The NBA schedule for Friday is absolutely loaded with 20 of the 30 teams in action and that means plenty of options to choose from in NBA Daily Fantasy Leagues. The Golden State Warriors will look to extend their NBA-record home winning streak and a date with the Portland Trail Blazers could very well produce the highest scoring game of the night. Here is some important advice to consider for Friday’s NBA Daily Fantasy Leagues.
Weak Defense To Target: New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have dropped five of their last six with at least 100 points allowed in four of those five losses. Factor in that they gave up 112 points in their lone win over that span and it’s clear that the Pelicans’ defense has been atrocious. New Orleans ranks 25th in the NBA this season with an average of 105.8 points allowed per game and that should provide a favorable matchup for the Memphis Grizzlies. Tony Allen has been a productive player in two games since returning to the Memphis lineup and should be a good option against New Orleans. Allen has averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists per game in two games since returning and he could easily match those averages against the Pelicans.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Walker has been very consistent for the Hornets all season and he has really heated up of late with some outstanding averages over the last week in particular. Walker has averaged 34.0 points, 7.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 three-point shots per game over that span. He is one of the pricier options on the board, but he could provide a fantasy stat line similar to what Stephen Curry delivers on Friday night so in that aspect he could very well be a bargain as a star player to build around.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Mike Dunleavy, Hollis Thompson
The Chicago Bulls are trying to overcome some significant injury blows in order to make the playoffs and it helps that a number of players has stepped up of late. One of those players is Mike Dunleavy, who could be an excellent value option with Chicago set to host the Miami Heat on Friday night. Dunleavy has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 three-point shots and 1.5 assists over the last seven days and is worth taking a chance on in Friday night’s DraftKings contests.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t won many games, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some viable NBA daily fantasy options available at a very reasonable price. Hollis Thompson has averaged 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 three-point shots and 1.3 assists per game over the last week of action and he should be a decent value option when Philadelphia hosts the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Thompson only played 27.1 minutes per game last month and hasn’t averaged more than 28.1 in any month this season, but in March, he’s averaging 31 minutes per game and has played 31 or more in three straight contests. With the boost in minutes and the plus-matchup against the lousy Nets, Thompson is a decent play.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: POR @ GS
The Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors rank eighth and first respectively in points per game this season so there is every reason to expect their matchup to produce the highest scoring game of the night on Friday. Stephen Curry is the best player on the board, but he is also very expensive and it’s hard to find many value bargain options on the Warriors’ roster in this type of matchup. The better bet is to take a chance on a stud like Damian Lillard, who should put up a solid fantasy stat line, but isn’t as expensive as Curry on DraftKings right now. Lillard has averaged 39.0 points, 7.0 assists, 4.7 three-point shots and 4.3 rebounds per game over the last week of action and could very well match those averages versus Golden State. Meanwhile, CJ McCollum is another decent option at a lesser price, so don’t shy away from taking a chance on him in order to capitalize on this matchup.
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