This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
If you haven't seen the schedule for the NBA today, you're in for quite the treat. This is the annual Martin Luther King full-day slate and it might be the best day of basketball that we've seen all year. There will be 12 hours of basketball with some marquee matchups, most notably the Cavaliers-Warriors game. This does make for a tricky day of DFS, but the best way to go about it is to avoid anyone with any injury question marks and play it safe. If you have any questions or comments on my picks, feel free to write me in the comment box.
Point Guard:
Mario Chalmers, MEM vs. NO ($5,600): Since an injury to Mike Conley, Chalmers has been playing the best basketball of his career. In fact, he has a floor of 21 fantasy points over his last seven games and has surpassed 45 fantasy points twice in that span. That's a fantastic return on investment and he's a must-use until Conley returns from injury. Not to mention, this is one of the best matchups possible, as the Pelicans are one of the three-worst defenses in the NBA.
Donald Sloan, BRK at TOR ($4,200): Sloan is also a player who has taken over starting point guard duties and he's been brilliant is his role as well. Over his last five games, he has played at least 24 minutes and reached at least 5X value four times. In three of those, he scored at least 24 fantasy points and recorded at least nine assists. The blowout potential does worry me in a bit this matchup, but Sloan should still be able to give us the 5X value we need, even in limited minutes.
Shooting Guard:
James Harden, HOU at LAC ($9,500): Harden hasn't been giving fantasy owners the value they expect, but his price is getting extremely reasonable and this matchup is too tasty to pass up. Not many players have 60-point potential like Harden and he very well may do that in a matchup like this. He'll be facing off against the likes of J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford, which are fantastic matchups for a player as dynamic as Harden. Not to mention, this is a rivalry game in which the Rockets will need Harden to play his best and handle the ball as much as ever. There may not be a player with a higher upside than Harden on this slate and it makes him a bargain as the fifth-highest priced player.
Arron Afflalo, NYK vs. PHI ($5,100): I have to preface this by saying Afflalo is only usable if Carmelo Anthony doesn't play. Over his last eight games, Afflalo is playing his best ball of the season, as he's scored at least 21 fantasy points six times in that stretch. With Melo out of the lineup, Afflalo is asked to take on much more responsibility and play many more minutes. That can be exemplified by the fact that Afflalo is averaging close to 40 minutes a game in that eight-game span. This is a great matchup as well, as the Sixers are one of the three-worst defenses in the NBA.
Small Forward:
Tobias Harris, ORL at ATL ($5,600): With Victor Oladipo expected to miss this game, Harris should be relied on heavily at a great price. Harris is usually a $6,500 type of player, but his play has been a bit down lately. This appears to be a tough matchup on the surface, but the Hawks have been the sixth-worst defense against small forwards over their last 10 games. The minutes are what makes Harris so consistent though, as he is averaging over 36 minutes per game across his last 12 games. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of downside for Harris at a $5,600 price tag, so he makes for a good play at a shallow position like small forward.
Robert Covington, PHI at NYK ($4,700): Many fantasy owners got off Covington after a horrendous stretch in December, but now's the time to get back on the train. Over his last three games, Convington has been relied on much more heavily and playing significantly better. In fact, over his last three games, he is averaging 28 fantasy points per game and playing nearly 30 minutes a game. That's 6X value on his price tag, which is as good of a return on investment as you could ask for on FanDuel. This should also be a good matchup for Covington, as the Knicks come into this game shorthanded at the small forward position.
Power Forward:
Kristaps Porzingis, NYK vs. PHI ($6,800): Much like Afflalo, Porzingis has seen his role increase in the absence of Melo. Unlike Afflalo, his value isn't dependent on whether Melo plays or not. What I like here is the matchup, as he faces a Sixers team that ranks 29th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards. After a rough stretch in December, Porzingis is starting to find his form as well, averaging close to 40 fantasy points a game over his last five games. In his first two games against Philly, he had seven blocks as well, so he should have no problem giving us value through his defense, rebounding and scoring.
Derrick Williams, NYK vs. PHI ($4,600): Let's keep on this Knicks stack against the Sixers by using Williams as well. Williams has scored at least 21 fantasy points five times in his last seven games and has reached an upside upwards of 40 fantasy points. That's a great sign from a player who was a top-three pick earlier in his career and he might be finding his role in the NBA as a sixth-man. What makes Williams so enticing here is that he should get plenty of minutes whether it's a blowout or not. If he sees the 28 minutes that he's been averaging over the last four games, look for Williams to obliterate his $4,600 price tag.
Center:
Rudy Gobert, UTA at CHI ($6,900): Gobert has really struggled since his return from injury, but his most recent game might be a sign of him coming on. He put together a 16-point, 19-rebound, five-block line in a fantastic performance against the Los Angeles Lakers in his last game. What makes that so encouraging is that he did that in just 30 minutes of play because of a blowout. Most people assume the Bulls are a tough matchup for big men with their deep frontcourt, but that's simply not true. Chicago actually ranks in the bottom-five in fantasy points allowed to centers this season. The price drop has fallen too far for a player of Gobert's potential and he's a great value until he approaches the $8,000 price tag he was accustomed with last season.
