PG - Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets @ Houston Rockets
Murray has been magnificent at the point for the Nuggets. He’s putting up 22 points on 53 percent shooting with 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists over his last nine games. He stood toe-to-toe with Russell Westbrook in their shootout with the Thunder last week as he finished with 33 points. He could very easily be part of yet another shootout with the Rockets, who just coughed up 30 points to Goran Dragic last time out.
Also consider: Jose Calderon, Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks
Calderon could be in line for some big minutes against the Hawks after Cleveland basically shipped off all of their other point guards. The 36-year-old Spaniard obviously doesn’t offer a ton of upside, but he could yield some decent value given his very low price. He had 14 points and four assists with four 3-pointers against the Hawks in December.
SG - Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans @ Philadelphia 76ers
Holiday has been a very consistent fantasy player, dropping below 32 fantasy points in FanDuel just once over his last 15 games. His floor - and more importantly, his ceiling - should be so much higher tonight as he faces a fast-paced Sixers which has had a lot of trouble against guards this season. Holiday took advantage of that earlier in the season when he dropped 34 points, four boards, five assists, two blocks, two steals, and five 3s against his old team.
Also consider: Alec Burks, Utah Jazz vs Charlotte Hornets
With Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson both gone, Alec Burks will suddenly have a lot more shots available on that Jazz second unit. He figures to be a high-upside play against a Hornets team on the second night of a back-to-back and has struggled defending shooting guards all year.
SF - LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks
With the Cavs potentially down to the bare bones following their very busy trade deadline, LeBron James may have to do it all on his own against the Hawks. He’s obviously capable of doing just that, as he showed when he almost singlehandedly carried the Cavs to victory over the Timberwolves. The King could potentially be in a good mood after getting rid of the bad apples in the locker room, which may lead to another monstrous fantasy night.
Also consider: Taurean Prince/Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
At the same time, though, it’s hard to see James giving any effort whatsoever on defense. That is potentially great news for Prince, who has already had decent success against the Cavs (17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists in three games). Bazemore will also be one to consider because he loves playing against Cleveland for some reason. He’s averaging 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists with 1.3 blocks and 1.7 steals in three meetings against them this season.
PF - Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics
There aren’t too many outstanding power forward options out there tonight, but keep a close eye on Sabonis. The second-year big man has been up-and-down recently, but he will have a decent matchup against a Celtics team on the second night of a back-to-back. Sabonis has burned the Celtics badly both times he’s faced them (17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds).
Also consider: Jeff Green, Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks
Continuing the theme of stocking up on Cavs, Green could turn out to be the biggest beneficiary of the lack of bodies. He’s just about the only other wing other than James who can play heavy minutes and should be able to rack up some big numbers based on sheer playing time alone.
C - Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers @ Sacramento Kings
Nurkic is having quite a start to February. He’s gone 6x his value in FanDuel in three of his first four games. That includes a terrific 24-point, 14-rebound, four-block, two-steal effort against the Hornets last night that would’ve been so much better had it not been for his seven turnovers. Nurkic’s floor is pretty low, but there aren’t a lot of centers who offer 40-point upside at his price range, so it’ll be worth rolling the dice on him against the subpar Kings.
Also consider: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics
Turner has been struggling mightily over his last few games as he continues to be plagued by a sore knee. Fortunately, the Pacers had their most recent game postponed, giving Turner more time to heal up. If his knee is feeling fine and he plays the way he’s capable of, he’s got a chance to far exceed his very affordable price.
What are your fantasy forecasts for tonight? Let us know in the comments below!