The final stretch of the NBA fantasy season continues on Friday with 20 teams in action. That means there will be plenty of options to choose from when it comes to building the ideal winning lineup in DraftKings Daily Fantasy Leagues. It won’t be easy to narrow down your options without a little help so we took the time to break down the matchups and salaries in order to guide you in the right direction. Here is some important advice to keep in mind for Friday’s NBA fantasy action.
Weak Defense To Target: Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have lost five straight and eight of their last 10 games overall. They will likely be in tough again on Friday night when they visit the Charlotte Hornets. Brooklyn ranks 23rd in the NBA with an average of 105.3 points allowed per game this season so it’s worth targeting them in Daily Fantasy Leagues. Kemba Walker has been very consistent all year for the Hornets but at this point Jeremy Lin might actually be the better option on DraftKings. Lin has averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and is available for a very reasonable price in NBA fantasy.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics’ All-Star point guard has heated up again and will look to carry over his momentum in to the postseason over this next week. That includes a date with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night in which he should be able to put together another solid performance. Thomas has averaged 23.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.0 three-point shots and 2.7 rebounds per game over the last seven days, so make sure you ride the hot hand with the Celtics at home against Milwaukee.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… J.J. Barea, Carl Landry
The Dallas Mavericks are fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and that’s important. At this point, we’re looking for players that are motivated as many have packed it in for the season. J.J. Barea has taken advantage of the opportunity that he has been given with some excellent numbers of late. The veteran guard has averaged 25.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 three-point shots in 33.3 minutes per game over his last three contests and his very reasonable price tag makes him a strong value play in NBA fantasy that should be a lock in every lineup when the Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers showed some signs of life with a 107-93 win over the New Orleans Pelicans the other night with Carl Landry leading the way. Landry scored 22 points with 9 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist off the bench. The 76ers will continue to lean on Landry’s presence against the New York Knicks on Friday and at such a reasonable price he should be a strong sleeper option in NBA fantasy.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: SA @ DEN
The San Antonio Spurs are locked in to the second spot in the Western Conference but with two more games against the Golden State Warriors they could potentially still catch the Golden State Warriors for first place. That would likely require running the table including a date with the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich could opt to hold back at least a couple of his starters but Patty Mills should be a lock to play and is a decent option in Daily Fantasy Leagues. Mills has averaged just 6.3 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 three-point shots over the last week of action but could easily top those numbers with more playing time versus Denver so keep an eye on the wire to see what Popovich plans to do with his lineup. Meanwhile, D.J. Augustin could be an even better option for those looking to play somebody from this high scoring matchup. Augustin has averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 three-point shots and 1.0 steal in 23.3 minutes per game over his last three outings and should be another strong play in Daily Fantasy Leagues.
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