This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Injury/Rest Situations to Monitor
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he'd rest some key players down the stretch, starting with LeBron James on Wednesday. Though King James should be back for Friday's game in Orlando, candidates for rest include Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith. In addition to the usual starters that aren't rested, Matthew Dellavedova ($3,300), Iman Shumpert ($3,800) and Channing Frye ($3,500) are potential beneficiaries of note.
Orlando's Elfrid Payton (elbow) is questionable for the same game, potentially giving Brandon Jennings ($4,300) and Victor Oladipo ($7,400) another shot to carry the backcourt workload. Both players' prices have come up, so they should probably be avoided unless Payton sits again.
The Raptors will be a key team to watch for Friday's game against Boston, coming off an overtime win over the Pacers on Thursday. Kyle Lowry and/or DeMar DeRozan could be rested, with Cory Joseph ($3,800), Terrence Ross ($3,400) and Normal Powell ($3,300) all candidates to take on extra minutes. Furthermore, Jonas Valanciunas (hands) remains uncertain, potentially making Bismack Biyombo ($4,600) a top option once again.
Rajon Rondo (toe) is questionable for Friday's game in Detroit, with another absence leaving Darren Collison ($5,600) as a top option, even though Marco Belinelli (ankle) is expected to return.
Across the aisle, Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson (undisclosed) is uncertain for an elite matchup with the Kings, potentially leaving Steve Blake as the starting point guard. Blake would be a must-play in this kind of matchup, with Jackson's absence also giving a boost to Tobias Harris ($6,300), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,600) and Marcus Morris ($5,100). A Pistons stack will be very viable if Jackson is unable to play. Detroit also has a second favorable matchup this weekend, facing the Nets on Saturday.
Norris Cole (back) is considered questionable for Friday's game against Portland, with another absence likely giving Toney Douglas ($5,100) the opportunity for extended run. Tread carefully, however, as Douglas did lose a good chunk of his minutes to Tim Frazier ($3,400) on Wednesday against the Kings.
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook, OKC (Fri. at PHI, Sat. at IND), $10,500
Westbrook's price has dropped a few hundred dollars due to some middling performances (by his own ridiculous standards) over the past few games. Production shouldn't be an issue Friday in Philadelphia, as the only real question is whether Westbrook will play enough minutes to exceed value. Of course, he's proven perfectly capable of throwing up a triple-double in just three quarters, and he could be in for a massive showing if the Sixers keep it close enough for Westbrook to play deep into the game. He'll also be a strong option, albeit to a lesser extent, for Saturday's game in Indiana.
Other options: Stephen Curry, GS (Fri. at DAL, Sat. at SA), $10,300; D'Angelo Russell, LAL (Fri. vs. PHO), $6,700; Ish Smith, PHI (Fri. vs. OKC, Sun. vs. BOS), $6,400; Marcus Smart, BOS (Fri. at TOR, Sun. at PHI), $4,400; Shelvin Mack, UTA (Sat. at CHI, Sun. at MIL)
Shooting guard
C.J. McCollum, POR (Fri. at NO, Sun. at DAL), $6,400
Limited by blowouts in three consecutive games, McCollum finally got back to his usual workload Thursday in San Antonio, putting up 44.25 DK points over 39 minutes in a tough loss. His price is $600-700 lower than usual, and he should be in line for his usual 35+ minutes in Friday's highly favorable matchup. I'd even consider McCollum in this spot at his typical price in the low $7,000s, but fortunately we won't have to pay anything of the sort.
Other options: James Harden, HOU (Fri. vs. MIN, Sat. at ATL), $10,400; Andrew Wiggins, MIN (Fri. at HOU), $6,300; Wesley Matthews, DAL (Fri. vs. GS, Sun. vs. POR), $4,000
Small Forward
Tobias Harris, DET (Fri. vs. SAC, Sat. vs. BKN), $6,300
Harris has been excellent since joining Detroit, making 50.4 percent of his field-goal attempts (and 20 of his 50 three-point tries) on his way to 17.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.1 blocks over 33.4 minutes per game. His current price is actually right in line with that production, but he figures to fare quite a bit better than usual this weekend, thanks to a pair of elite matchups against teams that can't defend. As a bonus, Reggie Jackson (undisclosed) may be absent or limited, which would leave Harris as the Pistons' primary scoring weapon.
Other options: Chandler Parsons, DAL (Fri. vs. GS, Sun. vs. POR), $6,500; Trevor Ariza, HOU (Fri. vs. MIN, Sat. at ATL), $5,700; P.J. Tucker, PHO (Fri. at LAL), $4,400; Lance Stephenson, MEM (Sat. vs. LAC); Matt Barnes, MEM (Sat. vs. LAC)
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (Fri. vs. GS, Sun. vs. POR), $6,600
Although Dirk will have to deal with Draymond Green on Friday, expectations regarding minutes outweigh the impact of a tough individual matchup. With the Mavs desperately clinging to the West's final playoff spot amidst an ugly slump, Nowitzki is a nightly candidate to get minutes in the mid-30s, which we haven't been able to say in a few years. He has six straight games with 20+ points, including four performances in which he logged exactly 35 minutes. The value here is pretty obvious, as Nowitzki averages 32.4 DK points over 31.3 minutes per game for the season. Even if he struggles a bit Friday, he should push for 40 DK points against a soft Portland frontcourt Sunday afternoon.
Other options: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (Fri. at DET, Sun. at NY), $10,200; Anthony Davis, NO (Fri. vs. POR, Sun. vs. LAC), $10,000; Julius Randle, LAL (Fri. vs. PHO), $6,600; Paul Millsap, ATL (Sat. vs. HOU)
Center
Mason Plumlee, POR (Fri. at NO, Sun. at DAL), $4,000
The center position is absolutely loaded for Friday's slate, with each of the guys listed below also looking like rock-solid options, and that's before we even consider that Bismack Biyombo ($4,600) could get another start in place of the injured Jonas Valanciunas (hand). In any case, Plumlee is my favorite of the bunch – albeit by a small margin – as he should safely get minutes in the mid-to-high 20s while Meyers Leonard (shoulder) is sidelined. Averaging 25.2 DraftKings points in 25.2 minutes for the season, Plumlee recently broke out of a slump to post 20+ DK points in each of his last four games, including a 32-point performance Thursday against the Spurs. He should push for 30 DK points again in Friday's favorable matchup with the Pelicans.
Other options: Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (Fri. at HOU), $8,300; Andre Drummond, DET (Fri. vs. SAC, Sat. vs. BKN), $8,100; Alex Len, PHO (Fri. at LAL), $6,800; Enes Kanter, OKC (Fri. at PHI, Sat. at IND), $5,200
