RADIO
Most people view Valentine's Day as a day for the lovers - filled with over-priced flowers that die in three days, ridiculously large teddy bears, and boxes of chocolate that go largely uneaten... Most people are wrong.
The true meaning of Valentine's Day extends well beyond cupid, corny movies, or even romance to a degree. And to find this true meaning, one must look no further than the hardwood, as the NBA's All-Star Weekend accompanies this phony holiday on an annual basis. (That's the "to a degree" part of the romance thing. Hoop heads love the NBA, so All-Star Weekend serves as an annually disappointing gift. Something like socks on Christmas. But, I've digressed.)
Before we give ourselves false hope for a worthwhile Dunk Contest overflowing with impressive displays of athleticism and creativity, or an All-Star game which includes more than 24 really tall guys (and Kemba Walker/Kyle Lowry) doing their best rendition of a real-life NBA2K game played against our six-year-old nephew with the difficulty set on rookie, the league has blessed us with three games to hold us over until the meaningful action recommences next Thursday. The three-game slate means the mid-to-lower-priced options are slim for our DraftKings lineups, but here are a few such options who should prove to be valuable lineup fillers. Be sure to check all the NBA starting lineups and player statuses and availability prior to opening tip.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Evan Fournier - SG/SF, vs CHA ($5,500)
Orlando's offense has been fairly balanced over their last 20 games -- with six players averaging double-digit points -- but Fournier has been a pleasant surprise this month putting up 18 points with four rebounds, and four assists across six February contests; scoring at least 28 DraftKings fantasy points in four of the six and at least 20 in each. He's essentially the Honda Civic of tonight's slate - not the most sexy of options, but reasonably priced and tends to provide a solid return on investment more often than not.
Kadeem Allen - PG/SG, at ATL ($4,200)
As a Knicks fan, I wrote off trusting these cats in my DFS lineups long, long ago because you never know what David Fizdale is going to do with the lineup on any given night. Hell, I don't even think he knows. Nonetheless, the Hawks aren't exactly imposing defensively -- Allen should be able to penetrate at will -- and in seeing 28 minutes over the Knicks last three, he leads the team in points (17.3) and assists (5.3) while adding three rebounds and two steals (Atlanta leads the league in turnovers and steals allowed per game).
Obviously, the Knicks as a whole aren't very good at playing basketball. But, they definitely have some talented individuals. It appears that the coaching staff's goal for the season is to identify which of these talented individuals has legit NBA staying power, and it also appears that these showcases of talent, if you will, are being handled in waves with each player being granted his own handful of games to display whether he can actually hoop at the highest level... It's Allen's turn, and I'm riding the wave.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Jonathan Isaac - SF/PF, vs. CHA ($5,800)
Mo Bamba wasn't making any Rookie of the Year conversations, but he was seeing the court for about 16 minutes per game. And prior to his suffering of a fractured tibia, Isaac was averaging just eight points, five rebounds, one assist, and one-twelfth of a block per game in 26 minutes of action.
Now you won't hear me claim that Isaac's feelings were hurt by Orlando's drafting of the eerily similar Bamba in this year's draft. Nor will you hear me claim that he's on a mission to prove that draft pick would've been better served on a Collin Sexton/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander type now that his competition is temporarily removed from the mix and he doesn't have to deal with that pressure. What I will say is that despite seeing just two additional minutes of run since Bamba went down, Isaac's production has jumped to 15 points, six rebounds, and three blocks per game...
It's gotta be the opposition, though. Right? The departure of Jonathan Simmons likely plays a role as well. There's also that part about comparing a 46-game sample to just six. Expound it as you may, but he's been hooping of late, and the Hornets make for an exploitable foe.
John Collins - PF/C, vs. NY ($7,700)
Yeah, I'm stretching the "mid-to-lower-priced options" here. Give me a break; there are only three games. Plus, I may or may not, have a man crush on the short shorts rocking kid. Am I wrong for any of this?
At 3.6 offensive rebounds per game, Collins finds himself eighth in the league. Guess who allows more offensive rebounds per game than all but six teams? Yep, the Knicks. Boards aside, Collins is a beast. Trae Young is the only Hawks player with a higher usage rate, and none of them average more points, rebounds, or fantasy points per game than Collins. Oh, and his 57.8 field goal percentage? Yeah, that's good for sixth-best among players attempting at least 10 shots per game this season.
... The Knicks are also trash.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Cody Zeller - C, at ORL ($4,800)
Tyler Zeller is one of the most recent NBA players to fall off the face of the Earth, never to be heard from again. But his brother, Cody, well Cody recently returned to the Hornets lineup after missing 16 games with a fractured middle finger, and suffice it to say, he's been making up for lost time.
With 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 29.1 DraftKings fantasy points per game, Zeller has proven to be a bouquet of roses on the day after Valentine's Day type value for DFS players in the four games since his return. And, while his price is steadily on the rise, he still finds himself on the clearance rack tonight at just $4,800.
A matchup with Nikola Vucevic and the Magic isn't the most favorable of draws, but he put up 14 points and six rebounds in three quarters the last time these two faced off (before leaving with the aforementioned fractured finger), and seeing how Bismack Biyombo, Frank Kaminsky, and Willy Hernangomez have combined for under 18 minutes per game since his return, it's pretty clear that he is the big man in Charlotte when healthy. He's likely to fall into production by default.
