With the All Star break out of the way, the NBA is set to return to action, and there’s a full card of games scheduled for Friday, February 19th. Daily fantasy basketball leagues will jump back into it, and getting your roster ready ahead of time is a good way to prepare. Here, we’ll break down a few of the games and throw in our two cents and analysis when it comes to who you should pick, and who you should stay away from.
Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant is one of the best all-around players in the NBA, and while he’s going to contribute to your fantasy team, he’s also going to be expensive. He’s still one of the best forwards in the game, though, and his price shouldn’t be a huge problem, especially if you are able to supplement his talent with cheaper players in other spots. He is putting up 27.8 points per game, leading the NBA in scoring for the forward category. On the other side of the ball, Paul George of the Pacers is putting up 23.3 points per game, but OKC’s superior defense should make this number a little bit lower than normal, unfortunately. George will be at a good price for this, but his output will be lower, and that is an automatic red flag against him. Durant, on the other hand, will be costly, but worth it.
Point guard Russell Westbrook is also another top consideration. He’s the number four ranked PG in the game right now, and is putting up 24.1 points per game. He also has 10.0 assists per game. And while this isn’t high enough to push him into the number one slot for point guards when it comes to fantasy value, of the top five PGs in the NBA, he is the most well rounded in all stat categories and on a good night, he could take the number one spot. He’s even putting up 2.4 steals per game right now. The Durant-Westbrook combo could be worth capitalizing, using their synergy to help your team out. The Pacers are good, but they are not OKC good, and this bet could pay off.
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers
You know that Stephen Curry is a great player, but you’re not willing to pay top dollar for him. That’s understandable. But for this game, you might want to. Portland is a breakeven team, and when it comes to a team like the Warriors, that isn’t good enough. If Portland had a cushion over their .500 record, it might be a different story, but they don’t at this point in the season. This gives the Warriors a huge edge, and with the rest from All Star break helping them, players like Curry are going to be putting on a show. Splurge on him this one time, and you will not regret it. He’s been putting up 29.8 points per game, and this seems like a game where he could easily inch his way up over 30 points. Given the quality of his teammates, things like assists could also be inflated. He currently is averaging 6.6 of these per game. If you are forced to choose between Curry and Westbrook, Curry will perform better, but Westbrook will be cheaper, so you can take these things into consideration during your draft.
Draymond Green is another consideration at forward. He’s been putting up 14.2 points per game, which isn’t great, but he is likely to beat this number for this matchup. The same is true with his other stat categories, and he’s doing well here. Green has 7.2 assists per game, making him a much better fantasy pick than other players of similar scoring worth, giving him superior value.
You also need to consider Damian Lillard for this game, although it should be a brief consideration. Here’s what you need to know: Lillard is the third best scoring PG in the NBA with 24.3 points per game. He has 7.3 assists, too. These are great numbers, but he’s bound to be below average against the Warriors. If you can justify his inflated price against a team that will limit his stats, that’s fine, but he’s a pass in our book—but just for this one game.
