Wow, what a high scoring fantasy night on Wednesday. It took some big DFS scores to pull down GPPs and even cash in 50/50s and Double ups. As a result, there were a lot of players that fared well including my list of 10.
Friday night in the Association features a 10-game slate of action with a ton of strong high-priced options to choose from. However, it feels like a “balanced” lineup night after doing my preliminary research. Of course, that can change in an instant with injury news throughout the day so as always be sure to watch for late-breaking news and adjust accordingly. The NBA Hot Sheet is free again today but will be part of the Premium Content starting next week.
The grid below is a snapshot of today’s slate that shows the overall rating for each position for each team. The numbers highlighted in red are in the top 25% of their position for the slate and indicate good plays. Meanwhile, the numbers highlighted in blue are in the bottom 25% of their respective position for the slate and are positions to avoid. To get a full rundown of the stats behind the ratings, check out my first NBA Hot Sheet article of the season.
Hot Sheet for October 20th
Droppin’ Dimes
Kevin Durant (GS) – Durant is a “value” stud tonight. He had a solid first game of the season but I expect him to have his way with the Pelicans in a high scoring affair on Friday. Durant averaged 23.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in four games against the Pelicans last season.
Kemba Walker (CHA) – Walker was very efficient the first game of the season scoring 24 points on only 13 shot attempts (plus 13 free throw attempts) his shot volume should increase tonight and if he can keep the efficiency in a favorable matchup against the Hawks he could be on his way to a big scoring night.
Eric Bledsoe (PHO) – Bledsoe was limited to 15 points in just 29 minutes in the opener as the Suns were blown out by the Blazers. Look for a close game tonight with the Suns hosting the Lakers, which will bump Bledsoe’s minutes back up into the mid-30s. The Lakers do have some new faces but they were torched by PGs last season giving up the highest FG% and assists to the position. He could get a further bump in minutes if Tyler Ulis is out.
CJ McCollum (POR) – McCollum served his one-game suspension and should be all set to make a splash in his season debut on Friday. Damian Lillard had a big game on Wednesday and it seems like the dynamic backcourt often trades off big games. McCollum is also in a great spot to succeed against a Pacers’ team that played at a very fast pace in their opener in a game that should be close and has the highest Vegas totals on the slate.
Aaron Gordon (ORL) – Watch the injury report to ensure that Gordon (ankle) is ready to play tonight. If he does not play then pivot to Nikola Vucevic. If Gordon is a go then fire him into your DFS lineups in a juicy matchup against the Nets. The Nets allowed the second most points and third most rebounds to PFs last season.
Dwight Howard (CHA) – Looking at the C rating for the Hornets it doesn’t look like a good matchup for Howard but since we are early in the season and the numbers still reflect last year we have to take into account that Howard was on the Hawks (tonight’s opponent) last season. Not sure if Howard will have “revenge” on his mind but he does have a solid matchup and is largely responsible for why the Hawks’ C is “red”.
Kris Middleton (MIL) – I recommended Middleton on Wednesday and he came through with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He will continue to be the second option on a Giannis Antetikounmpo-led offense which fits just fine with Middleton’s skill set. The Cavaliers gave up a lot of three to SG/SF last season so it could be bombs away for Middleton tonight at a reasonable price.
Robert Covington (PHI) – Matching up the Sixers players to the positions on the grid is challenging now that Ben Simmons is the starting PF but plays PG. I’d argue that Covington is more of the PF on this team right now and as such as a good matchup against a Celtics’ team that gave up the sixth most points and rebounds to the position last year. Covington is coming off a big 29-point game in the opener and will continue to get open looks with Simmons and Joel Embiid drawing all the attention.
Richard Hollis-Jefferson (BKN) – Hollis-Jefferson moved to PF late last season and will start there this year for the Nets. He put together a solid game in the opener with 14 points but only grabbed four boards. Look for him to be more aggressive on the glass tonight as he patrols the paint against the Magic bigs.
Malcolm Brogdon (MIL) – Brogdon is my favorite value option on the slate tonight even though he is “off the grid” per se. He played 41 minutes in the Bucks season-opening win over the Celtics and delivered 19 points and four assists. He should get big minutes again on Friday and has a favorable matchup against Derrick Rose.
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