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 André Snellings and Kyle Soppe, and DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Renee Miller -- LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
This is a pretty poor slate, even by three-game slate standards, so I'm taking the obvious approach of building around LeBron tonight. Among other options over $8-9K, James has both the highest floor and ceiling. He'll face a depleted Raptors team set to be without Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry tonight, but Vegas has just a two-point spread on this potentially high-scoring game. Expect a big bounce-back from Cleveland's disappointing effort vs. Minnesota on Monday night.
Andre Snellings -- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
Aldridge has stepped it back up again after Kawhi Leonard's shoulder injury, averaging 30.5 points with 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in his last two games. On Thursday, he faces a Los Angeles Lakers squad with a terrible interior defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.
Kyle Soppe -- Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
Most of the attention in this game is going to be paid to the shooting guard on the other sideline, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to see what Sweet Lou Williams does for an encore, but I think savvy DFS players can pay down at the position and still benefit from the role of Williams. Consider this: Both the Clippers and their opponent have scored at least 105 points in every game this month. Yes, I'm buying into Hield tonight because Williams is getting buckets -- don't @ me. Hield's recent usage is as high as any guard on this Kings team and confidence shouldn't be much of an issue for this bucket-getter, as he has knocked down multiple 3s in a career-high nine straight games. The Clippers are the fourth-worst transition defense in basketball this season, so look for Hield and the offensively challenged Kings to pick up the tempo tonight. I'll go ahead and say that Hield surprises people tonight and offers more than five times his price tag.
Players to fade
Renee Miller -- Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Since I'm paying up for James, and probably a point guard and center, Ingram's unreasonably high salary isn't working for me tonight. He's been variable but is definitely priced for his upper-level of production. He's also facing the Spurs, who rank second in defensive efficiency and allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to small forwards this season. Spend down on Kyle Anderson or Vince Carter instead.
Andre Snellings -- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
There are no obvious fade candidates for Thursday in my estimation, but Love has been down of late. He hasn't played more than 29 minutes in any of his past six games, and after spraining his ankle last Wednesday against the Celtics, he has three straight games (inclusive) with five or fewer rebounds. There's a chance that he's been playing hurt, and Thursday's matchup is a tough one against a tough Toronto Raptors interior defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing power forwards and the tenth-fewest to opposing centers during the past 10 games.
Kyle Soppe -- Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Randle has been rolling over his past six games (17.5 points and 10.8 rebounds) and I've generally been impressed with his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, but I'm not investing at this price point against the Spurs. Randle has obviously benefited from how Lonzo Ball runs this offense (he's taking a career-high percentage of his shots near the rim and converting them at a career-high rate), but those easy looks figure to be few and far between when you consider that San Antonio ranks second in defensive efficiency and operates at the second-slowest pace. This game is likely to feature fewer possessions and a decline in the quality of offensive looks, so I'll happily fade Randle and his growing price tag.
