As part of ESPN Fantasy's efforts to provide daily fantasy gamers intel on whom to target in DFS, our fantasy basketball experts are here to show you which players they are building their teams around and which sleepers they are taking fliers on. Today's panel features picks from Joe Kaiser, Tom Carpenter, Jim McCormick and Cynthia Frelund.
Building block
Joe Kaiser: Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic
In two games against New York this season, Vucevic has averaged 24 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 blocks. On top of that, he is having one terrific month of February (21.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.1 BPG). Even though Vucevic is on the second of a back-to-back, with the Magic having played Golden State on Thursday, I'm building around him against the Knicks' 21st-ranked defense.
Tom Carpenter: John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards
Wall messed around and got a triple-double when he faced the Sixers a few weeks ago. Philly isn't any better on defense now, and this game has an over/under of 217 points, so I expect Wall to rack up another big line tonight.
Jim McCormick: Wall
The pace and point metrics for this game in Philly are ideal for loading up on shares of both Wall and Marcin Gortat. In fact, Wall and his big buddy get to feast on Philly three times in the next three weeks. Wall posted a triple-double earlier this month against the Sixers, while a murky point guard share in Philly that has Kendall Marshall getting increased exposure only raises the ceiling for Wall.
Cynthia Frelund: Matt Barnes, SF, Memphis Grizzlies
I love the lower-cost options, and tonight Barnes has both the uptick in minutes and production since the All-Star break as well as the right situation -- as in, he's facing the Lakers, whose defense has been at or near the bottom of many of the defensive metrics we care about (including fantasy points allowed). I'm not guaranteeing a repeat of his Wednesday point total (25 points, eight rebounds), but the Grizzlies are about four-point favorites in a game where about 209 total points are projected, so it seems like a smart use of cap dollars.
Sleeper pick
Joe Kaiser: Jeff Green, SF, Los Angeles Clippers
Green probably won't find his way into many lineups tonight, but he's a sneaky good option against a Sacramento team that allows more points per game than any team in the NBA. When Green last faced the Kings as a member of the Grizzlies, on Jan. 30, he had 29 points, 2 rebounds and 3 steals in only 27 minutes. Look for him to put up solid numbers in about 25-30 minutes on the court tonight.
Tom Carpenter: Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick, SGs, Los Angeles Clippers
The Kings have been one of the worst teams at defending off guards throughout the season, and they have been even worse at protecting the arc during the past month. The table is set for both of these Clippers to torch the Kings in a game that sports the highest projected point total (218) tonight.
Jim McCormick: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
In a rubber match with a new-look, faster-tempo Grizzlies group, I really like Russell's price point tonight. Finally fitted with a starting role and enough minutes to reasonably meet and exceed cost, Russell is a nice sleeper to consider and pairs well tonight for those paying up for Wall or Chris Paul.
Cynthia Frelund: Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
On both DraftKings and FanDuel, John Wall is less expensive, and both point guards face porous defenses. Wall is facing the 76ers in a game where the Wizards are projected to win by 8.5 points, and Paul's Clippers are favored by 2.5 in Sacramento. Both have similar fantasy points projections, but Paul has the higher ceiling tonight, especially with Blake Griffin still out.