With a full slate of games on the docket for tonight, including the featured matchup of the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid is a must when it comes to DFS plays for tonight. While there are many other valuable options at center, Embiid should have a huge game tonight and is well worth the cost.
DFS Plays for 11/25: Joel Embiid
Point Guards
Marcus Smart – $6,400
With Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker being a game-time decision after the scary collision he had against the Denver Nuggets, Marcus Smart is a valuable commodity in DFS tonight. Smart is always going to be a fantastic defensive player but he has quietly become very solid on the offensive end. On the season, Smart is averaging 12.3 points, 5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per night which has yielded a 28.34 fantasy point per game average.
If Walker does indeed miss tonight’s contest, Smart will see an uptick in usage. Walker’s status is worth tracking heading into Boston’s game this evening.
Markelle Fultz – $5,000
With the struggles of the Orlando Magic’s D.J. Augustin, Markelle Fultz is seeing an uptick in minutes. With the injuries suffered by All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, his usage is also seeing an increase. On the season, Fultz is averaging 10.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game.
Fultz has been in double figures in each of the last three games for the Magic. Playing against the Detroit Pistons tonight, who rank near the bottom of the NBA in every team defensive statistic, should allow for Fultz to have another solid night.
Shooting Guards
Spencer Dinwiddie – $7,800
Brooklyn Nets combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been excellent since filling in for the injured Kyrie Irving. Combine his uptick in usage and minutes with the fact that they are playing the defensively inept Cleveland Cavaliers tonight and you have a recipe for success.
Dinwiddie has started the last five games for Brooklyn. In those five games, he has averaged 25 points, 6.2 assists, and 3 rebounds, which has yielded a 40.7 fantasy point per game average in that same stretch. He is well worth the $7,800 salary tonight.
DeAndre’ Bembry – $4,600
Like quite a few NBA teams in the early stages of this season, the Atlanta Hawks have been hit hard by the injury bug. Rookie wing Cam Reddish and second-year guard Kevin Huerter are both battling injuries which will open a lot of minutes up for DeAndre’ Bembry.
Like with the Smart play at point guard, the status of Reddish will have to be monitored. If he is going to miss another game, Bembry is a no brainer play tonight. He has started the last two games and averaged 16.5 points, 5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds for a fantasy average of 38.4 points in that stretch.
Small Forwards
Pascal Siakam – $9,300
Is it possible for the reigning NBA Most Improved Player to win the award again? Pascal Siakam has been unbelievably good this season and he is the main reason the Raptors are still one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference despite all of the injuries and the departure of Kawhi Leonard.
Siakam has a bit of a tough matchup against the long and athletic 76ers, however, he has been too productive to pass up for $9,300. On the season, Siakam is averaging 25.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. His usage and minutes are going to be high so the opportunity will be there for him. He has averaged 43.66 fantasy points per game this season.
Cedi Osman – $3,800
Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, third-year small forward Cedi Osman hasn’t taken the leap they had hoped for so far this season. He is a risky play but for $3,800, he is worth the risk, especially considering his last two outings.
For much of the season, Osman has stood in the corner on the offensive end of the floor. Over the last two games, he has found his point-forward skills that made him look like he could be a solid NBA starter. Throughout the last two games for Osman, he has averaged 11.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists and has put up fantasy outputs of 29.3 and 28.9, respectively.
Power Forwards
Domantas Sabonis – $8,900
The Indiana Pacers made an incredibly wise move when they extended Domantas Sabonis just prior to this season to avoid his restricted free agency. Sabonis has been otherworldly this season and is making a legitimate case for an All-Star appearance. Not only does he score at a very efficient clip, but he is one of the best rebounders in the NBA, and one of the best passing big men in the NBA.
With Victor Oladipo still recovering from an injury he sustained last season, Sabonis has taken over the role of number one option and has led the Pacers to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference to this point. On the season he is averaging 19.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. From a DFS perspective, he is averaging 41.48 fantasy points per game.
Omari Spellman – $3,700
Like Osman, Omari Spellman is a very risky play. But at $3,700 that should be expected. With all of the injuries, the Golden State Warriors have sustained early in the season, Spellman is getting quite a few minutes per night. He has played 28 minutes in each of the last two contests and averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in those contests. He had 20.7 and 24.5 fantasy points in those two games.
The most eye-opening thing in regards to the selection of Spellman tonight is the fact that they are playing the Oklahoma City Thunder. In their last contest with the Thunder, Spellman had his highest fantasy output of the season at 34.4 points.
Centers
Joel Embiid – $10,200
The most expensive play of the night, but also one of the best players in the entire league from a real-life standpoint and a fantasy standpoint. Although the 76ers employ Ben Simmons, Embiid is their number one option on the offensive end. However, he is not just an offensive weapon. Embiid is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA and will provide value from a defensive standpoint as he is averaging 1.4 blocks and 1 steal per night.
He will likely play more than the 29 minutes he is averaging so far this season, especially if the game is as close as it is expected to be. Embiid is averaging 22.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. From a fantasy perspective, he is averaging 45.58 fantasy points per game.
Andre Drummond – $9,800
Although his fantasy output has come down a little since the return of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond is still a very solid play and will return very good value. Drummond currently leads the NBA at an incredible 16.7 rebounds per game, including 4.6 on the offensive end. He is also averaging a, to this point in the season, career-high 18.5 points.
The Pistons don’t run a lot of action for Drummond, especially with Griffin back, however, he will still provide a really good return on investment due to all of the rebounds he will gobble up and the easy lobs and putbacks he’ll get. On the season, Drummond is averaging 49.81 fantasy points per game.
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