A few of y’all have told me you’ve been winning some money. Good. Don’t buy Yeezys or some dumb shit. Let’s keep the good vibes going early into the New Year. We start in Philadelphia, a place that Carson Wentz will be leaving soon.
Elites
👍 Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers
Yahoo: $46
DraftKings: $9,900
FanDuel: $9,900
Embiid’s off to one of the best starts of his career, and it’s reflective in his fantasy output so far this season. The 7-foot Sixer is averaging 25 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks and will face the Charlotte Hornets and Bismack Biyombo, a favorable match-up for someone of Embiid’s caliber. If he stays out of foul trouble, expect another helpful performance. Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic, and Bam Adebayo are all slightly cheaper options at center, and while all are intriguing, Embiid probably has the highest upside tonight. All other guys are great, though.
👎 Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks
Yahoo: $45
DraftKings: $9,800
FanDuel: $9,400
Generally, Young is an incredible fantasy player and will be nearly impossible to bet against all season. He’s also playing the Knicks, which isn’t unfavorable on the surface. The Knicks have actually been respectable through six games, and as far as elite point guards go, Luka Doncic is more expensive but more reliable (if active from his quad injury). Steph Curry will be hard to oppose coming off 62 points. Ben Simmons is a nightly triple-double threat who also accumulates defensive stats. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a middle-tier option for those who want to splurge elsewhere. SGA faces the Miami Heat, who’ve had trouble with scoring point guards in recent years. And also, this guy …
Sleepers
👍 Malcolm Brogdon, PG, Indiana Pacers
Yahoo: $34
DraftKings: $7,900
FanDuel: $7,800
Brogdon’s been consistently one of the better point-guard options so far this season who is capable of going off on any given night. Even in an embarrassing Pacers loss to the Knicks on January 7, Brogdon finished with 33 points and seven assists. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals so far this season and hasn’t had a blunder yet. Against the Pelicans tonight, and even against Lonzo Ball, that shouldn’t stop. Brogdon gave Marcus Smart and the Celtics all they could handle in two straight games, and he’s been as consistent as they come. But if the Pels defense scares you, consider Markelle Fultz against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Goran Dragic versus Oklahoma City, R.J. Barrett against the Atlanta Hawks, and Brogdon’s teammate Victor Oladipo.
Fuck it
Jerami Grant, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons
Yahoo: $25
DraftKings: $6,900
FanDuel: $7,300
Admittedly not the most reliable option at small forward in his range, and he has a tough match-up against the Bucks, but Detroit is just doing whatever. Fuckin whatever. 23.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for Grant, who is the best player on what will be a putrid Pistons team this season. He’s a product of “Someone gotta get these buckets,” making him an attractive fantasy play so far. Won’t blame you if you opt for OG Anunoby, Miles Bridges, or Tobias Harris, though.
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