Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Thursday's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's André Snellings, Kyle Soppe and Jim McCormick.
Players to build around
Kyle Soppe -- Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers and D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets
Perhaps I'm stretching the rules with a dual recommendation here but, to be honest, you can give me just about anybody in this game. We're looking at two of the six fastest-moving offenses and two of the 10 least-efficient defenses. I don't care that there are 18 teams in action tonight, I want a minimum of three players from this game and these two are staples, given their price points.
Ingram has played 33-plus minutes in each of his past four games. While his shooting has been hit-or-miss, he has averaged 11.8 rebounds-plus-assists over that stretch. A 20-5-5 stat line is about what I'm expecting from him, with the potential for more should this game flirt with the 236 points these sides combined for in their first meeting this season.
As for Russell, we finally got a taste of his fantasy potential on Wednesday (22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists in 17 minutes) and that's the kind of outing I've been waiting for since September. So far, he has only played in 18 games this season, but his 34.6 usage rate is just silly. Given that the Lakers have given up 250 points over their past two games, I'll gladly swallow Russell's price tag tonight.
André Snellings -- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
This spot was a toss-up between Friday's two highest-priced players, as both Westbrook and Anthony Davis look "poised to pop" when they square off against one another. Davis has shouldered a heavy load since DeMarcus Cousins went down, and with the expectation that newly-acquired Nikola Mirotic isn't joining New Orleans until Saturday, Davis should be big on Friday.
That said, Westbrook is the "angriest player in the NBA" and he has reason to be mad with his team coming off consecutive losses, including a heartbreaking buzzer beater defeat (after the Thunder made a huge comeback) on Thursday. On top of that, the Pelicans have allowed the third-most PG fantasy points this season. Westbrook has been insane of late with two 20-20 points-assists games, two outings of at least 31 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds, and another outing of 46-6-6 in his last seven games.
Jim McCormick -- Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
George has delivered stellar numbers during his last seven games, averaging 30.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 36.2 minutes. Back in November, George dropped 50 fantasy points on the Pelicans. My favorite part of George's profile is how often he surpasses 35 minutes and 15 shots, which really drives a high floor.
Of course, it also helps that this matchup with New Orleans is expected to be the second-highest scoring game on the Friday slate. Even though this will be Oklahoma City's fifth game in the past seven days, I'm comfortable building around affordable shares of George.
Players to fade
Kyle Soppe -- Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
I typically don't have an issue with rostering Green, given the high-production floor that results from his versatile skill set. However, I typically fade him in potential blowouts and this is a 13-point spread. Why? Well, in January, the Warriors had five games decided by 13-plus points and Green averaged just 10.8 points (on 34.5 percent shooting), 5.0 assists, and 9.2 rebounds in those contests. Those aren't bad numbers, but they wouldn't pay off his price tag.
If I'm going to pay up for Green, it's not going to be in a projected blowout and it won't often happen on the road, as he averaged 19.2 percent more fouls per game on the road than at home last season. Of course, there is triple-double potential any time Green laces them up, but I worry about gameflow and, as such, will not be paying up for his services this evening.
André Snellings -- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid has been one of my favorite players to build around this season, capable of putting up great numbers on a nightly basis. However, on Friday he faces a Miami defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing centers this season -- and the fewest over the last 10 games with Hassan Whiteside healthy.
Plus, it has already been announced that Embiid expects to play in both halves of a back-to-back for the first time in his career on Friday and Saturday. So, it's possible that he tries to preserve just a little bit of energy tonight. All in all, there's enough here to suggest that you should look elsewhere for your max-priced production.
Jim McCormick -- Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks
Hardaway's usage rate -- an estimate of how often a player is responsible for taking a possession to its conclusion via a shot, turnover or free throw -- has dipped below 20 percent in three of his last four games. He also hasn't taken more than 13 shots in any of the past five games.
It's clear that Hardaway needs to launch a ton of shots in order to exceed value and, given the fact that the Bucks have some of the better perimeter defensive talents in the league, there's not a lot of reason to look his way tonight.
