Slate Breaker: FD NBA DFS 10/27

Guards

Play of the Day: Paul George, Clippers (@ Jazz)

Paul George looked like he was in midseason form shooting 11 for 17 from the field and tacking on 6 assists and 3 steals. The Clippers made it obvious that they want to make George the focal point in the offense after he attempted the most shots for the team. The Jazz just got burnt by the Kings for 130 points and allowed Harrison Barnes to do anything he wanted so the Clippers and George should have zero issues dominating this team.

Top Shelf ($8K+)

Luka Doncic. Mavs (vs Nets)

All those preseason injury concerns were obviously overblown. Luka stepped right into the opening day lineup and looked fantastic. He was his usual productive self on the offensive side of the ball, but he also showed some decent defensive skills by chipping in 2 steals. Doncic is the most likely player to finish with the most FD points scored on this slate so he is worth his slate high price.

Cade Cunningham. Pistons (@ Hornets)

Cunningham looks primed to make the jump into elitedom. He showed out in the season opener scoring 30 points and contributing 9 assists. This was his first game in nearly a year and he did not look rusty at all so as the season goes on he should only build off of this performance and continue to impress. The most promising aspect of his season debut was his success from beyond the arc. After shooting just 31% from beyond the arc in his first two seasons, Cade turned some heads by going 4/9 from deep shooting 44%. Cunningham's 3 point inefficiency was the biggest hole in his game going into his third year so if he has fixed that aspect of his game, the former top pick looks to be living up to his billing.

Mid Range ($6K-8K)

Ben Simmons, Nets (@ Mavs)

We are in dangerous waters with this one. I do not think Ben Simmons is a particularly good NBA player, but he is good at defense and rebounding. With Nic Claxton out, you basically have the ability to put a center in your PG slot. Simmons already had 10 boards while sharing the court with Claxton so now that he is the team's top rebounder, his floor is very strong. Simmons will most likely score less than 5 points but his secondary stats are enough to carry him to fantasy relevance.

Dennis Schroder, Raptors (@ Bulls)

Schroder debuted with the Raptors on Wednesday and looked fantastic. He has 22 points and 7 assists, numbers we have not seen out of Schroder on a consistent basis in some time. Is this production actually sustainable? For the time being, it does look like he can keep it up. His usage was elite as he worked as both a facilitator and the team's top scorer putting up the most shots in this one. With Fred VanVleet is Houston, a lot of work was left up for grabs in the Raptor backcourt and it looks like Schroder will absorb most if not all of it. 

Clearance Shelf (Under $6K)

Coby White, Bulls (vs Raptors)

White got 30 minutes in the opener! White's minutes are his most important stat to monitor. When he is out on the court, he is productive. But the Bulls have not trusted him to handle a starter's workload in years past. If White continues to run this offense, he will make a great play as long as his price remains under $6K.

Kevin Huerter, Kings (@ Warriors)

Huerter disappointed with just 15 FD points in the season opener. The poor performance came as a result of poor shooting. He shot just 33% from the field, but he is much better than a 33% shooter. The good news is that Huerter's poor performance led to a huge price decrease as he is priced just $4,600. Huerter averaged 26.4 FD points last season so expect positive regression in game 2 and he should be able to easily hit 5X value.

Forwards

Play of the Day: Evan Mobley, Cavs (vs Thunder)

Mobley disappointed in game 1, but that was a fluke. Blow up games from players like Isaac Okoro and Max Strus sapped a lot of usage and production away from Mobley. That trend will not last long since Mobley is the second best player on this team and is too good to be held in check for a prolonged period of time. In a matchup against the Thunder, Mobley should not just succeed but thrive. The Thunder struggled containing big men all year last season and do not look any better with the small framed Holmgren patrolling the paint. 

Top Shelf ($8K+)

Desmond Bane, Grizzlies (vs Nuggets)

The Grizzlies are allowing Bane to pull from deep whenever he wants and why wouldn't they when he shoots 50% from beyond the arc. Bane exploded for 31 points in the season opener on the back of a stellar shooting performance. With Morant out and Jones gone, this is Bane's offense to run and the Grizzlies like to keep a fast pace so the top option on one of the league's better offenses should result in consistent fantasy production so play him on his usage alone because as long as he is not ice cold from the field, he will deliver a strong fantasy day.

Lauri Markkanen. Jazz (vs Clippers)

Markkanen struggled by his lofty standards as he shot just 40% from the field. He still scored 37.5 FD points so he did not completely disappoint fantasy owners. His plus rebounding and decent defense gives him a fantasy edge to sustain solid production even if his shot is lacking, but do not worry since his shot is rarely lacking. Expect Markkanen to shoot better in game 2 and score well above 40 FD points.

Mid Range ($6K-8K)

Jaylen Brown, Celtics (vs Heat)

Brown's role looks to be in flux right now. The addition of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps has sapped some usage away from Brown. He still put up 11 shots though, so there still is plenty of opportunity for Brown to deliver serviceable fantasy value. Brown's lackluster game 1 led to a drop in price so he is now just $6,900. This price is far too low for a player of Brown's caliber so it is only a matter of time until Brown delivers an explosive performance and easily passes 6X value.

Cameron Johnson, Nets (@ Mavs)

The 3 ball makes or breaks Johnson's fantasy value. Johnson only attempted 4 shots in the season opener. After averaging 6.2 3 point attempts after being acquired by the Nets last season, Johnson will surely throw up more deep balls in game 2 so his scoring should see a big jump. Nic Claxton's absence should lead to a couple more rebounds for Johnson so he should be able to produce a solid, diverse stat line in his second game of the year. 

Clearance Shelf (Under $6K)

De'Andre Hunter, Hawks (vs Knicks)

Hunter is too involved in this potent Hawks offense to be this cheap. The Hawks scored the 3rd most points per game last season so there is plenty of fantasy production to go around on this team. Hunter is the third option on this offense at worst so for a team that will likely score more than 115 points, Hunter will get enough work to easily top 25 FD points and crush value so play him with confidence. 

Ziaire Williams. Grizzlies (vs Nuggets)

Williams was just not good in the season opener. He was a ghost out there grabbing just 4 boards and only attempting 7 shots. The good news is that Williams started and saw 29 minutes. When Williams was given an extended run a year ago, he succeeded. He averaged 23 FD points in his starts last season which is very strong production for someone priced under $10K.

Centers

Play of the Day: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (vs Rockets)

Wemby's debut was marred by foul trouble, but he was still productive. In just 23 minutes, Wemby still produced 28 FD points. If he can avoid getting in foul trouble again, he is in line to be one of the top values on the slate. He is playing a Rocket team that is a much more favorable matchup than the Mavericks. If he ends up playing more than 30 minutes, Wemby should be able to easily score more than 40 FD points and crush value.

Top Shelf ($8K+)

Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (vs Nuggets)

JJJ disappointed in the season opener. He was horrible from the field shooting just 22% and 0 for 5 from deep. He also struggled to collect rebounds only compiling 5 thanks to an insane game from Xavier Tillman. All these struggles are just things that will correct themself. JJJ is a 47% career shooter and he averaged 7 rebounds last year so expect a lot of positive regression from the big man in game 2.

Mid Range ($6K-8K)

Isaiah Stewart, Pistons (@ Hornets)

Stewart looks to be the big man who has risen above all the Pistons big men. He saw the second most minutes on the team and turned that increased opportunity into solid production. He led the team in rebounding with 14 and also chipped in decent offense scoring 14 resulting in 32.8 FD points. His solid outing came with minimal defensive production and he is a plus defender so he could put up an even better numbers if he can put it all together. Expect a strong performance in game 2 against a Hornet team that plays fast and struggles to rebound.

Clearance Shelf (Under $6K)

Dario Saric. Warriors (@ Kings)

Saric is playing a solid role off the bench. He saw 20 minutes and provided adequate scoring, rebounding and defense. The Warriors have a lack of depth in their front court with Draymond Green out so the more Saric succeeds the more his minutes will increase. Saric does not need a lot of production to hit 5X value so he is a relatively safe and cheap option given his solid rebounding and defensive floor.

Dream Team

PG: Cade Cunningham, Pistons (@ Hornets)

PG: Ben Simmons, Nets (@ Mavs)

SG: Paul George, Clippers (@ Jazz)

SG: Kevin Huerter, Kings (vs Warriors)

SF: De'Andre Hunter, Hawks (vs Knicks)

SF: Ziaire Williams, Grizzlies (vs Nuggets)

PF: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (vs Nuggets)

PF: Evan Mobley, Cavs (vs Thunder)

C: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (vs Rockets)

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