Friday is the slate of the gun point guards as Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Trae Young will all be in action across six games, while Joel Embiid could dine out on the NBA’s only winless team.
Julius Randle is delivering good DraftStars (DS) points too and his 3-1 New York Knicks are up against the 4-0 Chicago Bulls. Can Randle keep it up against one of the league’s best?
Curry and Morant will face off, like last season’s Play-in tournament, when the 4-0 Golden State Warriors meet the 2-2 Memphis Grizzlies. Can Morant maintain his form against the Warriors?
And we’ll find out if Joel Embiid is worth the price tag, when the Philadelphia 76ers face the NBA’S only remaining winless side, the Detroit Pistons.
LAST GAME LEARNINGS
Morant (PG $16,710) only managed a DS score of 43.8 in a loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, down from his previous 65.8, but he has sustained a premium average of 52.4 and his price is climbing. Morant is leading the league for points per game (30.5).
Rudy Gobert (C $15,050) was dominant in the paint with 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Utah Jazz in their win over the Denver Nuggets, equating to 44.5 DS points, but the concern with the French center is his shooting from the stripe, missing seven free-throws, impacting his overall score.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (SG (PG) $15,250) is also having his shooting issues, managing only one of nine from beyond the arc among his 22 points against the Nugs. If he can convert those misses into three-pointers, he could return to a premium status but is currently averaging only 36.7.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic (PG $20,810) also was errant, shooting 10-from-25 from the field in the win over the Houston Rockets. The Slovenian still had excellent numbers, with 26 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and two steals for a season-high DS score of 60.
Seth Curry (SG $10,350) fell from grace after his 28-point performance for the 76ers on Sunday, going 0-from-4 from range and finishing with only four points against the Knicks on Tuesday, meaning he can’t be trusted.
INJURY NEWS
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr had hoped to rest Stephen Curry (PG $19,190) against OKC on Tuesday but their competitiveness meant the guard was required to play 32 minutes, so look out for reduced minutes on Thursday.
Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine (SG $14,270) is carrying a thumb injury on his non-shooting hand which he plans to play with. It’s worth monitoring his scores as he tolerates the pain.
Mavs center Kristaps Porzingis (PF $13,070) bowed out of Tuesday’s game with “lower back tightness” and is in some doubt to face the San Antonio Spurs. We liked him in pre-season but he’s not delivered.
Jeremi Grant (PF $12,530) is questionable for the Pistons with an elbow issue and his absence may positively impact Kelly Olynyk (C (PF) $9,440) or Josh Jackson (SF (SG) $6,380). Also keep an eye out for a debut from top draft pick Cade Cunningham (PG (SG) $6,000) after an ankle sprain.
Danilo Gallinari (PF $7,440) returned from shoulder soreness on Wednesday for the Atlanta Hawks and scored 20.3 DS points.
VALUE OPTIONS
Knicks power forward Randle (PF (C) $16,840) is the obvious choice, with an exceptional early season DS points average of 55.3. Last season’s Most Improved Player’s numbers are fueled by an increase across points (25.5), rebounds (11.3) and assists (6.5) per game.
We already mentioned Morant (PG 16,710) who is leading the charge for the Grizzlies and looks to have taken his game to another level this season.
DeMar DeRozan (SF $12,030) has been ultra consistent for the Bulls who have started the season 4-0, while Montrezl Harrell (C $11,760) is making a strong impact at his new club, the Washington Wizards and may push into their starting five after 25 points against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
There’s great value in Knicks guard Derrick Rose (PG (SG) $8,840) despite a season-low 21.8 DS points last time out, while don’t give up on Hawks Cam Reddish (SF (SG) $6,750) despite his 10.8 DS points on Wednesday.
PREMIUM PLAYS
Budget constraints will leave players arguably needing to choose between Curry (PG $19,190) and Doncic (PG $20,810).
There is the risk of a rest or reduced minutes for Curry, while the latter’s higher price is compelling enough to leave him out. Both are averaging excellent DS scores, at 54.8 and 54.2 respectively this season, so it’d be risky to fade both.
Curry, Doncic, Morant and Trae Young (PG $16,010) are all strong point guard options, while Gobert (C $15,050) looks the pick of the centers especially against the 1-3 Rockets.
FADES
Joel Embiid (C $18,310) had an off-night for the 76ers in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, managing only 14 points, so you can expect a response against the lowly Pistons, but for his price his points are down (41.7 DS average). Embiid shot 0-from-5 from the field in the first half which hasn’t helped.
LaVine’s (SG $14,270) output has dropped the past two games and that thumb injury is arguably culpable.