Point Guard

Brandon Knight ( $7,400 ) – Much like last season, there’s going to be a common theme this year: target the Sixers.  Knight exploded in Milwaukee’s first game of the season, and it’s no surprise given Jason Kidd, a future Hall of Fame point guard, is now calling the shots.  Knight gave us several flashes of his upside last season, but this season should be a true breakout for him.  I expect him to dominate this game, with a score north of 40 fantasy points easily within reach against a team that just allowed Donald Sloan to post 39.5 DK points against them.  For me, Knight is one of those guys that will be very tough not to put in all of my lineups tonight.

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Tony Wroten ( $6,400 ) – Wroten’s price shot up after his monster performance on Wednesday, but not enough to scare me away.  This Philly team is devoid of scoring options, which will keep Wroten’s usage rate extremely high.  Brandon Knight is a capable defender, so perhaps we don’t see a nearly 50 fantasy point explosion.  However, if he only gets around 35, that’s still more than enough to justify his price tag.   While a player like Chris Paul against Jeremy Lin and the Lakers is certainly set up for a big game, there is still a lot of production to go around on that Clippers team.  If we are targeting 6 points per $1000 we spend, it’s much more likely that Wroten scores 38 fantasy points than Chris Paul scores 57.   In NBA, return on your investment is all that matters.

Shooting Guard

Eric Bledsoe ( $7,300 ) – His price would certainly be higher if he hadn’t gotten ejected against the Lakers, but he merely put up 38 fantasy points in 26 minutes.  Granted, it was against a woeful Lakers team, and the Spurs are certainly a much better defensive unit, but this is Bledsoe’s team, and his usage is going to remain very high throughout the season.  He’s underpriced at a position where there are simply are not many good options.

Kobe Bryant ( $8,000 )  – In 28 minutes of action against Phoenix, Bryant jacked up 25 shots and scored 44.5 fantasy points.  Blowouts are always going to be a concern with this Lakers team because, outside of Kobe, they simply don’t have any good players.  However, as long as he’s healthy, he’s going to be a viable DFS option each and every night based on an incredibly high usage rate.  He’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot, and he’s going to keep firing up shots.  Again, shooting guard is a weak position tonight, and I’m happy to pay only $8000 for a player like Kobe.

Small Forward

Khris Middleton ( $4,400 ) – Middleton started and would have played around 30 minutes had Milwaukee’s last game not gone to overtime.  It did, and he ended up with 36 minutes, putting up 15 shots along the way.  Tonight’s game should feature a faster pace and many more open looks, especially from 3 point range.  With the expectation that Brandon Knight will dominate this Sixers team, I’m not expecting a blowup from Middleton.  However, at the low price of $4,400, I think he will easily play his salary off with the upside to do much more.   Like shooting guard, small forward isn’t offering us much, and the smart play is to take a starting player at a cheap price that is facing the fantasy goldmine known as the Sixers.

Kawhi Leonard ($6,100 ) – The reigning NBA Finals MVP is ready to go after missing San Antonio’s first game with an eye infection.  An up-tempo matchup with Phoenix is perfect for Leonard, a player that contributes in every area of the stat sheet.  At $6,100, and after breaking out in a big way in the postseason, Leonard is set up perfectly to have a big season with the Spurs.  I’m expecting a big game out of him tonight, and he’s going to be a very difficult fade in any of my lineups at his current bargain price.  Phoenix simply doesn’t have anyone that will slow him down.

Power Forward

Zach Randolph ( $7,600 ) – Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph shredded a weak Minnesota front court on Wednesday, and while Gasol will be tangled up with Roy Hibbert, Randolph has to be giddy about the prospect of Luis Scola attempting to defend him.  Scola is a bad defender, and Z-Bo should have an easy time scoring and pulling down rebounds tonight.  From a fantasy perspective, he takes a hit because he doesn’t contribute much other than points and rebounds, but I’m willing to overlook that tonight given the matchup is just so good.

Ed Davis ( $4,500 ) – With Julius Randle suffering a season-ending injury, Ed Davis is in line for big minutes as the backup to both Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill.  While he doesn’t start, Davis has a long history in the league of being extremely productive with the minutes that he’s given.  I can’t envision a scenario where Davis doesn’t play at least 25 minutes tonight.  Jordan Hill is always a candidate to get into foul trouble, and the Lakers are certainly always candidates to get blown out, especially by a team as talented as the Clippers.  Despite coming off the bench, Davis is a safe play that is unlikely to tank your lineup, but, if given an unexpected increase in minutes, can offer you incredible upside for a very cheap price.

Center

Larry Sanders ($5,700) – Remember the Mantra: Target the Sixers.  Sanders struggled with foul trouble against Charlotte, which tends to happen when you’re tasked with covering Al Jefferson.  Despite that, he still managed 23.75 DK points in only 26 minutes.  Extrapolate that out to something in the neighborhood of 32-34 minutes, then give the obligatory Sixers fantasy score boost, and you’re looking at a very productive game from Sanders at a cheap price tag of only $5,700.  I will have a lot of exposure to him tonight.  His ability to block shots can turn a good score into a great score.

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