Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Friday night's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and Joe Kaiser, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Kyle Soppe -- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are battling to the very end in an effort to sneak into the playoffs, and that has allowed DFS players to continue to play Jokic with confidence. That doesn't change tonight against a Pelicans team that ranks 29th in rebound rate. That rebounding deficiency is a major issue against a player in Joker, who is establishing himself as an elite force on the glass (at least 11 rebounds per game in three consecutive months and at least 12 boards in five of his last seven games), while not sacrificing his scoring or distributing (19.6 points and 5.9 assists per game since he flipped the calendar to 2017). In a perfect world, enough value presents itself tonight that you can jam Jokic and Russell Westbrook into your lineup, but if you can have only one and want a little more financial flexibility, Jokic should make for a stable building block.
Joe Kaiser -- Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs
Mills is going to play a lot of minutes on Friday against Dallas, as the Spurs rest LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol and are also expected to be without Manu Ginobili (quad), Danny Green (quad) and rookie Dejounte Murray (groin). Priced very low, Mills has the offensive game to score 20 points in this one and be one of the top values of the night.
Renee Miller -- Kyle Anderson, San Antonio Spurs
I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time with narrowing this building block down to one guy today. The bottom line is that you're going to have to build around value if you want some exposure to the Westbrook/James Harden/LeBron James class of player tonight, and I think you do. Anderson has been very effective when Leonard or Green is out, and both will miss tonight's game. The matchup with Dallas will be slow, and the point total is low here, but Anderson managed almost 30 fantasy points against Utah last week, so I'm not overly concerned. Based on what we've seen from him when the Spurs have been short-handed, I trust Anderson to turn in around 25 fantasy points, making him a strong value to build around for his $3,600 price tag.
Players to fade
Kyle Soppe -- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Lowry wasted no time getting reacclimated to his role after 1.5 months off, as he logged 42 minutes in a 105-102 victory over the Pistons on Wednesday, but I'm treading with caution over the final few days of the regular season. I wouldn't be surprised if Lowry showed the Raptors enough on Wednesday for them to manage his minutes for the final week, and even if that isn't the case, this Miami defense isn't one which I am actively targeting on a full slate. Both Toronto and Miami rank in the bottom third of the league in pace, and while this game is important for Canada's finest, the Heat's season is on the line. I've got Lowry penciled in as the second-most valuable point guard in this game and would rather pay down a bit at the position tonight (sleeper: Ish Smith) instead of count on him against the Heat.
Joe Kaiser -- Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets
On a night with so many other solid center options, Plumlee shouldn't enter your mind as a possibility against the tall front line of the Pelicans. Plumlee hasn't been the same fantasy player since coming over from Portland in the trade for Jusuf Nurkic, and he has averaged only 16.4 minutes a game in his last five contests. If you go cheap at center, the better option would be San Antonio's Dewayne Dedmon.
Renee Miller -- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
I'm thrilled to see Lowry back on the court, and apparently back to superstardom in his first game back (27 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists at Detroit Wednesday night). However, tonight, he'll face a Miami team that ranks 27th in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards and plays at a slow pace. I'd prefer Jrue Holiday in the same price range, or to go with a stars/scrubs approach targeting Westbrook and James Ennis III or Jamal Murray/Emmanuel Mudiay (if Jameer Nelson is out again). The point is, there are a lot of good point guard options at all price points tonight; there's no need to chase Lowry's big game in a bad matchup.
