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 ESPN Fantasy's Jim McCormick, André Snellings and Kyle Soppe, as well as DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Jim McCormick -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns was ejected in the second quarter of his last game against Utah, hence the disappointing stat line of just 13 points and four rebounds. He had averaged 16 shots per game in the four games leading into Friday's debacle in Salt Lake, thus expect a return to his usual heavy usage tonight. Coming off a few extra days of rest and sitting at a reasonable price, Towns is recharged and poised to deliver 50 fantasy points in this matchup with the Celtics.
Renee Miller -- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Obviously you use him when you can, but I wanted to highlight Westbrook on this five-game slate because I think he's truly indispensable tonight. He had a monster game vs. Phoenix just a few days ago, gets to enjoy the Suns' pace bump and league-worst defensive efficiency, and most importantly, is the only elite top-tier player on the slate. Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns are tempting, but they face difficult matchups against Miami and Boston and don't have quite the same upside as Westbrook. There's enough mid and lower-tier value at guard and forward to fit Westbrook into any lineup tonight and still not compromise too much at center.
André Snellings -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
This was a tough choice for me between Towns and Russell Westbrook. Both are playing at a high level and have good matchups, but Towns is less expensive and coming off a 6-day rest. He was also ejected in the game before the mini break and thus has had time to stew and itch to get back on the court. Towns averaged 30.0 points, 17.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals during the last two games before his ejection.
Kyle Soppe -- Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving (knee) is expected to return to action tonight and I believe that will result in too low a roster percentage for Smart, who has quietly dished out at least five assists in all five games in which Irving has been active since the All-Star Break. The Timberwolves own the seventh least efficient defense this season and they aren't exactly improving as it's been more than a month since the last time they held an opponent under 100 points. In each of the four games since the Jimmy Butler injury, Minnesota has allowed a guard to surpass his season average in scoring, and I like Smart's chances of returning value should he score in double figures tonight. The salary relief you receive by playing Smart will also allow you to pick one (if not two) of your favorite studs and I believe a stars/scrubs approach is the optimal play on this five game slate.
Players to fade
Jim McCormick -- Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Whiteside has averaged a modest 29.1 fantasy points on DraftKings when facing the 76ers with Joel Embiid in the lineup. With the increased risk of foul trouble and potential for limited minutes when the 76ers push the pace with smaller lineups, I'd much rather pivot to cheaper shares of Draymond Green or Taj Gibson on tonight's slate.
Renee Miller -- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
There are several worthy PF/F options tonight, including Draymond Green, Paul George, and Andrew Wiggins, as well as decent value plays like DeMarre Carroll, Kyle Anderson and Frank Kaminsky. The position is relatively deep and that means that there is no reason to take a risk on Aldridge. The good news for him is that he's playing up in pace in a high scoring game on two full days' rest. The bad news is that he was terrible in 31 minutes Monday night, might still be bothered by the ankle, and has to play fast against one of the league's best individual and team defenders. There's just no reason to go here tonight, even with Pau Gasol ruled out.
André Snellings -- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid is the fifth-most expensive player on FanDuel and the third-most expensive on DraftKings on Thursday. While Embiid has been one of my favorite plays this season, and always has explosive potential, he has a tough matchup tonight against rival Hassan Whiteside. They've faced off twice this season, and Embiid has been solid-but-unspectacular in those games, averaging 20.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 blocks. Those are good numbers, but they're below his season averages and not quite worth his price tag unless he turns in an unusually strong performance.
Kyle Soppe -- T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns
Warren has benefited from crazy volume over the past two weeks (20.2 shots per game), and while I think the hapless Suns continue to call his number on a regular basis tonight, I'm having a hard time seeing him doing much with those opportunities against Paul George and a top 10 Thunder defense. When these two teams met last week everything went right for the Suns (they dictated tempo and were able to keep the game close), yet Warren still left us wanting more due to his lack of versatility. But hey, that's who he is. Warren has just three dimes over his past four games (that's tough to do when you've played 159 minutes and your team has scored 447 points) and his rebounding numbers have been on the decline all season long. We've seen him get hot a few times over the past month, but I expect this to be a valley in the roller coaster ride that is rostering T.J. Warren.
