This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
Friday begins an extended stretch of larger slates heading into the All-Star break, which means plenty of options and corresponding decisions to be made in the lineup-building process. Accordingly, we have lots to sort through at each price level, so let's dive into who's worthy of your dollars at each salary tier heading into the nine-game ledger:
GUARDS
Victor Oladipo, IND at CLE ($17,800): Oladipo makes for an appealing pivot for those who can't pay up for top choice James Harden ($20,600), given his matchup against one of the most vulnerable defenses to shooting guards in the league. The Cavaliers come in allowing the third-most fantasy points (50.0) to two-guards on the season, along with the second-highest number of made three-pointers (4.0) on the campaign. Oladipo is taking a career-high 6.2 three-point attempts and draining them at a career-best 40.1 percent clip through his first 43 games, and he's scored 38.75 to 50.50 fantasy points in four of the last five games. He's sporting a team-high 30.0 percent usage rate, averaging 1.15 points per possession and scoring 1.16 fantasy points per minute over the latter span, while the Cavs are playing at the fifth-highest pace (105.0) per game over the last three, another factor that could certainly work in Oladipo's favor if it persists Friday.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA at TOR ($12,300): As usual on a large slate, there are a number of strong options at guard in the mid-tier. However, Mitchell particularly stands out due to a price that's very reasonable relative to his upside, as he's eclipsed 40 fantasy points on three occasions over the last seven games and has been over 30 in three other contests during that span. The Raptors have been reasonably effective against two-guards this season, but they're still allowing 46.0 fantasy points to the position on the season, along with 3.5 made three-pointers. Meanwhile, Mitchell's shot attempts have seen a notable boost as of late, as he's putting the ball up an average of 18.4 times per game over the last 10 as compared to a 16.1 seasonal figure.
Dejounte Murray, SA vs. PHI ($10,400): If Isaiah Canaan ($8,500) were to enter the starting lineup for the Suns on Friday, he'll also represent a very viable alternative at this level. However, Murray carries some nice upside in his own right relative to price, as he's scored 26.50 to 49.50 in the last three games while manning the starting point guard position. He's sporting an encouraging 25.0 percent usage rate and averaging 1.26 fantasy points per minute in what is an admittedly modest sample, but it certainly bodes well for his prospects moving forward. Moreover, the Sixers are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points (46.5) to point guards on the season and playing at the second-fastest pace (104.7 possessions per game), furthering Murray's case at a very reasonable price.
FORWARDS/CENTERS
Anthony Davis, NO vs. HOU ($20,000): Davis has a leg up on fellow elite forward/center options DeMarcus Cousins ($20,500) and LeBron James ($20,300), with the former dealing with the toughest matchup in the league for centers and the latter's production recently falling victim on more than one occasion to his own team's shortcomings. Meanwhile, Davis faces a Rockets squad that's been increasingly vulnerable to power forwards, as the 50.5 fantasy points they've allowed to the position over the last 10 games is the seventh-most during that span and represents a notable increase over the 41.0 fantasy points they've surrendered to the position on the campaign. Davis' production has fluctuated recently, but he's scored 53.25 to 83.75 fantasy points in four out of the last seven contests. Moreover, the Rockets are allowing the fourth-most points in the paint (47.4) this season, while Davis is scoring a career-high 53.9 percent of his points in that area of the floor.
Blake Griffin, LAC at MEM ($15,900): Griffin is now averaging 42.9 fantasy points per contest after scoring 41.50 to 69.00 fantasy points in four of the last five games. He also touched up this same squad for 40.0 fantasy points to open 2018 back on Jan. 2, and the injury-ravaged Grizzlies have only become more vulnerable to bigs in recent games. Memphis is allowing the third-most fantasy points (58.1) to fours over the last 10 contests, a drastic bump from the 45.2 they're yielding to the position on the season. They're also allowing the second-most rebounds (14.8) and most blocks (2.1) to power forwards on the campaign, while Griffin comes in averaging 9.2 boards over the last five (as compared to a 7.8 seasonal figure).
Julius Randle, LAL at CHI ($12,400): Randle has scored 52.00 and 35.50 fantasy points, respectively, in the last two games, and he's recorded three double-doubles in the last six. He'll draw a matchup Friday that's currently one of the most appealing in the NBA for power forwards, as the Bulls have allowed the second-most fantasy points (64.6) to the position over the last five, along with league-worst or bottom-10 figures in multiple categories. That includes the highest shooting percentage (50.0) allowed to the position. Randle is shooting a career-high 55.1 percent on the season, including 58.1 percent in the last six contests.
UTILITY
Damian Lillard, POR at DAL ($17,100): Lillard just lit up this same Mavericks squad for 52.25 fantasy points on Jan. 20, his third time eclipsing 50 fantasy points in the last eight contests. The All-Star guard has scored no less than 40 fantasy points in any game during that span while sporting a 28.3 percent usage rate and averaging a team-high 1.29 fantasy points per minute. The Mavericks remain as vulnerable as ever to point guards, as they've allowed the second-most fantasy points (49.8), along with the most points (25.8) and made three-pointers (2.9) to the position. Lillard also comes into Friday's game with the hot hand from the field, as he's drained 53.3 percent of his shots over the last five games, including 52.3 percent of his 8.8 three-point attempts during that span.
Zach LaVine, CHI vs. LAL ($11,500): LaVine has seen his minutes bump up to 24 minutes over his last two games, a tally that allowed him to equal a season-high 36.25 fantasy points in his last contest against the Sixers on Wednesday. The young sharpshooter now draws a Lakers squad that's allowed the seventh-most fantasy points (48.7) to two-guards on the season, along with 3.6 made three-pointers. LaVine is sporting a career-high 40.0 percent success rate from behind the arc through his first six games, while the Lakers are playing at a pace that's generating an NBA-high 105.6 possessions per game. The latter figure serves to further the case of LaVine, who's averaging a solid 1.10 points per possession thus far this season.
