NBA $8,000+ Friday Line-Up

Draftstars’ NBA Friday $8k+ contest has five games to deal with and some of the lesser teams offer valuable assets for the day. We’ve opted to look for value in the big men, and hopefully their rebounding games are on point to take advantage of the value.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $8k+ Friday competition

Point Guard

Steph Curry ($18,400)

Steph is in fine form, averaging over 52 fantasy points in his past four matches and contributing in all categories. While his output has dropped off a bit since Durant joined Golden State, he has still looked comfortable within the team and has made an effort to have more of an impact with his distribution. He was excellent against Detroit last time they played, and expect more of the same.

Reggie Jackson ($11,250)

Opposed to Curry will be Reggie Jackson, who has found his footing well and truly since returning from injury. Despite a poorer showing against the Kings, his previous five matches saw him get above 36 fantasy points each time. Jackson provides great value at the point for this Friday contest, and the Warriors tend to concede a lot of points which only helps his cause

Shooting Guard

Eric Bledsoe ($14,650)

A bit of an underrated favourite, Bledsoe continues to fly under the radar and presents us with a reliable option at a slightly discounted price. He is averaging 42 fantasy points in the New Year, and comes up against a Dallas team he enjoyed playing against last week. Bledsoe has pushed a double-double in each match in 2017, and this could be the game he records his fourth for the season.

PJ Tucker ($6,500)

Cheaper players need to be selected if we want big points elsewhere, and the guaranteed high minutes for Tucker is enough to make him a solid option. A good game should see him top the 20 fantasy point mark, and given he has been playing at least 28 minutes per game over the new year, it should be an attainable score. His ability to shoot efficiently and pull down some boards is a positive.

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes ($11,700)

As the main scorer in a bad team, Barnes is consistently putting up good fantasy numbers as a cheaper option. He has shot at over 50% from the field in his past three matches, and started to find some form from distance. If he can pull down some more boards, he could be in for a massive outing against the Suns, who are conceding 112 points per game.

Tobias Harris ($9,750)

Perhaps the most surprising story of the New Year has been the consistency of the generally unreliable Tobias Harris. He continues to get plenty of minutes, his turnovers have been well down on what they were at the start of the season, and he has delivered 30-32 fantasy points in every game of the New Year. He’ll get plenty of space against the Warriors, and at worst he’ll be marking a star player, meaning he can hurt them going the other way. He’s a great option.

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki ($9,600)

The veteran power forward’s performance against Minnesota wound the clock back a bit, and it showed he still has some fantasy relevance left in him. He got 31 minutes and delivered 40 fantasy points, as he proved to be a handful from inside the paint and from the perimeter. If Bogut isn’t fit enough to play, Nowitzki could be in for another big game against Phoenix.

Donatas Motiejunas ($5,000)

Having spent the cash elsewhere, a bargain basement player needs to be chosen at the second power forward position. Motiejunas has showed that, even with limited minutes, he can still have somewhat of an impact in fantasy for the Pelicans. The powerful big man is a versatile shooter, which affords him a spot in the rotation, and the Brooklyn defence should allow him to shoot efficiently and deliver 20+ fantasy points.

Centre

Pau Gasol ($12,350)

Gasol is a risky proposition on face value, given he’ll either play 30+ minutes or around 20, however doubts over Aldridge’s fitness, and the fact the Lakers aren’t very good, makes him a risk worth taking. His ceiling is relatively high, and there’s a real chance he could get a double-double, which generally translates into a 40+ fantasy point score for Gasol. Hopefully the Spurs give him the time on court to allow him to do so.

The Line Up

PG: Steph Curry ($18,400)

PG: Reggie Jackson ($11,750)

SG: Eric Bledsoe ($14,650)

SG: PJ Tucker ($6,500)

SF: Harrison Barnes ($11,700)

SF: Tobias Harris ($9,750)

PF: Dirk Nowitzki ($9,600)

PF: Donatas Motiejunas ($5,000)

C: Pau Gasol ($12,350)

Salary Remaining: $800