This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: San Antonio Spurs, vs MIN; The best defense going on Saturday night is the Grizzlies, who compete with the Jazz to be the best defense in the NBA. But, the Grizzlies face an absurdly strong offensive team in the Rockets, so that makes them less reliable. The Spurs are another strong defensive squad. And while the Timberwolves have proven to be a tough offense themselves, recently humbling the mighty Jazz, in fact, on the whole the Spurs are a tough match-up for the Wolves. Kawhi Leonard has absolutely erased Andrew Wiggins twice this season, and since he's a key to what the Wolves do on offense that weakens their team potential. Karl-Anthony Towns is essentially matchup proof these days, so he is still a reasonable play, but the rest of the Wolves don't have the greatest odds to produce against the Spurs.
Offenses to Use: Portland Trail Blazers, vs BKN: The Nets are the worst defense in the NBA across the board. They have allowed the most fantasy points to point guards, small forwards and power forwards. They have allowed the second-most fantasy points to shooting guards, and the fourth-most to centers. Literally every starter on the Trail Blazers has a favorable matchup on Saturday.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: None
Second game: Nets, Cavaliers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, 76ers, Spurs, Raptors
Damian Lillard, POR vs BKN ($9,600): Lillard has averaged 32 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the four games since the All-Star break. On Saturday, he faces a Nets defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to point guards this season.
C.J. McCollum, POR vs BKN ($7,500): McCollum is one of the best second options in the league, and has averagd 22.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists over his last 10 games. He faces a Nets defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to shooting guards this season.
Will Barton, DEN vs CHA ($5,100): Barton continues to produce useful numbers, whether coming off the bench or starting for the Nuggets. In the five games since the All-Star break, he has averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 combined blocks/steals in 27 minutes. On Saturday, he faces a Hornets defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to shooting guards this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at SA ($9,400): Towns is facing a tough Spurs defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to centers this season. However, in his last outing, Towns faced a Jazz defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to centers this season, and he gashed them for 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. Last month, Towns faced the Grizzlies that have the number one defense against centers, and exploded on them for 27 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, and two combined blocks/steals.
Nicolas Batum, CHA at DEN ($7,300): Batum is a do-everything player whose overall production ceiling is tied to his scoring output. Over his last five games he has averaged 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 combined blocks/steals, with a high of 31 points scored but a low of five. On Saturday, he faces a Nuggets defense that has allowed more fantasy points, as well as more actual points, to shooting guards than any other team.
Bobby Portis, CHI vs LAC ($4,800): Portis has been battling Nikola Mirotic for playing time, but in the last couple of games he has been winning. Portis has been starting, but in the last two games he has averaged 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 combined blocks/steals in 29.5 minutes. He matches up with a Clippers defense that has been average defensively against power forwards of late, allowing the 15th-most fantasy points over the last five games.
Marc Gasol, MEM at HOU ($7,900): Gasol has a plum match-up on Saturday against a Rockets defense that has struggled with interior defense, allowing second-most fantasy points to centers over the last 10 games. The last time that Gasol saw the Rockets, six weeks ago, he scored 32 points with five boards, three blocks and a steal.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs BKN ($6,700): Nurkic has played himself not only into the starting lineup, but into an impact player position for the Trail Blazers. In his last two games he has averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 boards, 5.5 assists and 4.0 combined blocks/steals. On Saturday he faces a Nets defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to centers this season.
Cody Zeller, CHA at DEN ($5,500): Zeller is working his minutes up after a long injury absence, but his replacement in the starting lineup, Frank Kaminsky, is listed as out for Saturday. This gives Zeller the opportunity to ramp up his minutes more quickly, against a Nuggets defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to centers this season.
