NBA Winners From Downtown: 2-20-16

Winners From Downtown is bringing the top daily picks for your cash games, alongside some value plays, and Vegas notes. Be sure to check out our minutes tool, and Colossus lineup optimizer.

Projections show DraftKings prices and fantasy points.

Vegas Notes

- Due to a rescheduled game, please remember Washington is on their third game in a row. They have the lowest team total on the night.

- Warriors-Clippers is the top scoring game tonight, sitting with a 223 total. There is plenty of value tonight, brought to you by the Miami Heat, to fit big names from that game in.

- Knicks-Wolves and Bucks-Hawks both sit with totals over 205, and are fine games to target.

Top Picks

Salary: FD: $10,000 DK: $9,400

Golden State has been torched in the last ten games by point guards, allowing the fourth most fantasy points per game. Chris Paul has a 29.4% usage rate without Blake Griffin this season, and is averaging 21-4-10 in that span as well. He is a small discount from Curry tonight, making him my preference over the two tonight. Paul has averaged 29-3-8 against Golden State in two games this season, shooting an impressive 59% from the field. He is an easy fit at point guard tonight.

Salary: FD: $7,700 DK: $7,200

Shooting guard is very weak tonight, and on a four game slate, that is pretty much expected. Khris Middleton is the safest call to make, and you can pair him with a cheap SG to round out value here. Atlanta has allowed the 10th most fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards in the last ten, and Middleton's minutes are unmatched by any SG tonight. He is averaging 36 per game this season, and 38.3 this month. Plenty of value to work in one stud at each position tonight, and Middleton is your guy. He is averaging 19-5-4, with 2.2 steals per game in the last ten.

Salary: FD: $9,100 DK: $8,600

On a small slate like tonight's, Carmelo is just the top play here by default. He is the safest high floor player at this position, but you have to pay for it. In the last ten games, Melo has averaged 20-8-5, and gets a decent matchup against Minnesota. They allow an average amount of fantasy points per game, but allow the 5th highest FG%, and rank 23rd in opposing points per game. Melo's high usage and shot attempts will outweigh the average matchup tonight, as he usually finishes as the Knicks' top scorer. I know Melo is not the sexy option when a Warriors-Clippers game is on, but he is the safest one at this spot.

Salary: FD: $6,500 DK: $6,700

If you have the extra cash, Paul Millsap is a fine play at power forward tonight. I like the idea of combining the two on FanDuel. Going a bit cheaper, Gorgui Dieng is a minutes-eater, and continues to be a consistent double-double threat. He is averaging 16-10-3 in the last ten games, shooting 61% from the field. The Knicks are an average rebounding team putting Dieng in another solid spot to grab a double-double. With injuries to Nikola Pekovic, and Kevin Garnett, Dieng has averaged 35 minutes per game in that span. His new move over to PF on the sites have made him a much more attractive play.

Salary: FD: $9,000 DK: $8,500

Over the last ten games Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 22-12-2, with two blocks per game. The rookie seems destined to win the Rookie Of The Year trophy, and also destined to be in my lineups tonight. New York ranks in the middle of the league in fantasy points per game allowed to opposing centers, in fact they are right around the Lakers in the last ten games. Towns has a stud usage rate among all centers tonight, and is involved in one of the higher scoring games of the night. On FanDuel he is priced just $400 more than DeAndre Jordan, but is $1,100 more on DraftKings. I do not mind saving the cash on DK, but Towns is still my number one.

Value Plays

Goran Dragic (PG - MIA) FD: $5,600 DK: $5,700

Goran Dragic is a safe play regardless of Dwyane Wade's status for tonight, which is still unclear. Dragic is averaging 12-3-6 in the last ten games, and would obviously get a bump without Wade. (Which I am anticipating him to sit.) Dragic makes sense to be the top value point guard on the slate, against Washington who are on their third game in a row. Deploy the Dragon in all formats.

Jamal Crawford (SG - LAC) FD: $5,100 DK: $5,200

Jamal Crawford is a cheap way to get exposure to the Clippers tonight. He is averaging 19-2-3 in the last ten games, and will be needed to come off the bench for offense against the Warriors. He has been right around the 25-30 fantasy point park of late, but does have upside to go beyond that. He is a great secondary SG option tonight.

Justise Winslow (SF - MIA) FD: $4,000 DK: $4,300

Another Miami value, and I will take the two who have been the most consistent over the course of the season. Winslow will continue to see bigger time with Chris Bosh out indefinitely, and he has a great matchup tonight against Washington. They have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season, and are allowing a whopping 46% FG%.