Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off tonight's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes DFS expert Renee Miller as well as ESPN Fantasy's André Snellings and Kyle Soppe.
Players to build around
Renee Miller -- Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
Holiday is the guy I chose to be the symbol for the kind of player I'm going in heavy on tonight. A mid-range, high floor, high ceiling player in a great matchup. This Pelicans-Suns game is one contest to draw from, for sure, and along with Holiday, I'm very high on Devin Booker, Nikola Mirotic and T.J. Warren. Holiday bracketed the All-Star break with 50-plus fantasy point games, and though he was involved in overtime yesterday, we're close enough to the break that I'm not concerned about his usage tonight. He's going all out and it's coming through in his high accuracy, high volume shooting as well as his peripherals, as he has flirted with triple-doubles in each of his last two games. When I look at the likelihood of some of the top stars hitting 50 fantasy points, and the likelihood of some $7-8K guys getting there, I don't see much difference. Give me the second tier tonight, starting with Holiday.
André Snellings -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Unfortunately, Jimmy Butler just had surgery to repair his meniscus on Sunday and a time table for his return has not yet been provided. Butler and Towns had been a wicked one-two punch for the Timberwolves, but with Butler out it falls to Towns to lead from the front again. In their first game without Butler, Minnesota got big efforts from their perimeter players, and they likely will continue to fill in for their injured teammate as best they can. That said, this team will now only make the playoffs if Towns carries them there, and on Monday he has a great matchup against a poor Sacramento Kings squad that ranks in the bottom-third of the NBA in fantasy points allowed to centers over the last two weeks.
Kyle Soppe -- Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
I understand the hesitation to price Holiday with the truly elite producers at the PG position, but in a DeMarcus Cousins-less offense and against the worst defense in the league, he deserves it tonight. Do I think the Pelicans offense is as good as they've shown during their five game win streak (128.4 PPG)? I don't, but I'm also not in the business of betting that the lowly Phoenix Suns will be the team to cool them down. Holiday's number of shot attempts has risen in each of those victories, and by averaging 14.6 rebounds-plus-assists over that stretch, the floor/ceiling combination is too much to pass up at this price point. The Suns have yet to win in February and New Orleans has an implied point total of 119 ... yea, give me some Holiday.
Players to fade
Renee Miller -- Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
Irving might not be at the top of his position right now, but he's expensive enough to think twice or five times before using tonight. Boston takes on the Grizzlies in what Vegas has as the lowest scoring game of the night and the Celtics are an 11 point favorite. Further, no team plays slower than the Grizzlies, a major deterrent for point guards in DFS. Coming off a great game in New York, Irving may feel like a bargain, but the chances of him reaching 60 fantasy points tonight are slim to none. There are several PG options in the $7K range that I would prefer to roster instead on this slate.
André Snellings -- Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
Paul is on the list of elite players that is an automatic play in season-long fantasy, but in daily fantasy, where you can play the match-ups, this might not be the best spot for Paul to outproduce his price. James Harden is healthy and in the primary slot on this offense, the team is on the second half of a back-to-back with Paul as it's most veteran starter, and they are facing a Utah Jazz defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.
Kyle Soppe -- Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Pace. Of. Play. On a full slate with plenty of games projected to have 220-plus points scored, I'm not interested in paying up for V.O. in a game that features two offenses that operate at a below average speed. The Mavericks defense is terrible, but there is only so much production to chase if the possession count is as low as expected and therefore the ceiling isn't high enough for me to invest with confidence in this spot. Oladipo's scoring touch has regressed a bit in February (shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3) and I worry that if he doesn't get rolling early, a confident Pacers team (winners of four straight and eight of their last 10) could distance themselves from the overmatched Mavs. If that happens, look for the Pacers to rest their star before embarking on a stretch in which they play four games in six days.
