This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The first Friday of the NBA season is here and after a small four-game slate Thursday there will be double the games with eight tonight. The three guys that had explosive games Wednesday – James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis – are all in play tonight. All three have good matchups, and, by using some of the players listed below, it shouldn't be a problem to get at least two of them in your lineup.
Guards
Tyler Johnson MIA vs CHA ($4,600) – Johnson doesn't start for the Heat but he logs solid minutes off the bench in a prominent role with the second unit. His ability to play both the point and shooting guard affords him the extra minutes to stuff the stat sheet. The other night, he finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Tim Frazier, NO vs DEN ($5,300) – Frazier will likely be one of the chalkiest plays tonight after putting up 40.5 fantasy points over 37 minutes Wednesday. He's going to continue to log heavy minutes with Jrue Holiday out, and racking up the assists won't be a problem playing with Anthony Davis. Frazier's floor is very safe given that he's not dependent on scoring to have a good fantasy game, as the majority of his fantasy points on opening night came from assists, rebounds and steals.
Rodney Hood, UTA vs LAL ($5,700) – Hood is expected to pick up the scoring with Gordon Hayward sidelined,
The first Friday of the NBA season is here and after a small four-game slate Thursday there will be double the games with eight tonight. The three guys that had explosive games Wednesday – James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis – are all in play tonight. All three have good matchups, and, by using some of the players listed below, it shouldn't be a problem to get at least two of them in your lineup.
Guards
Tyler Johnson MIA vs CHA ($4,600) – Johnson doesn't start for the Heat but he logs solid minutes off the bench in a prominent role with the second unit. His ability to play both the point and shooting guard affords him the extra minutes to stuff the stat sheet. The other night, he finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Tim Frazier, NO vs DEN ($5,300) – Frazier will likely be one of the chalkiest plays tonight after putting up 40.5 fantasy points over 37 minutes Wednesday. He's going to continue to log heavy minutes with Jrue Holiday out, and racking up the assists won't be a problem playing with Anthony Davis. Frazier's floor is very safe given that he's not dependent on scoring to have a good fantasy game, as the majority of his fantasy points on opening night came from assists, rebounds and steals.
Rodney Hood, UTA vs LAL ($5,700) – Hood is expected to pick up the scoring with Gordon Hayward sidelined, which is exactly what he did on opening night against the Trail Blazers (26 points) in a healthy 38 minutes of action. Tonight's home matchup against the Lakers is a solid one – especially if Hood draws Nick Young – as Los Angeles isn't exactly known for its defensive prowess.
Forwards
T.J. Warren, PHO at OKC ($4,600) – Warren has been inserted into the starting lineup and getting the bulk of the minutes at small forward for the Suns. He's playing more in lieu of the injured P.J. Tucker (back), so Warren should see at least another 30 minutes in this game.
Trevor Booker, BRO vs IND ($4,900) – Booker earned the starting power forward spot during the preseason with his strong play. He registered 28.9 fantasy points Wednesday night in 24 minutes, an impressive feat against a solid Celtics team on a night when the Nets leaned on their second unit more than normal. He'll have a good matchup against former Net Thaddeus Young, a guy that's never been known for his defensive abilities.
Serge Ibaka, ORL at DET ($5,500) – This might be Ibaka's lowest price of the season given the bigger offensive role he's set to play on his new team. Ibaka only had 24.4 fantasy points in his first game but there are two other key stats that suggest that number will be on the rise Friday. First, he played 36 minutes, a number he should be close to on a nightly basis even with Bismack Biyombo back in the lineup. Also, Ibaka attempted 17 shots from the floor, a sign that he's focused on shooting more in his first season with the Magic.
Centers
Roy Hibbert, CHA at MIA ($3,900) – It's rare to find a player at this price who can return almost 10X their value. Hibbert almost did that with a 38.3 fantasy point performance Wednesday night at Milwaukee. The key here is the minutes, as Hibbert's 32 allowed him to be on the floor to block five shots. Granted, he'll have a tough matchup against Hassan Whiteside, but given the playing time he'll get, Hibbert is very safe considering the price. Just keep your fingers crossed he stays out of foul trouble.
Clint Capela, HOU at DAL ($4,700) – Capela has taken over the starting center position with Dwight Howard's move to Atlanta. He scored 27.8 fantasy points in his first start Wednesday at the Lakers and has another good matchup against the Mavericks on Friday. Capela doesn't possess a great offensive game but his teammates and athleticism will lead to a lot of dunks and blocked shots this season. It's pretty safe to pencil him in for 4X production tonight with a ceiling much higher than that.
