Thursday night in the Association may only be a four-game slate but there are plenty of strong options from high-priced studs to cheap value plays. There is also, of course, injury news to monitor leading up to tip-off, Kyrie Irving in particular and the expected return of James Harden. Today’s NBA Hot Sheet is FREE, enjoy!
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 the positions that are in the top 25% of their position for the slate and indicate good plays. Meanwhile, the numbers highlighted in blue are the positions that are in the bottom 25% of their respective position for the slate and are positions to avoid.
Hot Sheet for January 18th
Droppin’ Dimes
LeBron James (CLE) – James and the Cavs are in need of a good game and a win so I expect James to dominate the ball in a favorable matchup against the Magic who have allowed the 2nd most points, most rebounds and 7th most assists to opposing SFs this season. I smell a triple-double.
Jimmy Butler (MIN) – Butler has scored at least 21 points in eight of his last 10 games and gets an up-tempo matchup with the Rockets on Thursday. The Rockets have allowed opposing SGs to score the 2nd most points and grab the 8th most rebounds this season.
Victor Oladipo (IND) – Oladipo is the focal point of the Pacers offense and will need a big game in Portland against a Blazers’ team that is most vulnerable to wing players allowing 5th most points to opposing SGs over their last five games.
Aaron Gordon (ORL) – Gordon produced 30 points and eight board in his previous meeting with the Cavaliers this season. The Cavs have allowed the 4th most points and most rebounds to opposing PFs over their last five games. I know rostering Gordan can be a roller coaster ride but I expect him to ascend to the top tonight.
Al Horford (BOS) – While I don’t have confirmation prior to writing this article, my guess is that Kyrie Irving sits out Thursday’s game against the Sixers. If that happens Horford moves from a decent play to a great one as he sees a hefty 5% usage increase with Irving off the court. If Irving does play then consider pivoting off Horford either down to Bismack Biyombo or up to Joel Embiid.
Isaiah Thomas (CLE) – Thomas played the Magic in his first game back and put up 17 points in just 19 minutes. He topped 30 minutes for the first time in his previous game, so if he gets that much run again on Thursday, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thomas score at least 25 points while chipping in a few assists to exceed value for his reasonably priced salary.
Evan Fournier (ORL) – Fournier is coming off a 32-point effort that saw him shoot over 50% from the field and three-point range against the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Look for him to keep his hot streak going against the Cavaliers who have allowed the 7th highest FG% and highest 3pt% to opposing SGs over the last five games.
Terry Rozier (BOS) – As I said in my Horford write-up, I am anticipating that Irving misses the game tonight. If he does then Rozier should step into a starting role and log 30+ minutes against the Sixers. The Sixers have allowed the 5th most points to opposing PGs this season.
TJ McConnell (PHI) – With JJ Redick out, I expect McConnell to be one of the main beneficiaries. He has already been playing 26+ minutes in each of the last three games including averages of 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals over his last two games. Jerryd Bayless and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will also see some extra minutes and could be worth a flier.
PJ Tucker/Luc Mbah a Moute (HOU) – Following the kerfuffle between the Rockets and Clippers on Monday, Gerald Green and Trevor Ariza have been suspended and will miss Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves. This opens the door for both Tucker and Mbah a Moute to see an increase in minutes. Mbah a Moute will draw the start and is my preferred option between to two players but I’m not against plugging them both into your DFS lineup so you can get a couple high-priced studs.
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