t worry about the minutes from the last game as the Grizzlies were on a back to back situation and likely were just managing his minutes since he’s been battling minor injuries through the season. Even as the third most expensive point guard on FanDuel, he’s still plenty worth it.

Honorable Mention – Shabazz Napier, Nets – on the low-end for salary relief

Fade – Lonzo Ball, Lakers

He had a terrible game yesterday and only saw 22 minutes, which really just illustrates the frighteningly low floor Ball has every night. The minutes were likely just due to the blowout nature of the game but there’s still not much of a reason to score zero real life points. The Mavericks are actually a very good matchup for the position, as they rank in the bottom 10 in DK points given up.

However, the price is still fay too high for me to feel comfortable with Ball in any formats but large field GPP where you can absorb the risk. In my mind, he’s just not a good enough player to warrant that high of a price tag.

Honorable Mention – With Kyrie Irving back for the Celtics, don’t play Terry Rozier

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 20: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings works against Tyler Zeller #44 of the Brooklyn Nets in the third quarter during their game at Barclays Center on December 20, 2017 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Fantasy Basketball Top Plays – Shooting Guard

Top Play – Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kings

I’m going to resist the urge to write-up Luka Doncic, even though I think he’s a fantastic play against the Lakers tonight. I’ll stick with another one of the more attractive games and we want a piece of the game. I’ve said to fade Buddy Hield lately and that hasn’t worked out for me. Hield has been great but he’s also almost $2,000 more on DK.

That price gap makes a huge difference and if Iman Shumpert remains out of the lineup, he should stay in the starting lineup. This past game, Hield played 34 minutes and racked up 48 DK points while Bogdanovic played the same amount of minutes and scored 42 DK. The crazy part is Hield shot almost 58 percent from the floor and Bogdanovic was under 30 percent. Even on FD where the price is more comparable, I’d still rather save the money and stick with the cheaper option. As of this writing, you likely will need every dollar you can find.

Honorable Mention – Khris Middleton, Bucks

Fade – DeMar DeRozan, Spurs

Almost by default, Buddy Hield qualifies but that would be cheating. Instead, DeRozan is not a player that will end up in a lot of my lineups for a couple of reasons. The first is this game is just sort of ugly as it stands. The over/under is actually a little higher than I expected but both of these teams play at a bottom 12 pace in the league. That’s not the ideal fantasy environment regardless of any other factors. Once we add in some of the better spots for fantasy, DeRozan is a tough sell.

The other portion is the Pistons have been tough against the shooting guard position. There is some slight potential since Detroit struggles around the rim and DeRozan does drive at the second highest rate in the league. Still, I’m not ready to pay for that small chance of fantasy goodness on a slate of this style.

Honorable Mention – Jrue Holiday, Pelicans

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 21: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz drives against Raymond Felton #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 21, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz beat the Thunder 115-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

Fantasy Basketball Top Plays – Small Forward

Top Play – Joe Ingles, Jazz

Small forward is tough once again unless you’re going top shelf, especially on FD. I will say on that platform that Gary Harris is a great option but we’ll stick with an option that works across all formats. I always like to try to target Ingles when he faces a team that can be weak on the perimeter or against the three-point shot. It just so happens that the Milwaukee Bucks give up the most three-point attempts per game in the league.

For his part, Ingles takes 5.5 attempts a game and on DK, his price has dipped below $5,000. Yes, he’s been a little below average these past few games. Yes, he’s shooting the three at the second lowest mark of his career but the price is simply too low for the potential tonight. Even on FD, he’s under $6,000 and well worth putting into the lineup tonight with the amount of three pointers he can take tonight.

Honorable Mention – DeMarre Carroll, Nets

Fade – Kyle Anderson, Grizzlies

If you happen to listen to the RotoCurve podcast, it’s a bit of a joke that Kyle Anderson is one of my favorite players. He’s really not, but since I play a lot of cash games, I land on him often when he’s in a good spot against a poor defensive team. While that does fit the bill for tonight, I can’t see myself using Anderson on this slate.

The issue with players like Anderson can be when he has a big game like a triple-double, he basically becomes unplayable for about a week afterwards. That is the case(more or less) tonight because even though the Nets represent a good spot, Anderson is far too expensive on a slate that has some high-end studs on it. The triple double he recorded recently was almost legitimately the lowest triple-double a player could have. I’ll pass at his current salary.

Honorable Mention – Nemanja Bjelica, Kings if Marvin Bagley is active

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 17: Kevin Knox #20 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on October 17, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Fantasy Basketball Top Plays – Power Forward

Top Play – Kevin Knox, Knicks

This might be the first time Knox has mad an appearance in the article but there is good reason for it tonight. So far this year, Knox has a 22.8 percent usage and is just a little bit under 0.90 FPPM. He gets the Blazers matchup that we generally target with these types of players and he continually sees big minutes and a ton of shot attempts. Given that the Blazers are surrendering the seventh most points to the position, Knox has a real shot at some upside tonight.

Even if the Knicks get blown out on the other side of the country, Knox still will likely get his minutes. He’s still coming in cheaper than Tim Hardaway, meaning I’m going to lean that way on any night. With the positive matchup and feeling good about the minutes no matter what happens on the scoreboard, I’m happy to use Knox tonight at a solid price point.

Honorable Mention – Marcus Morris, Celtics

Fade – Aaron Gordon, Magic

I love the last game on the slate and will likely have multiple pieces from it, up to and including a game stack. However, one part that I will not be too enthused about using is Aaron Gordon. I don’t know what it is with him this season but something just hasn’t clicked consistently. Gordon had been better recently but had a dud performance yesterday against the Clippers and there is risk involved, despite the matchup.

The Kings play at the fastest pace in the league and this should be a great spot for him but the usage is still not over 23 percent and is stillest flirting with 1.0 FPPM, while being on the wrong side of it. The price is still fair on both sites and it’s a calculated risk but I won’t have Gordon in too many lineups tonight. The risk of a sub-30 fantasy point dud is too real for my taste.

Honorable Mention – Blake Griffin, Pistons

CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 26: Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks watches on against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on November 26, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Fantasy Basketball Top Plays – Center

Top Play – Brook Lopez, Bucks

This may seem out-of-place on an eight game slate but the price for Lopez is very attractive tonight and you’re going to have to spend down a touch somewhere to afford Harden. This seems like good as a spot as any because Lopez has seen his price drop too low and draws a quietly gray matchup.

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Lopez gets a team that allows the third highest field goal percentage on three-point shots, which is near the only kind of shot that Lopez takes. I have a hard time seeing Rudy Gobert getting out on the perimeter to defend that shot on the offensive end, and on the defensive end there is opportunity for Lopez as well. Gobert ranks sixth in field goal attempts inside the paint and Lopez averages nearly two blocks per game. This game should be a good one and Lopez is going to come at a low price and even lower ownership.

Honorable Mention – Nikola Vucevic, Magic

Fade – Marc Gasol, Grizzlies

If Gasol had a good game against Anthony Davis in New Orleans, I wouldn’t say I’d be shocked. He’s had good games against Davis before and could do it again. Still, with the amount of centers on this slate I can’t see myself landing on Gasol and it has very little to do with an average effort against the Nets the other night.

The Pelicans do present a solid matchup but we just haven’t seen the ceiling for Gasol very often this year. He’s not even averaging 39 Dk points this year despite being sixth in the league in touches per game. The usage is down under 24 percent on this touches and my fear here is Conley is the man in this matchup. There are times when a fast pace doesn’t benefit Gasol and he could be a very trappy play tonight. The article has featured this game often, but it could be an important game to get right with a couple other games not looking like they’re great for fantasy.

Honorable Mention – Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings

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