This article is part of our FantasyScore NBA series.
FantasyScore.com is an up-and-coming player in the world of daily fantasy sports, offering a trio of different game types on a website that's as user-friendly as they come.
You can check out my first article for a more comprehensive overview, but today we're going to focus on NBA salary-cap game player picks for the upcoming weekend (Feb. 20-22), with a special emphasis on Friday night.
There are plenty of excellent value plays created by Thursday's trade frenzy, causing me to gravitate toward the stars-and-scrubs approach that I typically prefer on FantasyScore.
Before we get to the best options at each position, let's quickly review some basics for the website's salary-cap contests. There is one recent change, with the rosters now featuring two guards, two forwards, a center and three flex spots, as opposed to three guards, three forwards, a center and a flex.
Scoring, as follows, is fairly simple:
1 point = 1 point
1 rebound= 1.25 points
1 assist = 1.5 points
1 block = 2 points
1 steal = 2 points
1 turnover= -0.5 points
There's a $50,000 budget for eight roster spots, with two guards, two forwards, a center and three flex spots (any position). The lack of differentiation between point guards and shooting guards (or small and power forwards) is nice, as it allows for increased flexibility when building your lineup,
Further adding to flexibility, the cheapest players are typically priced at $2200, while the most expensive (Anthony Davis) costs $9400. The large price range makes it possible to load up a roster with three-to-five superstars, if you're willing to take a risk on some of those sub-$3000 guys.
The so-called "stars-and-scrubs" approach may not always be viable, but with a full slate like Friday's, there will be plenty of strong, cheap options.
Here are some of my favorite players for Friday night…
Guards
James Harden, HOU (at DAL), $9300 – With no shortage of low-priced options available this weekend, Harden is one of the superstars worth targeting. He went into the break with a bit of a dud against the Clippers, but only after putting up 70-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games. The Beard draws a favorable matchup Friday night, with two fast-paced, high-scoring teams squaring off. The same can be said for Saturday night, when the Rockets get to face a Raptors squad that ranks 21st in points allowed this season.
Eric Bledsoe, PHO (at MIN), $6800 – Now that Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas have both been shipped out of town, Bledsoe is even more firmly entrenched as the leader of the Phoenix backcourt. Brandon Knight will soon be around to compete for usage, but the deadline deals figure to work in Bledsoe's favor. Even if Knight is available Friday night, Bledsoe is still a top-notch play in what should be a high scoring contest. At this price, I'd even be fine using Bledsoe with Dragic and Thomas still around.
Jodie Meeks, DET (vs. CHI), $2800 – Reggie Jackson probably won't be available to play Friday, and while Spencer Dinwiddie will start at point guard, Meeks should also benefit from added playing time and ball-handling opportunities. Meeks logged 28 and 30 minutes in the final two games before the All-Star break, so with D.J. Augustin out of the picture, 35 minutes becomes a reasonable target. Meeks does disappear at times, but he's also quite capable of stuffing the stat sheet (with points) in a hurry. Given Detroit's obvious lack of playmakers, Meeks will likely need to take a lot of shots Friday night. He'll still be an option for Sunday's game against the Wizards, but Jackson should be ready by that time.
Other Options: Steph Curry, GSW (vs. SAN), $9000; Derrick Rose, CHI (vs. DET), $6000; Kevin Martin, MIN (vs. PHO), $5100; Giannis Antetokoumpo, MIL (vs. DEN), $5000; O.J. Mayo, MIL (vs. DEN), $3800; Tim Frazier, PHI (vs. IND), $2400; Jerryd Bayless, MIL (vs. DEN), $2200
Forwards
Anthony Davis, NO (at ORL), $9400 – If you're going with the stars-and-scrubs approach, the first guys to look at are typically Davis, James Harden and DeMarcus Cousins. That's exactly what I'm doing Friday night, even though Davis (shoulder) missed the final two games before the All-Star break. Assuming he suits up, Davis will return to one of the best matchups imaginable, facing a Magic team that has been at the mercy of opposing big men all season. If you end up needing a late replacement for Davis, pivoting to LeBron James ($9100) is probably the best bet. James has a tough matchup with the Wizards, but it's the type of game in which he may need to carry the team, seeing as Kyrie Irving draws a dreadful matchup with John Wall.
Khris Middleton MIL (vs. DEN), $4000 – Nearly all of the key Bucks make for strong plays this weekend, with Knight shipped off to the Suns and new acquisition Michael Carter-Williams (foot) not being healthy enough to play. Middleton is arguably the most attractive option of the bunch, having scored 21-plus fantasy points in each of his last 10 games, including five performances of 34.5 or more points.
Evan Turner, BOS (at SAC), $3700 – Turner will likely lose some minutes to Isaiah Thomas soon enough, but if IT2 isn't ready for Friday's game against his (other) former team, Turner should benefit from some added playing time due to the absence of Marcus Thornton. I'd like Turner even if Thornton were still around, as the former Ohio State Buckeye has averaged 28.3 fantasy points over his last five games while working as the Celtics' primary ball-handler. Making a friendly matchup even more enticing, Kings point guard Darren Collison (hip) is considered doubtful to play, while backup point guard Ramon Sessions was traded to the Wizards on Friday. That reminds me: Kings guard Ray McCallum ($2200) makes for a strong min-priced play Friday night, with Andre Miller unlikely to be available.
Other options: David West, IND (at PHI), $5300; Andrew Wiggins, MIN (vs. PHO), $5000; Luol Deng, MIA (at NYK), $4600; Robert Covington, PHI (vs. IND), $4000; Brandon Bass, BOS (at SAC), $3400; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, PHI (vs. IND), $2200
Centers
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (vs. BOS), $9200 – The last of the holy trinity of 2014-15 DFS superstars, Cousins just might be the scariest of the bunch, facing a Boston team that consistently gets shredded by big men. As if they didn't already have issues stopping low-post scoring threats, the Celtics will be without both Jared Sullinger (foot) and Kelly Olynyk (ankle) for Friday's game. The near-unstoppable Boogie thus gets to face an injury-depleted frontcourt, in what should be a fairly high-scoring game.
Rudy Gobert, UTA (vs. POR), $4400 – Arguably the most obvious beneficiary from the trade deadline, Gobert has been freed from the shadow of Enes Kanter, who is heading to Oklahoma City. Gobert casts his own shadow over opposing rim-attackers, averaging 2.2 blocks over just 21.9 minutes per game. Gobert already had 30-plus fantasy point upside while coming off the bench, and he now has a higher nightly ceiling, in addition to a much higher floor. Even at a position with plenty of attractive options, Gobert sticks out as a premium choice.
Other options: Hassan Whiteside, MIA (at NYK), $6900; Nikola Pekovic, MIN (vs. PHO), $4900; Andrew Bogut, GSW (vs. SAN), $4700; Zaza Pachulia, MIL (vs. DEN), $3000; Tyler Zeller, BOS (at SAC), $2900
