This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
The stars come out to play Friday night, with several of the brightest in some of the best matchups of the night. The seven-game slate also features some former teammates renewing acquaintances and an intriguing matchup out west between the Wizards and Warriors. Let's break down who should be in your lineups:
GUARDS
Russell Westbrook, OKC at MIN ($23,600): Westbrook is already churning out eye-popping fantasy numbers with regularity in the early going, with his season-best 71.00 fantasy points versus the Pacers on Wednesday serving as the most recent example. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves set up as a match made in fantasy heaven, considering they've allowed the most fantasy points (64.9) and points per game to point guards, along with 25.3 points, 12.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 made three-pointers.
Stephen Curry, GS vs. WAS ($18,200): Curry is off to an excellent start, scoring no fewer than 45.25 fantasy points in his last four games and crossing the 50-point threshold twice. The Wizards check in allowing 50.1 fantasy points per game to point guards, along with 21.3 points, 8.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 three-pointers per contest. Curry has also thrived against John Wall in the past, averaging 38.5 points (on 58.3 percent shooting) over two games two seasons ago and 33.5 points (on 57.1 percent shooting) in his two contests against the Wizards last season.
Kemba Walker, CHA vs. HOU ($12,700): Walker has unsurprisingly taken a large offensive load on his shoulders once again this season, scoring between 32.00 and 46.50 fantasy points in three of his first four games. A matchup against the fast-paced Rockets should facilitate another big night, especially with James Harden likely to often serve as his primary defender. Houston is allowing 49.4 fantasy points per game to point guards, along with 22.4 points and 2.7 made three-pointers per game.
FORWARDS/CENTERS
Kevin Durant, GS vs. WAS ($20,200): The upper tier at forward/center is a bit barren despite the decent-sized slate, putting Durant squarely in play if you're paying up. The Wizards have been one of the most vulnerable teams to small forwards in the early part of the season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points (50.9) per game to the position, along with the fourth-most points (24.4) and second-highest shooting percentage (54.0). Durant is already averaging 48.30 fantasy points on the strength of tallies ranging from 41.75 to 58.25 fantasy points in his first five games, and he's also boasting a team-high 28.7 percent usage rate.
Brandon Ingram, LAL vs. TOR ($11,300): If you a have a bit more cash to spend at this level, Carmelo Anthony ($15,000) also stands out due to his excellent start in OKC, but Ingram makes for a very appealing tournament option at his discounted price. He's outperformed that figure on a couple of occasions already, with a season-best 39.50 fantasy points in Wednesday's overtime win over the Wizards serving as the most recent example. Ingram can fill out the stat sheet, while the Raptors check in allowing the sixth-most fantasy points (49.0) and most assists (5.3) per game to small forwards, along with 22.6 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Dwight Howard, CHA vs. HOU ($12,300): Howard has been a monster on the glass and should have a bit of extra motivation facing one of his old squads Friday. The veteran big man has no less than 15 rebounds and as many as 22 in his first four games, leading to fantasy-point tallies of between 36.25 and 44.00. The Rockets check in allowing 53.3 fantasy points per game to centers, along with 28.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks, with the latter figure representing the third-highest in the league.
UTILITY
Kristaps Porzingis, NY vs. BKN ($14,000): Porzingis utilized his superior size to score 51.00 and 46.75 fantasy points, respectively, in his first two games before a rough 3-for-14 shooting night against the Celtics in his most recent contest. However, he's in a prime position to bounce back Friday, considering the Nets have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points (54.1) to power forwards, along with the third-most rebounds (14.9). Porzingis is boasting a team-high 32.4 percent usage rate with Carmelo Anthony out of town and should be heavily involved while exploiting an eight-inch height advantage over Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who'll often serve as his primary defender.
Marcin Gortat, WAS at GS ($9,900): Gorat's sub-$10K cost makes him hard to resist as a punt play against a Warriors squad that's allowed the most fantasy points (71.3) and points (34.6) per game to centers, along with the fifth-most rebounds (18.4). Gortat sometimes cedes a lot of offensive responsibility to the Wizards' Big Three of Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, but in what should be an up-tempo matchup for Washington, he should have one of his higher-usage games. He's already scored 33.00 and 45.75 fantasy points on two occasions this season in which he's played a larger role, and given the matchup Friday, he's poised to return strong value on a very reasonable price.
