This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to Avoid
Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Spurs play a terrible Heat offense, but the Jazz have been better on defense, and the Grizzlies have been just as awful on offense. Utah has held three of its last four opponents to under 92 points and will be happy to return home after a five-game road trip. The particular matchup to watch is Rudy Gobert down low against Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Memphis doesn't offer many elite options in DraftKings contests and on a night where the defense is tough it's best to fade them from your lineups.
Offense to Use
Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Magic take on a miserable Pacers defense and the Celtics also have an appealing draw against the Pelicans, but it's hard to bet against the Rockets at home against the Sixers. James Harden has been on another planet in DFS so far this season and Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson have provided strong secondary scoring. Houston has scored at least 97 points in each of its past six games and Philadelphia hasn't allowed fewer than 100 points in any of its nine games.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Heat, Nets
Second game: Magic, Thunder
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
James Harden, PG/SG, HOU vs. PHI ($12,000): Surprise, surprise. Harden is being recommended for your DFS lineup again! Until he shows signs of slowing up, there's no reason to bet against Harden in pretty much all formats given he's a virtual lock to go for more than 50 fantasy points each night. He's gone six straight games of at least 60 fantasy points and has two triple-doubles and four double-doubles in that span. The switch to point guard has done wonders for Harden, who has maintained his scoring acumen while improving almost all of his offensive numbers. It's tough to pay that much for one player, but when he's almost guaranteeing you reach 50-60 points from one slot, it makes it a lot easier to cash in contests.
Avery Bradley, SG, BOS at NO ($7,000): Bradley has gone for 30 or more fantasy points in eight of nine games this season (with a high of 57.75). He started the season costing $4,800 and has seen an astronomical rise all the way to his current base. Bradley does a nice job of filling up the stat sheet, averaging the most rebounds per game of any shooting guard (8.1), while also providing 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He's a streaky shooter but is still 11th in the League in three-point shooting percentage (41.2), and the Pelicans are allowing opponents to shoot 37.1 percent from downtown (28th in the NBA). The Celtics are a decent offense to target if you aren't sold on the Rockets and Bradley is one of the Celtics' safest options.
Patty Mills, PG, SA vs. MIA ($4,500): If Monday's game gets ugly and the Spurs run away from the Heat, Mills could see some more play in garbage time that could inflate his stats. He's had four games of 25 or more fantasy points, primarily as the backup to Tony Parker, though he gets around the same amount of minutes as the veteran. Mills' salary peaked at $4,900 in his last game but for some reason decreased by $400 for what should be an easy matchup at home against Miami. Also consider Danny Green ($4,100) as a cheap option at guard.
Blake Griffin, PF, LAC vs. BKN ($8,400): The Nets are allowing the third-most points to opposing power forwards and Griffin has a double-double in three of his past four games. He's played 36 and 37 minutes in his past two games, respectively, and was .5 points shy of making it five straight with 40 or more fantasy points. It will be difficult for Brooklyn to contain the pick-and-roll between Griffin and Chris Paul, so expect plenty of easy buckets. Griffin should have less exposure than elite PF/C Anthony Davis ($11,300).
Harrison Barnes, SF/PF, DAL at NY ($7,100): Barnes was under a lot of scrutiny for his performance in last season's playoffs with the Warriors but is starting to look like an All-Star with the Mavericks. He's scored 25 or more points in three straight games and has four consecutive games of at least 30 fantasy points. Barnes is nowhere near the elite options at his position in DraftKings but has been Dallas' most consistent -- and practically their only -- option on offense with an aging Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles). Dual eligibility is always a plus, and Barnes is getting heavy minutes and plenty of shot attempts to be worth his price tag.
Trevor Ariza, SF, HOU vs. PHI ($5,100): Plenty of Rockets have already been mentioned, but Ariza might be the most under-the-radar option. Known as a three-and-D swingman, Ariza has made nine 3-pointers and has 10 steal over his past three games. He's averaging 25.9 DraftKings points per contest this season and gets a favorable matchup for a ball hawk against the Sixers, who are 28th in the League in turnovers per game (17.2).
Andre Drummond, DET vs. OKC ($8,000): Drummond is on another one of his double-double streaks, this one currently at five straight games. DraftKings rewards Drummond for every double-double, and his chances of extending that streak are very likely in a solid matchup against the Thunder, who are middle-of-the-pack defending against centers this season. Drummond has shot better than 53.8 percent from the field in each of his past five games and has at least a block and a steal in four of five. Consider Drummond one of the safer plays at center for cash games while providing some against-the-grain value for tournaments behind Davis and Hassan Whiteside among the elite.
Pau Gasol, SA vs. MIA ($5,600): Gasol spent most of last season as one of the higher-priced centers in DraftKings contests. Now, with San Antonio, his role has been somewhat diminished, but he's beginning to turn things around the past two games. Gasol had a combined 36 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists and four blocks Friday and Saturday for a total of 83.5 fantasy points. The Heat are allowing the sixth-most points to opposing centers this season, and their atrocious offense should lead to a bump in rebounding numbers for Gasol, who is used to averaging around a double-double. If Gasol continues to play like this, you won't be able to get him at this bargain pricing much longer.
Bismack Biyombo, ORL at IND ($4,000): If you're looking to scrape the bottom of the center barrel, Biyombo and the Magic face a shaky Pacers defense. Biyombo is very reliant on rebounds (8.0 per game) and blocks (1.6 per game) but should see an uptick in offense against Indiana, which has allowed at least 120 points in three games this season. Competing with Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic for minutes hasn't hurt Biyombo with the two more-talented centers struggling to stay consistent. If Biyombo sees 20-plus minutes against the Pacers, he shouldn't have much trouble hitting 5x his salary in points.
