After surviving a Thursday schedule that included just four games around the association, basketball fans will be happy to see an absolutely loaded slate for Friday night with 10 games on the schedule. That will mean plenty of options to choose from when putting together the optimal combination of star players and sleeper value picks in Daily Fantasy Leagues but it’s important to consider all options in order to avoid missing out on winning some serious cash. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Friday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is a much better team than the Brooklyn Nets but the Kings still own the NBA’s worst scoring defense. They have struggled on the road with an 8-15 record as the visiting team this season. That being the case, it makes sense to target them with some potential value plays for Friday night. Brook Lopez has been excellent for Brooklyn of late but the more intriguing option might be Thaddeus Young. The veteran forward has averaged 11.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game over the last seven days and he could be primed for a big performance against Sacramento as a potential sneaky value play.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
It took some time for Aldridge to begin to look comfortable with San Antonio but he has really turned it up of late and his production has been outstanding. Aldridge has averaged 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game on the season but when you take a closer look at what he’s done over his last four games, you can clearly see that he’s turned it up. In his two games in February, he’s scored 64 points while averaging 5.0 rebounds, an incredible 4.0 blocks per game, 11.0 free throws per contest, 0.5 steals and 0.5 assists. The Spurs next visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in what is a decent matchup for Aldridge as the Mavs lack muscle inside. Look for him to continue his hot streak and be a quality NBA fantasy play.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Myles Turner, Langston Galloway
The Indiana Pacers have given rookie center Myles Turner every opportunity to show what he can do and the first-round pick has delivered. He has rewarded their faith in him with some impressive play of late, averaging 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.0 assist per game over the last week of action. He should be primed for another strong performance against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks continue to give Langston Galloway opportunities as he has averaged 31.3 minutes per game over the last week of action. Galloway has responded with some strong fantasy numbers across the board, averaging 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game over that span and he should be a reliable value option when New York hosts the Memphis Grizzlies.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: BOS @ CLE
The Celtics have quietly pushed their way up the Eastern Conference standings into a tie with the Atlanta Hawks for the third-best record. A big part of that has been an offense that ranks fifth in the NBA with an average of 104.6 points per game. Boston will be in tough against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night and it should be one of the highest scoring games of the night. Isaiah Thomas has been outstanding for Boston of late averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 three-point shots and 1.0 steal per game over the last week of action. Meanwhile, Marcus Smart and Evan Turner have both been very consistent as well and both are worth targeting as value plays. On the other side of the court, the Cavaliers have been better at the offensive end since Tyronn Lue took over. They had scored 111 points or more in five straight games prior to Wednesday’s 106-97 loss at Charlotte.
LeBron James is the obvious superstar option on the others side of the ball but it might be smarter to target J.R. Smith as a value option in this matchup. Smith has averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 three-point shots, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game over the last week of action and he has the potential to shine against the Celtics on Friday night.
