This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's seven-game slate features two standout games from a pace perspective: Pacers vs. Lakers and Nuggets vs. Suns. Stacking those two contests could work out well, and I've featured a player at each position from one of those two games. Jamal Murray's (concussion) likely absence also plays a factor, as Mason Plumlee surprisingly dropped 40.8 fantasy points while Murray sat out Wednesday's game against the Clippers and is featured below.
Point Guard
Darren Collison, IND at LAL ($5,300)
Collison has had bouts of inconsistency throughout the season, but has played well recently and is in a good spot Friday against the Lakers, who will be without both Lonzo Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope -- their starting backcourt. Los Angeles has struggled against point guards recently, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to the position over the past five games. Plus, the pace of the game should play in Collison's favor, considering the opening 214 over/under is the second-highest on the night, behind only Denver vs. Phoenix. Collison, himself, has been playing well since the new year, averaging 26.8 fantasy points this month and 29.0 over the past four contests. If things fall right, a 40-plus fantasy point outing isn't out of question for the point guard, who has eclipsed the 40 mark six times this season.
Shooting Guard
Garry Harris, DEN vs. PHO ($7,100)
Will Barton ($7,700) is also an option here, as he will presumably play point guard once more with Jamal Murray (concussion) doubtful. However, over the past 10 games, the Suns allow the 10th fewest fantasy points to point guards (41.9) while giving up the seventh most fantasy points to shooting guards (53.7). That puts Harris in a better position to reach his ceiling than Barton. In fact, that's nearly what he did last time these two teams faced off, as Harris dropped 47.3 fantasy points -- his second-highest mark on the season -- on the back of 36 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. As mentioned previously, this contest also has the highest opening over/under of the day's slate, coming in at 218, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Harris to touch the ball.
Small Forward
T.J. Warren, PHO at DEN ($6,700)
Warren has a well-known floor, as he's failed to reach 20 fantasy points on seven occasions this season, though only one of those contests happened when he saw at least 30 minutes. Warren has eclipsed 30 minutes played in each of his past 12 appearances and averages 36.7 fantasy points when he sees between 30 and 39 minutes. The Nuggets have bled fantasy points to small forwards over the past 10 games, giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to the position. Warren exposed that during the last time these two teams faced off, dropping 40.5 fantasy points via 13 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block. If things break right for Warren, he could certainly reach his ceiling, which has been around 45 fantasy points -- a mark he's broken four times this year. His season high came against Washington on Nov. 1, when he popped off for 61.5 fantasy points.
Power Forward
Domantas Sabonis, IND at LAL ($6,000)
Sabonis has averaged 27.1 fantasy points over the past five contests with Myles Turner (elbow) out. That's not ideal, though he's faced off against some of the slowest-paced teams in the Association (Miami, fourth slowest; Utah; third slowest). That will change Friday, as Sabonis will be going up against the Lakers, who lead the league in pace. As of late, LA has been relatively average guarding centers, giving up the 11th fewest fantasy points over the past 10 games to the position. On the season, however, that rank changes to giving up the seventh-most fantasy points to the position. While that's far from an ideal scenario for Sabonis, he's proven to have a relatively high ceiling, reaching or passing 35 fantasy points on six occasions.
Center
Mason Plumlee, DEN vs. PHO ($4,700)
I'm sticking with the fast-paced matchup theme here and going Plumlee against Phoenix. With starting point guard Jamal Murray (concussion) missing his first game of the season Wednesday, I assumed Will Barton, Malik Beasley and possibly even Emmanuel Mudiay to see a huge uptick in usage. That wasn't the case. It was Plumlee who saw the biggest bump -- his usage rising from his season average of 7.1 percent to 16 percent. In the process, he dropped a season-high 40.8 fantasy points as a result of 16 points (7-14 FG, 2-4 FT), 14 rebounds, three steals and two assists. There's certainly no guarantee that coach Michael Malone will deploy the same starting five and play Plumlee 31 minutes again, as he's changed lineups before and ended up losing Wednesday. But, if tipoff arrives and everything seems similar to Wednesday, Plumlee has a chance of being a strong value play at center.
