After a busy Friday night in the NBA fantasy, the schedule will slow down Saturday night with only 10 teams in action. That will mean fewer choices when it comes to building a winning lineup in DraftKings Daily Fantasy Leagues so it is that much more important to hit on every individual pick. We have looked ahead at the matchups in order to help you identify the perfect mix of star players and strong value options for fantasy tournaments. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Saturday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Philadelphia 76ers
The Sacramento Kings rank dead-last in the NBA in points allowed per game this season but the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t much better in that department as they rank 28th with an average of 107.5 points allowed per game. That makes them worth targeting when the Indiana Pacers visit on Saturday night and there are plenty of options to choose from in order to take advantage. Paul George has been an absolute fantasy stud this season and is one of the best options on the board. However, he is also among the most expensive options so it might make more sense to take advantage of the matchup with a strong value play in Ian Mahinmi. The veteran big man has averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal per game over the last week of action and he could easily top those averages against the lowly 76ers.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
The Kings have had a lot of trouble stopping opponents but they have had no problem scoring with Cousins really heating up again over the last seven days. Cousins has averaged a ridiculous 26.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game over that span so ride the hot hand with Sacramento set to take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Al-Faroug Aminu, Nikola Mirotic
It’s hard to argue against what Al-Farouq Aminu has done for the Portland Trail Blazers of late as he remains a strong value play heading in to Saturday night’s matchup with the Miami Heat. Aminu has averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 three-point shots and 1.3 assists per game over the last week of action, which includes an impressive 28-point outburst on Thursday against the Boston Celtics. The key here remains the minute count as he’s played 36, 24, 35, 20, 36 and 35 in his last six games. He’s played at least 27 minutes in six of his last eight contests. As long as he’s in that range, he should be a strong value play at a very reasonable price for Saturday’s DraftKings tournaments.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are in a desperate position heading in to a key matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. They need their young players to continue to step up and Nikola Mirotic has provided a strong presence while averaging just over 24.0 minutes per game over the last seven days. Mirotic has taken advantage of the opportunity the Bulls have given him and recorded 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 three-point shots and 1.8 assists per game over that span and should be in line for another strong NBA fantasy performance against Detroit.
Highest Scoring Game of The Night: TOR @ SA
The San Antonio Spurs’ quest for a perfect regular season record at home with the Toronto Raptors in town Saturday night. Both teams rank in the top-13 in the NBA in points per game this season so it should be the highest scoring matchup of the night. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge have been the most consistent options for the Spurs all year but it’s tough to trust anybody other than those two and they might be too expensive to fit in your roster. The better bet is to bank on the Raptors putting up a fight on the road with veteran forward Patrick Patterson as a strong value option. Patterson has averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and he could easily top those averages with Toronto needing him to step up in a tough, high scoring game.
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