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 André Snellings and Kyle Soppe, as well as DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Renee Miller -- Markieff Morris, Washington Wizards
Before we get to Morris as a player to build around tonight, we have to consider this very odd slate of games. There are several desirable Tier 1 stars -- James Harden, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo -- with a ton of value due to key injuries. There are also lower profile players such Cheick Diallo and Darius Miller for the Pelicans, Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook for the Warriors, Jonathan Simmons, Shelvin Mack and Mario Hezonja for the Magic, who could all potentially see increased roles for the same reason. When we have a big, almost certainly high scoring DFS night that allows you to mix and match stars and scrubs, I go for a building block with solidity. Morris has been just that lately, and facing a Pelicans team likely to be without Anthony Davis tonight, steps into a fast-paced and high scoring game with friendly fantasy numbers to PFs (third-most fantasy points allowed this season). His salary is affordable enough to work in any number of star-scrub combinations around him.
André Snellings -- Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
With Stephen Curry sitting, Durant has the green light to go off. Curry missed the last 46 minutes of Thursday's game, and Durant responded with 37 points (14-26 FG, 5-7 FT), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 3-pointers and 4 blocks. Plus, since Durant's numbers have been down from his peak while playing next to Curry, his price tag is lower than it otherwise would be, making him a bargain on tonight's slate. Bonus: Nikola Jokic against the Los Angeles Lakers and Damian Lillard against the Warriors also look primed for big games on Friday.
Kyle Soppe -- Shaun Livingston, Golden State Warriors
With Stephen Curry (ankle) already announced out, you're looking at a bump in both minutes and usage for Livingston against the Trail Blazers tonight and his price simply doesn't reflect as much. Portland obviously relies heavily on both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but with both of them giving up four inches to Livingston, this looks like a better matchup to me than the raw numbers (Portland owns a top 10 overall defense) suggest. He stepped up his play last night when his number was called (nine points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 24 minutes of action), and let's not overlook the role that the standings may have in this one. If the playoffs started today, Golden State and Portland would be projected to play in the second round ... am I crazy to think that the Warriors may run their offense through Livingston in an effort to not show too much of their hand? Livingston could produce value based on his price regardless of his role, but should he receive the significant bump that I believe is likely, he projects as one of the better values on the entire slate.
Players to fade
Renee Miller -- Otto Porter Jr., Washington Wizards
I expect Porter to play tonight, at least to start. He suffered a hip bruise Tuesday and is officially listed as questionable. We've seen hips get aggravated by in game action before, and on a slate this big and notably loaded at SF, I don't want to take the risk on a fairly expensive Porter. The Wizards may not either, given that Kelly Oubre has proven a capable fill-in when Porter has been hurt. All in all, this is a situation that may come down to the last minute, so if you're building lineups early, take one of the safer options from this team, like the cheaper Morris, and spend up for LeBron James at SF instead.
André Snellings -- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies and Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
The Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz face off on Friday, pitting two of the most dominant defensive bigs in the NBA against one another. Both squads have been shutting down opposing frontcourts of late, with the Grizzlies allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing centers over the last five games while the Jazz have allowed the fourth-fewest over that stretch. As such, I'm fading both of these centers tonight.
Kyle Soppe -- Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
I want zero part of the snooze fest that figures to take place in Memphis tonight and that includes Utah's exciting rookie. With two of the four slowest moving teams in the NBA squaring off, volume is likely to be an issue and that's a problem for Mitchell (24th in FGA per game and 14th in 3PA per game). A big problem. The rookie's jump shot has been shaky recently (26.2 percent over his past five games), but that hasn't stopped him from launching or encouraged him to take it to the rim a bit more, as over 53 percent of his shots have come from distance over that stretch. Mitchell's raw athleticism has yet to result in consistent counting numbers elsewhere and while I think he is a promising prospect and a good building block long-term, I'm not rolling the dice with him tonight.
