Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Friday's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe, Jim McCormick and Joe Kaiser, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Kyle Soppe - Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
With the Thunder returning home after last night's final leg of a three-game road trip, and Griffin well-rested having not played since Tuesday, I'll be investing heavily at what is his lowest price point of the season. The Oklahoma City defense is fine, but I expect versatile big men to have their way with them. Want proof? Look no further than yesterday's boxscore, where Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic combined for 32 points, 8 assists, 18 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 blocks against them.
I don't think Carmelo Anthony can handle Griffin on the interior and, if the Thunder elect to stick him with a more traditional big, Griffin's range will come into play. Did you know he is making more 3s per game than Bradley Beal? There is triple-double upside here against a tired team, so I'm going to take full advantage of it.
Renee Miller -- Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic
Welcome back, Mr. Payton! Wednesday's return from a nagging hamstring injury went better than expected. Although he played just 29 minutes, he still managed an 11-point, 11-assist double-double with two blocks and two steals against the Knicks. Tonight, Payton faces the Suns, a premier PG matchup in what is expected to be a fast-paced, high scoring game. I will gladly take the massive discount on Payton relative to some of the stars on tonight's slate (especially on DraftKings) as a cornerstone to my Friday lineups.
Jim McCormick -- CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
I think of McCollum as the affordable way to get into this pace-and-points fest in Portland tonight, as the projected point total for this matchup with the Nets is hovering around 220 -- the second-highest game on the slate behind only Orlando-Phoenix. McCollum can be expected to have a 25 percent usage rate and, while his performance often depends entirely upon his shot falling, the Nets rank 23rd in defensive efficiency and have allowed 52 fantasy points per game to shooting guards over their past five outings. Damian Lillard is the true superstar of Portland's backcourt, but I'll take the discount price for a similar scoring ceiling from CJ.
Joe Kaiser -- Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic
Here's my recipe for success: see if the Suns are playing. If yes, then look at the top scorers on the opposing team. Tonight, the Magic head to Phoenix and I am all over Fournier as well as Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton. Need a sleeper? How about Terrence Ross, who can get to 30 DFS points at a discounted price if his shot starts to fall early in the game? The bottom line here is that I'm loading up on the Magic and the fun starts with Fournier, who enters the night averaging 20.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 SPG.
Players to fade
Kyle Soppe - Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Gobert ranks 30th among centers in usage rate, so when it comes to rostering him on any given night, the argument for doing so is the elevated floor, not an appealing ceiling. I don't think he'll get out of the basement to reach that floor tonight in a showdown with Hassan Whiteside. In fact, based on last season, I could assert that I know he won't get there.
In his two games against the Heat, Gobert gave fantasy owners just 18 points and 22 rebounds. That's not awful, but certainly not worth the investment with plenty of other viable options on this slate. We've seen Gobert underachieve in three of his last six games. There's simply too much risk and not enough reward for me tonight.
Renee Miller -- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
I don't feel great about a back-to-back Westbrook fade in this column, not just because of my own lack of creativity, but because I genuinely root for him when he's playing. However, this Friday slate is another one where I can't let my fandom coincide with my salary dollars. With so many good PG options available, Westbrook and his 40 fantasy points for nearly $11K is an easy fade.
Jim McCormick -- Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers
Keeping my focus on Portland, I wonder if small-ball lineups in an up-tempo climate will hurt Nurkic's ability to bully the Nets on the block and on the boards. There is a tournament-worthy ceiling in Nurkic's outcome spectrum, but also a really risky floor given his struggles from the field in recent games. In the end, it's all about cost, as I expect similar fantasy value from McCollum -- for more than a $1,000 less on DraftKings.
Joe Kaiser -- Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Celtics coach Brad Stevens knows what he's doing and never has that been more evident than this season, where he has overcome the season-ending injury to Gordon Hayward and helped lead the Celtics to the best record in the NBA (10-2). It starts with the defense, and Boston is the league's best in that department. I know that Kyrie Irving isn't the best individual defender, but he's much better under Stevens. I don't want any part of Walker against this smart Celtics defense.
