This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers: The Spurs boast a tough defense, and the Blazers found that out first-hand in the playoffs last season. If San Antonio has all hands on deck for this game, it's hard to recommend anyone outside of the typical contributors for Portland, despite the fact that they have an excellent offense of their own. I don't recommend searching for hidden value on the Portland side of things.
Offenses to Use
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers: This should be a fairly fast-paced game, filled with bad defense and plenty of points. There's a ton of value on the Celtics side of things if you need it when filling out your roster, and the Celtics defense is bad enough that they will have to score to keep ahead of the improving 76ers.
First game of a back-to-back:: None
Second game of a back-to-back: Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
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Point Guard
Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS ($8,600): Rondo contributes in basically every DraftKings category, and gets a nice matchup that should help him get into double figures in scoring. If there's a chance that Rondo posts nice scoring numbers in addition to his fantastic assists and rebounding, I want him on my roster.
Other suggestions: C.J. Watson (vs. LAL), Michael Carter-Williams (vs. BOS)
Shooting Guard
Jimmy Butler, SG, CHI ($6,600): At times this season, Butler has been the best player on an extremely talented Bulls team, and he's capable of going off for 40 DraftKings points any night with his diverse contributions. At a mere $6,600, you almost have to take Butler purely on principle. The matchup doesn't hurt either.
Other suggestions: Eric Bledsoe (vs. MIL), J.J. Redick (vs. DET)
Small Forward
Jeff Green, SF, BOS ($6,900): Against the 76ers, someone has to score the ball of Rondo's assists, and the best bet is Green. He will face resistance from a few capable defenders, but the 76ers are a bad defensive team as a whole, so Green should have no problem getting his in this one. At this price, he's a nice play even though he's not a consistent option against the tougher defenses.
Other suggestions: Tobias Harris (at TOR), Josh Smith (at LAC)
Power Forward
David West, PF, IND ($6,300): West has yet to really get going this season, but has posted back-to-back solid games as of late. At his modest price tag, he's worth a shot against a Lakers defense that has been soft all season long, and continues to be a solid target despite recent lineup changes.
Other suggestions: Jared Sullinger (at PHI), Carlos Boozer (at IND)
Center
Nikola Vucevic, C, ORL ($8,400): Vucevic is just returning from injury, and still finds himself as the highest priced option on the board, but he's a good buy because he looked close to pre-injury form and is at a nice discount. Vucevic is one of the best fantasy centers, and getting him at any type of reduced price is worth the investment.
Other suggestions: Tyler Zeller (at PHI)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Ricky Rubio (ankle)
DeMar DeRozan (groin)
Kevin Martin (wrist)
Randy Foye (quad)
Danilo Gallinari (knee)
Nikola Pekovic (wrist/ankle)
Goran Dragic (back)
Tony Parker (hamstring)
George Hill (quad)
Marcus Smart (Achilles)
John Henson (foot)
Ersan Ilyasova (face)
Aaron Gordon (foot)
Joakim Noah (ankle)
Game-Time Decision
Mo Williams (back) is questionable.
Dion Waiters (abdomen) is day-to-day.
K.J. McDaniels (ankle) is questionable.
C.J. Miles (knee) is questionable.
