There are five games on tap for tonight’s DFS NBA slate and Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Devin Booker, Josh Giddey and OG Anunoby are some of the players who won’t be part of tonight’s action. Our late-night hammer of San Antonio/Portland has the highest sports-book total on the board at 216. Right behind them is Milwaukee/Toronto at 215. Here’s tonight’s DFS NBA Starting-5
PG: Chris Paul: Devin Booker being off the floor gives Paul an over four percent usage bump and even though tonight’s matchup against Detroit is a pace-down spot for the Suns, Booker being out gives Paul more shots and time with the ball thus a safer production floor. The Pistons rank 27th in the league at defending point guards and Paul has posted 3 double-doubles in his last 4 games. He’s coming off of a five-steal game and he’s actually swiped 2.1 balls per game this season. He’s even grabbed six or more boards in his last two outings. He’s dishing over 10 dimes per game. This four-category production we’ve been seeing makes him a safer option even though the Suns are still favored by 12 points with no Booker. He’s shot 50 percent from the field or better in 5 of his last 6 outings and he should easily take double-digit shots tonight.
SG: CJ McCollum: The Blazers are banged up and their prioritized scorer Lillard is on the shelf and Nassir Little will also be out for this game. The Blazers will likely be without Norman Powell as well. With Lillard and Little out, McCollum’s usage rate rises to 32.4 percent. The Spurs rank 18th at defending shooting guards and McCollum should once again play between 35-40 minutes tonight. He’s scoring over 20 actual points per game for the season and he’s taken 20 or more shots in 2 of his last 4 battles. He contributes at least four boards and four dimes per contest. He’s dished six dimes in three of his last four games. The pace works in McCollum and the Blazers favor tonight and he’s been shooting over 36 percent from downtown in 5 of his last 6 games. He’ll be the top scoring option for Portland until Lillard returns.
SF: Scottie Barnes: Since the start of the season Barnes has shown why he’s going to be a contender for Rookie Of The Year in the NBA when all is said and done. He’s a blue-collar player who will always dive for the loose ball and relentlessly fight in the lane to cause turnovers. The guy has grabbed over eight boards per contest. Barnes has scored 17-plus points in each of his last 4 games and he’s even dishing 3.3 assists per outing. His defensive efforts should keep his minutes high even when the Raptors frontcourt is eventually at full strength. Barnes has grabbed multiple steals in four of his last five games and he’s blocked six shots total in his last 3 outings. Tonight presents a giant pace boost for Toronto and let’s not forget that Milwaukee played last night and fatigue could also be a factor. He’s taken 16 shots in both of his last 2 contests and has shot 50 percent from the floor or better in 3 of his last 4 contests.
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.: As intimidated as I am about the foul trouble he gets in, Jackson is in a prime spot tonight where he doesn’t necessarily need 30-plus minutes to hit value, but with Ja Morant out, Jackson should see a lot more action on the floor. His usage bumps up 6.7 percent with no Morant and he’s exceeded his scoring average of 15.4 points per game in 4 of his last 5 contests. He’s grabbed six or more boards in three of his last five and swats away 2.1 shots per game. He’s taken 13 or more shots from the floor in four of his last five battles. The Thunder are also at the bottom of the league when it comes to effective defense versus Power Forwards. Their frontcourt defense has been virtually non-existent. The minutes and shots will be there with the only fear being that he picks up a few fouls early and it limits his minutes, but with a five-game slate and Morant being sidelined, it’s worth the risk tonight. The matchup itself is too good to pass up.
C: Jusuf Nurkic: We’re going back to Nurkic again in an even better matchup because the Spurs are the other weakest team in the league at defending big men and Nurkic should eat up Jakob Poeltl tonight. Lillard being out and the Blazers mid-court being banged up should benefit Nurkic and the Blazers should continuously feed him in the post. He’s scored 13 or more points in four straight battles with 2 of them being a 28 and 24-point game. Nurkic is pulling down 10.8 rebounds per game and he’s stolen the ball in 6 of his last 7 contests. He should take 10-12 shots this evening and between the strong matchup, the favorable pace heading in for the Blazers and Lillard being out, it sets Nurkic up nicely to have a big performance. He’s shot 60 percent or better from the field in each of his last 4 games.