Lovely weather on the northeast cut the slates a bit smaller then maybe what they could have been, but we still have plentiful games and players to choose from. Taking DFS out of the equation for a second there are some really good games on tap. Lots of close totals, with big name teams, with high totals. There are some projected blowouts sprinkled in, but If you live on the northeast like me, stay inside and enjoy the action. Typically by this time of the year, there are teams that have separated themselves from the pact as the "best" teams in the country, but I think arguments can be made for over 10 different teams as being the best. This has been a wacky year, and don't expect any different from these series of games on Saturday. Below are my favorite options to make value for the early slates.
High-Priced Plays
Ben Simmons - Forward, LSU. (FD Price $11,000, DK Price $11,000)
The more and more Simmons plays and doesn't hit value, the less and less people will play him. We all know his upside though, and I will not jump ship just yet. Simmons on the road off a few average games for his standards will drive people off of him. Alabama has absolutely no one that can match-up with Simmons and mismatches will be the norm for him all day tomorrow. Simmons has a 40+ point game looming and I'm not ready to miss out on it just yet. I see him being about 30% owned tomorrow due to somewhat tight pricing, so if he hits well, he could provide a huge edge to your lineup. I have no concerns about running Simmons out at these prices.
Gavin Ware - Forward, Mississippi State. (FD Price $8,000, DK Price N/A)
If Stefan Moody news comes out that he can't go before lineup lock, there will be serious value on the Ole Miss side, but regardless I'm targeting Ware on the other side here. With no Saiz, Ole Miss is a very small team. I really like Ware to dominate the paint throughout this one and I love the expected tempo. Also, coming off of a road dud, there is serious bounce back potential here.
Sam Shields - Forward, Nebraska. (FD Price $7,800, DK Price N/A)
Mid-Priced Plays
Sheldon McClellan - Guard, Miami. (FD Price $7,400, DK Price N/A)
Miami has a dream game tomorrow at home against Wake, and are projected one of the top scores on the slate at 83 points. McClellan will not be the only player mentioned in this article on Miami, but he is my favorite guard taking price into account. I can see playing Rodriguez for a discount, but cannot play Devon Reed. Miami players will rack up fantasy points against fantasy friendly Wake Forest, so avoiding this game is not advised.
Tony Jekiri - Forward, Miami. (FD Price $6,800, DK Price N/A)
Constantly in these articles, I mention players from the same team, as stacking teams is something I usually do. This is quite a bit chalky here, but wanted to mention Jekiri for a few reasons. There is not a lot of cheap value forwards in this slate and Jekiri is pretty safe at this price. Jekiri also will enjoy the pace of this game and should pile up rebounds and blocks along with some easy shots at the rim. If your plan is to only playone guy from Miami, then Jekiri should be your guy.
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