The Minnesota Timberwolves absolutely shocked the basketball world when they upset the Golden State Warriors and handed them their first home loss of the season on Tuesday night. Minnesota had dropped three straight heading in to that contest and had long been eliminated from playoff contention before coming out of nowhere to beat the Warriors in overtime. The Timberwolves will be back in action on Saturday night when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers and we aren’t expecting another major upset. Here is some important advice to consider for Saturday’s NBA fantasy action.
Weak Defense To Target: Minnesota Timberwolves
Only the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have fewer wins than Minnesota among Western Conference teams this season. The fact that the Timberwolves rank 25th in the NBA with an average of 105.7 points allowed per game is probably a big part of that equation. Even against the Warriors they still allowed 117 points and we aren’t expecting them to take down the Trail Blazers on the road on Saturday. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have both been very consistent for Portland, but they are also among the most expensive options on the board. It makes a lot more sense to go with a strong value option to target the Minnesota defense and Maurice Harkless appears to be a strong fit. Harkless has averaged 14.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.2 assists and 1.0 three-point shot per game over the last week of action and is available at a very reasonable price on DraftKings NBA fantasy.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have locked up a playoff spot but they are still fighting for position with the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference heading in to their matchup this Saturday night. Isaiah Thomas has been on fire for the Celtics and they will need to lean on him again versus the Hawks this weekend. Thomas has averaged 25.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 three-point shots and 1.0 steal per game over the past seven days so make sure you ride the hot hand in DraftKings tournaments.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Pau Gasol, Vince Carter
The Chicago Bulls are fighting to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race but it might be too late for a team that has underachieved this season. Chicago will fight hard the rest of the way but they face another tough test against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers this weekend. Look for the Bulls to lean heavily on Pau Gasol to carry them as he continues to play upwards of 33 minutes per game. Gasol has averaged 15.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 blocks per game over his last three contests so he is worth spending a little more on at the center position in NBA fantasy.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will face a tough test on the road against a Memphis Grizzlies’ team with a veteran forward that could be worth taking a chance on in Vince Carter. The former All-Star has averaged 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 three-point shots and 1.3 steals in 22.7 minutes per game over the past seven days and could have another strong performance with Memphis looking to keep up with Golden State in what should be another entertaining game.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: OKC @ SAC
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings rank second and third respectively in points per game this season so it should be no secret that they should combine for the highest scoring game of the night on Saturday. The bad news is that the Thunder doesn’t offer many consistent fantasy options other than their two studs in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook so we are left to the Kings to find a strong value play to take advantage of the matchup. The good news is that Sacramento has one of the best value plays on the board in Seth Curry. Steph’s younger brother has been absolutely on fire of late, averaging 18.3 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 three-point shots and 1.0 steal in 30.3 minutes per game over the last week of action and is still available at a very reasonable price in NBA Fantasy Daily Leagues.
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