The NBA has a juicy seven-game entree to serve up this Friday night. As we get ready to dive into this 14-team fantasy basketball feast, there are a few options on the menu that are too good to pass up. These three NBA must-start options are set up for success and should be strong considerations as you build your rosters for Friday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
PG Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers at Memphis Grizzlies, $7,700
Garland and the Cavs are in a great pace-up spot against the Grizzlies, who play at the fastest pace in the NBA. Not only will his team have more than their usual share of possessions to play with this Friday, but Garland will also have more of the work on his very capable shoulders since Donovan Mitchell (groin) will miss a second straight game.
On Tuesday without Mitchell, Garland dropped 30 points against the Nets to go with eight assists, four rebounds, and four steals for a total of 55 fantasy points in 36 minutes while leading the team to its 15th consecutive victory.
In the five games that he has played without Spida this season, Garland produced an average of 46.4 fantasy points on 26.6 points, 8.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals while leading the team with a 31.0% usage rate.
Garland and the Cavs will have a tough test to keep their winning streak alive in their visit to Memphis, but when he has been called up to step up, he has consistently produced monster games. Getting him under $8,000 leaves so much salary for other spots as well, and he gives your team an elite ceiling in the backcourt.
PG/SG, Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets, $6,300
Since he was traded from the Kings to the Spurs, De’Aaron Fox (finger) hasn’t missed a game, but the superstar point guard will miss the rest of the season after dropping 32 points and 11 assists in a signature performance on Wednesday that turned into his sign-off for the season.
Without Fox, Castle should have a clear path to step into a much more involved role. The 20-year-old was the No. 4 pick in last year’s NBA Draft and will look to make a push for NBA Rookie of the Year over the final stretch of the season. He has been coming off the bench but still posting big numbers since the All-Star break.
He’s looking for a bounce-back performance after scoring only eight points and 12.5 fantasy points on Wednesday. Prior to that down game, he impressed with 38.4 fantasy points per game over a seven-game stretch on 22.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game and 1.31 fantasy points per minute.
In his last eight games, he has a 27.3% usage rate with Fox on the floor and a 31.7% rate with Fox off the floor. He showed his ceiling with a monster 32-point game against the Thunder, finishing with 46.5 fantasy points, and without Fox, we should have a chance for more ceiling performances like that from Castle, starting on Friday against the Hornets.
PG, Jeff Dowtin, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers, $3,500
The Sixers are a mess and Dowtin is a bargain–sign me up! Coming into the day, Tyrese Maxey (back/finger), Paul George (groin/knee), Lonnie Walker IV (concussion) and of course Joel Embiid (knee) are all out. Additionally, Quentin Grimes ($7,900; illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,800; knee), Justin Edwards ($4,100; ankle) and Andre Drummond ($5,400; toe) are all questionable. There should be tons of minutes and usage available against the Pacers, and Dowtin has been showing some interesting upside.
He has scored at least 10 points in four straight games for Philly and is coming off a career-high 20 points on Wednesday against the Raptors. He played 27 minutes even with Oubre available in that matchup and added enough non-scoring stats to total 32.0 fantasy points. It was his second straight game with over 30 fantasy points, and since his salary remains under $4,000, it’s hard to pass up that kind of upside.
Even if Grimes, Oubre and Edwards all play, Dowtin should get enough work in place of Walker to still chip in enough to offer good returns at this rock-bottom salary.
