That slate is the best one since the All-Star break. I think most Fanduel players would rather build lineups from this size slate of games. It the perfect balance between having enough players to create diversity in lineups, but not so big that you’re not sure where to start.

The blog today will include all the games, including the 3 early games. I realize a lot of Fanduel players don’t play the early games because your lineup gets locked before you have injury updates on late games. So to accommodate those only playing the late slate, I’m going to feature more players than normal in my Dunks and Passes segment. So let’s get started.

TODAY’S TOP 10 PLAYS

10) SF Robert Covington $6300 Covington had an off game versus the Pacers the other night, but the Pacers are a good defensive team that likes to slow down the pace of the game to a crawl. They are also top 5 in defending the small forward position, so his bad game can be tossed out, it happens. One good thing came out of his bad game though, Fanduel lowered his price tag slightly. His baseline is at 28 and with the Orlando Magic on the slate, a team not known for defense, and second to last in defense of the SF position, they are basically the opposite of the Pacers. He should meet and exceed his 28 Fanduel Point goal.

9) PF Serge Ibaka $7100 This spot for Ibaka is assuming Durant sits out again, which isn’t a sure thing, so check injury reports. Overall Ibaka has had a bad season in terms of on the court and fantasy production. He has been extremely inconsistent unless Durant sits out, as he did last night, and Ibaka responded with 44 Fanduel Points. The Nuggets are second to last on the season versus the power forward position, and with the pace at which both these teams play, there should be plenty of opportunities for Ibaka to shine.

8) PF Greg Monroe $7700 I struggled with this pick as he isn’t exactly the model of consistency, and Washington plays top 2 defense versus the power forward position. So why did I put him at 8? This is more of a gut feeling than anything. Living in the DC area, I can tell you the Wizards right now are not a very good defensive team, despite what the numbers say. So that’s not really a strong case for why he is at 8, but I’m putting him here anyway. It’s my Top Ten, I’ll do what I want.

7) SG Victor Oladipo $6900 Game in and game out, you pretty much know what you’re going to get from Oladipo. 25-35 Fanduel Points night in and night out. Orlando isn’t good enough to blow the 76ers out, and the 76ers won’t be able to stop Oladipo, the result will end up being Oladipo with the higher end of his range. 35 Fanduel Points sounds about right. Not flashy. Just consistent.

6) PG Ty Lawson $8400 So he was benched because he missed a practice due to missing a flight, right. Sounds like a guy that thought he was going to get traded, and then wasn’t, and was either pissed they weren’t able to trade him, or pissed cause they were trying to trade him. Either way, he is back with the team, and is expected to play versus the Thunder, and I expect him to come out and play big. He put up 60 Fanduel Points in his last game before the All-Star break, granted it was the Lakers, but 60 Fanduel Points is 60 Fanduel Points. The Thunder aren’t horrible at defending points guards, but they aren’t great either. Expect Lawson to come out with a “show out” game after his benching.

5) C Al Jefferson $8300 Jefferson might be a little over-priced for his production of late. His baseline is at 37.5, a number he has reached only 4 times over his last 10. Dallas isn’t bad at defending the center position either, checking in at the middle of the pack. So why 5? Well, there is one telling stat about his opponent that puts him at number 5. They are dead last at giving up rebounds to PF and centers for the season. I expect a huge rebounding number from Jefferson tonight. I’m predicting 15 points 18 boards, add a block or 2 and an assist and he will reach and exceed his baseline.

4) PG Steph Curry $10200 What a game Curry had the other night. Wish I had him in more lineups. This is a tough matchup versus the Pacers, but come on, it’s Steph Curry. The good thing about Curry is, he doesn’t have to score to get you Fanduel Points. He gets assists, steals, and he even rebounds well for a small PG. I’m expecting another big 50+ Fanduel Point night from him.

3) PF Andre Drummond $8700 I like both big men from Detroit tonight. Wizards have been struggling defensively lately, so despite the overall defensive numbers for the Wizards, I’m expecting the Pistons to dominate the paint and I expect Drummond to get a solid Double double.

2) C Nikola Vucevic $8600 This marks the first time he has ever cracked my Top Ten, and he lands at number 2 overall. Typically a very inconsistent player, which is why I avoid him, but with a tasty matchup with the 76ers, I can’t pass it up. The 76er’s are dead last in defense of the center position, and third from the bottom in giving up rebounds to centers. That spells big game from Vucevic tonight.

1) PF Russell Westbrook $11000 Was there any question? With or without Durant, Westbrook is unstoppable. His $11000 price tag is kind of tough to fit in to a lineup on small slates, but today there is plenty of cheap value to be had, as you’ll see in my Dunks for the night. Anything less than 50 Fanduel Points and its a disappointment.

That’s my Top Ten for tonight. Next up will be my Dunks and Passes, which I’ll briefly explain again. I’ve recently been gaining a lot more readers, so just so they know what a Dunk and a Pass is. A Dunk is a basically a value guy, and one that I feel is worth starting. A Pass is the opposite. It’s a top-tier or second tier guy that I’m passing on for different reasons.

Now that that’s out-of-the-way, tonight’s Dunks and Passes is massive, so in the effort of saving time, I’m just going to give a small narrative on each one. I won’t get into too much depth. So let’s get started.

 DUNKS

• PG Elfrid Payton $6000 Great matchup and has been playing well lately.

• PG Jordan Clarkson $5100 Won’t give you much, but enough to hit his baseline, and he is cheap with a good matchup.

• PG Marcus Smart $5500 A little risky with Isaiah Thomas in town now, but I still think he gets the minutes for now.

• SG Avery Bradley $5500 Good matchup, and should see the minutes despite the crowed back court, proven scorer.

• SF Gerald Henderson $5700 Continues to impress, despite an off game versus OKC, he is one of their few scoring options.

• C Ed Davis $6000 His production has slowly increased, but his price hasn’t caught up yet. Good Matchup

• C Jusuf Nurkic $5600 Had 38 versus them last time, great value.

• PF Jordan Hill $5800 Will easily get double-digit rebounds, and flirt with a double double.

• SF Luc Richard Mbah a Monte $5000 Great production in his last 2 games versus good defenses. Orlando isn’t a good defense.

• PG Langston Galloway $5400 The Knicks will get blown out and they have no one else to score. Junk time anyone?

• SG Tim Hardaway Jr. $4600 Copy/Paste, The Knicks will get blown out and they have no one else to score. Junk time anyone?

Passes

•  PG Damien Lillard $8400 Tough matchup and a string of bad games.

• PG DJ Augustine $7200 Unsure of his role with his new team?

• SG Klay Thompson $7100 All he does is score, and needs a fast pace to get his points, Pacers slow everything down to a crawl.

• PG John Wall $9100 His recent play doesn’t justify his salary.

• SF LeBron James $10500 Say what?? Knicks will get blown out, and James takes a day off.

• PF Kevin Love $8200 Still way over priced and I can’t trust him to stay on the court.

Lineup will be out later today. I release updates through my social media. So you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TODAY’S STARTING 9(all day slate)

TODAY’S STARTING 9(6pm slate)

Good Luck Today. After last nights debacle, I need some tonight.

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