The NBA returned from All-Star weekend with only three games on the schedule for Thursday. Now the action is set to ramp up big time with an absolutely loaded slate for Friday night. 28 of the 30 NBA teams will be in action and that will mean plenty of options to choose from when it comes to building fantasy lineups for Daily Fantasy Leagues purposes. It won’t be easy to find the perfect combination of star players and value options so we have done our part to narrow down the list with some key candidates to consider. Here is some important NBA fantasy advice for Friday night.
Weak Defense To Target: Phoenix Suns
Phoenix limped in to the NBA All-Star weekend on the heels of nine straight losses and there is absolutely no reason to expect them to suddenly turn things around coming out of the break. The Suns have dropped to 28th in the NBA in points per game allowed and it only makes sense to target them when they face the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Houston is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the Western Conference playoff picture, but the Rockets are far too talented not to turn things around eventually. A date with the Suns should be the perfect opportunity for a starting point when it comes to getting on track. James Harden is the obvious superstar option from Houston, but you might want to consider Corey Brewer and even Marcus Thornton as decent value options as well.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers won three straight and eight of 10 heading in to the break, and Lillard’s play was among the biggest reasons for their success. Lillard averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 three-point shots, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in the final week heading in to the All-Star festivities. There isn’t any reason to expect him to cool off anytime soon. Portland will be in tough against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night but the good news is that the Warriors play high-scoring games, so we’re going to see plenty of points in this spot. That means Lillard will have to be at his best and should pile up the NBA fantasy stats.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Jared Dudley, Norris Cole
The Washington Wizards received plenty of interest in Dudley heading in to the NBA trade deadline, but they decided to hold on to him in order for him to help make a push for a playoff spot. Dudley averaged 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 three-point shots, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game in the final week before the All-Star break and if he can match those averages against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night then he will be an excellent value play.
Meanwhile, injuries to Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon have pushed the New Orleans Pelicans to give Norris Cole more playing time and he has rewarded their faith in him with some solid averages of late. Cole has averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 three-point shot per game over the last week of action and it only makes sense to ride the hot hand with New Orleans set to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: DEN @ SAC
Golden State visiting Portland and Houston visiting Phoenix are both good candidates for the highest scoring game of the night, but we like the Nuggets and Kings to put on a show in what could be a sneaky play for the highest scoring game of the night on Friday. Both teams rank in the bottom third of the NBA in points allowed per game this season and that should translate to plenty of offense. DeMarcus Cousins continues to be one of the top NBA fantasy options on a nightly basis, but he is also very expensive so it’s worth considering Darren Collison as a decent value option from the Kings. Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari remains the top NBA fantasy option on Denver’s roster while Nikola Jokic is a decent value option for Friday’s action.
