This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's nine-game slate provides us with plenty of options across the board. Of note, Damian Lillard being sidelined opens up value on Portland, which should allow us to spend up elsewhere. There are a fair number of players who I think are underpriced (Ball, Durant, Davis, McCollum) as well. Overall, I'm forecasting a high-scoring night.
Point Guard
Shabazz Napier, POR vs. DEN ($3,700): Lillard (hamstring) being ruled out opens up fantasy value for Napier, who is the expected starter for Friday's contest. The game will mark Lillard's first missed game of the season, so we'll be doing a bit of educated guessing regarding Napier's workload unless coach Terry Stotts comes out and gives us some information. What we do know, however, is that Napier is averaging 15.2 fantasy points in 17.1 minutes per game this season. If that rate holds true, we should expect Napier to hit 22.2 fantasy points if he plays 25 minutes and 26.7 fantasy points if he plays 30. While that doesn't account for a likely increase in usage, it let's us know that Napier has a good chance to hit value. The matchup is favorable as well, with the Nuggets giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to point guards over the past 10 games. With that being the case, he can easily be slotted into a cash or tournament lineup at his low price, opening up salary to spend up elsewhere.
Lonzo Ball, LAL at GS ($7,400): Ball has been playing well lately, averaging 39.5 fantasy points over the past six games, which is hardly reflected in his price for Friday's slate. The matchup is relatively favorable, as the Warriors come in allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to point guards over the past 10 games. Ball has matched up well against Golden State in the teams' two earlier matchups, averaging 36.3 fantasy points. All things considered, it feels like he has a strong chance to hit value, making him a viable option in cash games or tournaments.
Shooting Guard
C.J. McCollum, POR vs. DEN ($6,900): I'm not opposed to stacking the Portland backcourt for this slate -- pairing Napier with McCollum. When Lillard missed a stretch of five games in late December/early January last season, McCollum posted 31.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. That translates into 45.1 fantasy points per game (taking into account his 3.4 turnovers and 0.6 blocks as well). So, even though the matchup isn't favorable (the Nuggets allow the 14th most fantasy points to shooting guards over the past 10 games), there's a strong chance deploying McCollum could pay off in both cash and tournament contests.
Small Forward
Kevin Durant, GS vs. LAL ($11,500): Despite recording just 36.6 fantasy points against the Grizzlies in his most recent game, I still feel like Durant is close to a must-play. That's especially the case against a Lakers team that plays at the league's fastest pace and gives up fifth-most points per game (109.8), including the most fantasy points to small forwards over the past 10 games. Even with the recent dud, Durant is still averaging 60.1 fantasy points per game since Curry has been sidelined. The Warriors have played the Lakers twice already this season, with Durant dropping 44.9 fantasy points in the first matchup and 71.2 in the second -- both with Curry in the lineup.
Power Forward
Anthony Davis, NO at ORL ($11,300): Davis has seen 39.3 minutes per game over his past four appearances, eclipsing 50 fantasy points in each for an average of 54.7. He's been especially dominant as a scorer (29.8) and shot-blocker (3.5) over that stretch. That's of note considering the Magic enter Friday's contest giving up the fourth-most points and ninth-most blocks to power forwards over the past 10 games, not to mention the third-most overall fantasy points to the position. You'll have to pay up to slot him in your lineup, but he's already torched Orlando for 61.0 fantasy points this season, making his case all the more strong.
Center
Nikola Jokic, DEN at POR ($8,300): Jokic has averaged 31.4 fantasy points across 27.7 minutes per game over the past three contests after missing seven straight games due to a sprained ankle. He saw 36 minutes in his most recent game, which bodes well for his playing time Friday, and still managed to put up 31.2 fantasy points, despite committing 10 turnovers. Interestingly, while it appears Jokic is trending up, his price has been trending down, as he'll enter the game against Portland sporting his lowest price of the year, opening up the possibility for massive value. That cheap price also makes it easier to ignore that the Blazers are relatively in the middle of the pack when it comes to defense vs. position, giving up the 11th most fantasy points to centers over the past 10 outings.
