This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
NOTE: This article will focus on the four-game slate beginning at 6 PM ET, so the LAL/NY, CHA/MIA, PHI/MIL and TOR/DET games will be excluded.
The first issue to pique our curiosity on today's slate is the status of James Harden (cervical strain). While it's reported that the injury isn't severe, I wouldn't' be at all surprised to see Harden sit this one out. It's a good matchup against Minnesota, but that may be enough motivation to let Chris Paul ($6,700) and Eric Gordon ($5,300) do the heavy lifting today.
Aside from questionable tags on Jeff Teague (foot) and Derrick Rose (elbow), the slate is free of any other emerging injuries, so tonight will play a little more straightforward than most weekend offerings. Load management can always creep into the equation, but at the moment nothing like that has cropped up. All four of our games sport pretty high O/U designations, but I recommend waiting to build until we have a solid idea about The Beard, as this decision could be slate-breaking.
GUARDS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. CHI ($7,100): With Young and Russell on back-to-back games I slide down to endorse Fox, who sets up well against the Bulls. He almost hit 50 DKFP against Chicago in their last meeting, and is on a relatively decent five-game run, averaging 21 points and seven assists over that span. An assist double-double is certainly a possibility for Fox tonight.
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN at LAC ($6,100): I can find a lot of reasons to land on Dinwiddie tonight against the Clippers. For one, he's currently outdoing his season averages regularly and comes at a more reasonable price than Russell. He also only played 24 minutes against Utah last night so he should be reasonably well-rested. His ho-hum, one-game split against LA is a bit of a concern, but Dinwiddie's upward trend is enough for me to overlook past performance.
Tyus Jones, MIN at HOU ($4,700): Even if Teague and/or Rose show up tonight, Jones should almost certainly see somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 minutes tonight, which is plenty of time for the second-unit guard to make an Impact. While the Rockets are an offensive powerhouse, they aren't particularly strong in backcourt defense, so look for Jones to at least meet value at this reasonable price.
Additional guards to consider: Zach LaVine, CHI at SAC ($8,000), Evan Fournier, ORL vs. ATL ($5,500)
FORWARDS
Aaron Gordon, ORL vs. ATL ($7,200): Although I think John Collins is fairly matchup-proof, I like Gordon a bit better for $300 less as the Bulls catch the Hawks on a road back-to-back. Let's face it, no one is particularly wowed by the forward options tonight, and we need Gordon to be more than just efficient here, but he's due for a bit of a breakout and the way this slate sets up, I have enough cash to afford him.
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. BKN ($6,600): Harrell posted a double-double against the Nets in their last meeting, and I see little reason to think that there will be a deviation tonight. Harrell has had a day of rest and is coming off two straight 40-plus DKFP contests, so catch Harrell on this upward trend against a porous Nets frontcourt, and you should be in good shape.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at HOU ($5,500): Wiggins enjoys a usage percentage of 29 percent when Rose and Teague are off the court and only trails Towns in usage in this game script. For this low price, I think Wiggins is one of the smartest plays you can make tonight. The only smarter spend is in the center category, and I think I just tipped my hand.
Additional forwards to consider: Buddy Hield, SAC vs. CHI ($7,000)
CENTERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at HOU ($10,000): This is where my build starts and ends. I am going to make Towns my core in virtually every lineup I send out today and for good reason. His ceiling is insane, and while his two-game average against Houston doesn't quite hit value, the opportunity is there for him to explode on any given night. Nicole Vucevic ($9,200) has a good matchup, but I think Towns has a chance for a more explosive total.
Robin Lopez, CHI at SAC ($6,200): Say what you will about Lopez, but it's hard to ignore his totals against the Clippers and Lakers over the past week. The Bulls are banged up in the frontcourt, and Lopez is their only option under the basket. I wouldn't mind slotting him in the utility spot as a second center tonight.
Additional centers to consider: As I make this build, I think there is a decent argument for stacking Vucevic and Town if Harden doesn't play. Stay tuned via Rotowire for all the latest updates, and pivot in that direction if we discover that Harden is a scratch.
