Nine games scheduled; we’ll see if that stands. Hopefully you’re reading this before noon, otherwise, you’ll have missed the Knicks vs. the Magic. If you did that on purpose, I’d understand. (The Knicks are pretty fun so far, though!) Anyway, we’ll begin tonight across the bridge from them in Brooklyn. Oh, and if you post a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote today, just do something original. Ain’t like we’ve been fulfilling his dream like we should be anyway, unfortunately.
Yahoo: $48 │DraftKings: $10,100 │FanDuel: $10,500
We got a glimpse of what Kevin Durant reuniting with James Harden will look like in Brooklyn. We don’t know if this promising start will end like that weird-ass transition from Panda to close Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2, but we’re in the honeymoon phase nonetheless. Durant dropped 42 points, and Harden had a triple-double. Harden is extremely expensive at shooting guard, so opting for Durant as the less-reliable power forward spot is ideal against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks tonight. He’s beginning to get very expensive, but for justifiable reasons, because the Slim Reaper is seemingly back to his pre-ruptured Achilles form. Will that remain all season? Who knows. Enjoy it, however long it lasts.
Elsewhere on the elite tier: Damian Lillard is without C.J. McCollum against the San Antonio Spurs. Julius Randle is still goin’ crazy and really has only disappointed one time this season. And Trae Young has dropped to reasonable amounts of a favorable match-up opposite of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Haven’t been a Young guy this season, but he could explode here.
Yahoo: $36 │DraftKings: $8,400 │FanDuel: $7,800
It’s tempting, I know, but not yet. No, not yet. Morant just returned, and played well in 31 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers two nights ago, but it was only a decent fantasy turn out, as he finished with 17 points, six assists, and a steal, though he did shoot 7-of-14. Tonight, he’ll see Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns, who are a top-10 defense and second-to-last in pace, which is not ideal for Morant, especially when surrounding options look more appealing, like the previously mentioned Lillard and Young, along with the quietly effective Kyle Lowry, D’Angelo Russell, Jrue Holiday, DeJounte Murray, and Tyler Herro, if he plays. Paul himself wouldn’t be a bad alternative either. That said, Morant may play well, but when seeking value, the point guard spot is especially deep tonight.
Yahoo: $21│DraftKings: $6,300│FanDuel: $6,300
Even before Jusuf Nurkic broke his wrist, Enes Kanter was my waiver-wire choice last week from the center spot. Prices here are a no-brainer, but that will quickly change if he replicates his first start, where he accumulated 12 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals. He probably won’t do exactly that again, and he may never even block five shots at another point this season, but Kanter has been one of the league’s best rebounders per 36 minutes for the bulk of his career. He’ll be a double-double threat every night, with additional counting stats serving as a healthy bonus. Tonight he’ll face the Spurs, who are the only team in the NBA allowing opponents to record 50 or more rebounds per game. This sets up generously for Kanter.
Other sleepers: R.J. Barrett has strung together three good performances, and Bobby Portis faces a small Nets team that has struggled to contain offensively talented bigs for years.
Yahoo: $38│DraftKings: $9,500│FanDuel: $9,300
Not really a LaVine guy, but he’s silencing his fantasy detractors so far this season. Yesterday he only scored 10 points on 1-of-8 shooting, but he salvaged his fantasy output by dishing out 10 assists while also adding three steals. Before yesterday, LaVine had been on a four-game stretch of averages reading 37.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the field, 52.1 percent from three, and 76 percent on free throws. In classic LaVine fashion, the Bulls went 0-4. Despite that, though, he’s generally been on a tear this season, and at shooting guard, he’s a great option if you bypass Harden, even though I’m still cautious because of the price. He’s proving me wrong, though … fantasy-wise, at least. The Bulls also play the Houston Rockets, and John Wall is out. (Victor Oladipo, another “Fuck It” candidate, is active, though.)