This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Damian Lillard, POR at GS ($9,700): It's not too often that splits versus a team are the main reasons for one of my picks, but that's what makes Lillard so attractive Saturday. Lillard grew up in Oakland and he's always taken it to the Warriors nearly every time he's faced his hometown team. In fact, Lillard is averaging over 50 fantasy points a game against Golden State across his last 10 games. He's also averaging nearly 40 real points per game over that span, while adding about four rebounds, six assists and two steals. He comes into this game hot, dropping 54 fantasy points in his most recent game against the Denver Nuggets
Klay Thompson, GS vs. POR ($6,600): Everyone knows that Thompson is one of the best shooters in the world and he should be able to get some buckets in this matchup. Portland ranks 28th in defense this season and Golden State is obviously a nightmare matchup for even a stingy defensive unit. Thompson is averaging over 36 fantasy points across his last three games, as he's starting to find his jumper.
Gary Harris, DEN vs. NYK ($4,800): Not many people know about Harris, but he's a major part of the Nuggets' future. What they like about him most is his defense and that gives him a near guarantee for 30-plus minutes a night. The reason this price is so reduced is because he;'s coming off a foot injury that kept him out for the majority of the season. In his first game back, Harris dropped 38 fantasy points in 32 minutes, showng just how good he can be. The icing on the cake is the matchup, though, as the Knicks are allowing the third-most fantasy points to shooting guards this season.
Draymond Green, GS vs. POR ($8,200): I want to get as many Warriors into my lineup as possible and there's reason to believe Green will be the best option. As I mentioned earlier, the Warriors should get a ton of assists against this putrid Portland defense and it seems possible that he could lead the team with double-digit assists. In addition, he should approach double figures in rebounding and points, while also providing elite defensive statistics. The Trail Blazers are allowing the most fantasy points in the NBA to power forwards this season and they haven't played one like Green. That makes me think Green has a 50/50 chance at a triple-double here and that would make him one of the values of the day at just $8,200.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs. HOU ($6,400): Wiggins is super hit-or-miss for DFS, but we're going to bet on him Saturday. What makes him so volatile is that he relies so heavily on scoring, but that shouldn't be an issue here against Houston. Not only do they rank as one of the worst defenses in the league, they play at a fast pace and allow a ton of shots. That could mean 20-plus shots for a player who has scored at least 23 real points in three of his last five games. To further the point, Houston allows about 22 points per game to small forwards, and that ranks as the third-worst mark in the league.
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs NYK ($5,900): Jokic was a third-round pick in season-long formats and he's finally starting to play at that value after a month of disappointment, averaging over 34 fantasy points across his last five games. His ability to stuff the stat sheet is what makes him so valuable, as he can provide elite rebounding and assisting numbers in addition to his scoring. The matchup is spectacular, too, with the Knicks allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to centers (Jokic's real position) across their last 10 games.
Andre Drummond, DET vs. IND ($8,100): Drummond is coming into this game in the midst of a poor stretch, but that has lowered his price to a nice value. Prior to that two-game dud, Drummond was averaging over 42 fantasy points against his previous seven games. It's his physical presence that makes him so scary to face, as he destroys teams that are smaller. Indiana is just that, as they allow the sixth-most fantasy points to centers and just let Hassan Whiteside drop 26 points and 22 rebounds against them on Wednesday. Whiteside and Drummond are very similar players, so a monster game from Drummond seems very possible.
Myles Turner, IND at DET ($6,500): There really aren't any solid mid-tier centers that are worth a look aside from Turner. The Texas product is in the midst one of his best stretches of the season, as he has scored at least 27 fantasy points in six-straight games, while averaging 34 fantasy points per game in that span. This matchup does scare me, but Turner should still be able to provide value at just $6,500. With a floor at 27 fantasy points, that means he's a guarantee for 4X value with the potential for 6X-7X value.
Clint Capela, HOU at MIN ($5,800): With limited options at center, Capela makes for a nice pick as one of the only low-end usable centers. After getting off to a terrible start, Capela has recovered by averaging 13.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per game across his last 18 games. That's 27 fantasy points per game, which is great value for a player below $6,000. The matchup is strong, too, with Minnesota ranking as the third-worst defense based on defensive efficiency.
