Tastefully curated M-F by LineStar fantasy experts.

2018 is upon us. Today's theme is WINNING.

Here's something to get you going...

"Winners never quit and quitters never win." - Vince Lombardi

Guards

Tyreke Evans, MEM [@LAC] (DK: $8.2k, FD: $9k)

It's a lot to pay for Evans but you're getting the consistency he's shown over the last 2 weeks. He' taken 16 or more shots in each of the last 8 games, including one game against the Clippers where he put up 65 fantasy points. Blake is back but the Clippers are still dealing with injury problems, including Austin Rivers. This game is slated to be close with only a 5 point spread in favor of the Clippers, so look to Evans to put the ball up at least 16 times again tonight.

Dennis Schroder, ATL [@PHO] (DK: $7.3k, FD: $7.7k) 

This game has the highest Vegas point total of the night at 218 points and a tight 1.5 point spread in favor of the Suns. The Hawks see a slight pace bump when facing the Suns and they're ranked 24th versus starting point guards allowing 35 fantasy points a game. If Schroder gets to matchup with him, Ulis is ranked near bottom of the league in defensive rating as well. Schroder had a field day when facing the Suns last year, putting up 50 and 47 fantasy points. He's still more expensive than he should be but he's shown a high ceiling over the last month and this is an ideal matchup in a close game.

Buddy Hield, SAC [vs CHA] (DK: $4.5k, FD: $4.7k)

This is a tournament only option as Hield is volatile and his minutes are not secure. That being said he could be in a good spot tonight with Frank Mason out and De'Aaron Fox a GTD. Hield has shown his high ceiling when he's given 30+ minutes this season. He saw 31 minutes last game when Mason was injured but it was a tough matchup, and he only hit 5 of 14 shots. It's a better matchup versus the Hornets and if he sees 30+ minutes he could certainly pay off tonight.

Forwards

Blake Griffin, LAC [vs MEM] (DK: $8.4k, FD: $9k)

Blake is back and he's looked good in each of his first 2 games returning from injury. He's had a few days off and should be ready to roll again tonight against the Grizzlies. Facing Memphis is a negative matchup for Griffin but the Clippers are going to need him to step up in order to stay competitive in this game, especially if Austin Rivers is out. His salary is still under his career average, so take advantage before it heads up.

Ersan Ilyasova, ATL [@PHO] (DK: $5.1k, FD: $5.7k)

As mentioned above, Vegas has this as one of the best games to target tonight. The Hawks have been giving Ersan more minutes and usage over the last 2 weeks of action and as a result he's scoring almost 6 fantasy points more a game. The Suns are ranked 29th against starting power forwards allowing 35 fantasy points a game, but they're a bit better when playing at home. The downside is that Ersan also plays slightly worse while on the road.

Marquese Chriss, PHO [vs ATL] (DK: $4.6k, FD: $5.3k)

Over the last 5 games he's been playing an additional 3 minutes per game compared to the last 20 games played. He draws another favorable start against the Hawks who are ranked 26th against starting power forwards allowing 31 fantasy points a game and 4 of the last 5 starting power forwards to play against the Hawks have exceeded their season average fantasy points per game. The Suns are a hard team to trust anything they do, so Chriss is just a tournament play here.

Centers

Kevin Love, CLE [vs POR] (DK: $8.7k, FD: $7.9k)

Love makes for a better option on FanDuel tonight due to the salary difference. He's also looking like one of the safer center options tonight, but you have to pay up to get him. Portland is ranked 28th against starting centers allowing 34 fantasy points a game, but they've been better on the road. The Cavs are favored by 9 points here but that generally doesn't mean a blowout for then, until the last few minutes. (Warning: He's questionable now).

Pau Gasol, SA [@NY] (DK: $6.9k, FD: $6.2k)

Back to the well with Pau Gasol after a major dud versus the Pistons where he only saw 22 minutes of action. Pau put up 43 fantasy points against the Knicks just 5 days ago and could do so again tonight if Popovich allows him to play close to 30 minutes. However the Spurs are one of the hardest teams to trust how many minutes they're going to give to guys, so Gasol remains a tournament option.

Mike Muscala, ATL [@PHO] (DK: $3k, FD: $3.7k) 

This is a very risky pick, but on a night where center options are fairly limited in a small slate if you need savings you could possibly consider him. Muscala hasn't played in an NBA game since early November but he's probable to play tonight. He's already played in 2 G-League games without any set backs which means he might not even have much of a limitation on his return tonight. You'll get him at a minimum level salary for a team that is craving for someone to step up at center. The Suns are one of the worst teams guarding Centers, so if he sees 20+ minutes tonight he could easily return value.

Injuries 🤕