With just about two weeks left in the NBA’s regular season, we’re gifted a seven-game featured DraftKings slate on Friday night.
You’ll need to find some cheap assets to be able to build lineups. Luckily, I know where to find some values. Let’s dive into all the action on the hardcourt.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
SG/SF Ja’Kobe Walter, Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets, $3,900
Toronto will continue its rest rotation on Friday, giving RJ Barrett (rest) the night off. He’ll be joined in street clothes by Gradey Dick (knee) and Ochai Agbaji (rest), leaving the Raptors pretty undermanned on the wing — especially with Scottie Barnes ($8,500) seemingly limited to around 30 minutes per game the past month. This should open the door for Walter to get another start this evening. The rookie has not been shy about getting up his shot since returning from his own lengthy injury absence earlier in the week, unfortunately Walter’s made just seven of his 26 attempts in the last two contests. Still, despite the shooting woes, Walter’s registered at least 20 FPTS in four straight. Also, I could certainly see his efficiency issues come to an end against a Hornets team that owns a 121.5 defensive rating in the month of March. With a price tag this cheap, Walter is a couple made threes away from 7x or 8x value. I’l take that chance.
PG/SG Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors, $4,500
With Zion Williamson (back) and CJ McCollum (foot) both unavailable for the Pelicans, there isn’t really a true No. 1 offensive option remaining on this roster. Kelly Olynyk ($5,800) has stepped up in a point-forward role, yet the Canadian big man is a little too expensive to qualify as a value at this point, despite the fact that he’s still viable on this slate. Thankfully, the same can not be said about Hawkins. The sophomore had a rough shooting performance in Monday’s victory over the 76ers, yet Hawkins finished the contest with an eye-popping 34.9% usage rate. If you want an example of how Hawkins looks as a DFS asset when his shot is falling, just go back an additional 24 hours to Sunday’s loss to the Pistons. Equipped with a 24.6% usage rate — McCollum was active — Hawkins wound up with 25 points and 33.25 FPTS. He’s not the most consistent player in the world, but the opportunity for big things will be there on Friday night.
PG Tyler Kolek, New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks, $3,200
The Knicks are running out of point guards. Jalen Brunson (ankle) and Deuce McBride (groin) haven’t been able to take the court for awhile, and now Cam Payne (ankle) will join the injured duo after starting New York’s past three contests. It’s a mess. However, this does create a scenario where rookie Tyler Kolek could draw his first-career NBA start on Friday against the Bucks. Kolek has played sparingly with the Knicks after being taken 34th overall in this past summer’s draft. Still, the glimpses we’ve seen in recent games have been very encouraging. Since March 22, in just 118 possessions, Kolek has racked up 24 assists. That translates to a 46.2% assist rate. For some context, Trae Young lead the NBA with a 46.1% mark. It’s a small sample and Kolek has struggled to score much in his time on the floor, but with a salary barely above the minimum, there’s a lot to like here. Delon Wright ($3,000) is another name to monitor in this spot.
