This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The main story for Friday's nine-game slate is the Cavaliers' trade-deadline activity, which renders their team temporarily depleted of significant talent for their matchup against the Hawks and arguably thrusts Jeff Green into a role as the team's No. 2 option behind LeBron James. There are plenty of other matchups to take advantage of as well, such as the fast-paced tilt between Denver and Houston. Below, I'll highlight one of my favorite plays from each position and analyze their respective situations.
Point Guard
Ricky Rubio, UTA vs. CHA ($8,000)
I keep thinking Rubio will eventually regress to the numbers he was producing for the first 46 games of the season -- 11.1 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals (25.5 fantasy points) -- but he steadfastly refuses to cooperate. Over the past seven tilts, Rubio has averaged 40.5 fantasy points via 20.7 points, 7.7 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. That's despite going up against some notably good defenses and slower-paced teams (Memphis, San Antonio, Toronto), so the fact that the Hornets are giving up the eighth-fewest fantasy points to point guards over the past 10 games discourages me less than it normally would. At this point, Rubio seems to be a relatively safe option in both cash and GPP contests at his price, though I'd still lean more towards using him in GPPs.
Shooting Guard
Gary Harris, DEN at HOU ($6,500)
Harris continues to be one of the most consistent fantasy players at his position, dipping below 25 fantasy points just once in 17 appearances since New Year's. During that stretch of games, he's averaged 32.3 fantasy points on the back of 20.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 35.3 minutes. He'll be in a solid position to continue playing at a high level Friday, as the Rockets are exactly in the middle of the pack when it comes to giving up fantasy points to shooting guards over the past 10 games and are playing at the league's eighth-fastest pace. Harris struggled in his first appearance against the Rockets this season (26.2 fantasy points). But that was back on Nov. 22, when Harris was still trying to find his footing, as he posted just 26.9 fantasy points per game prior to December. Overall, I like Harris' chances to be a valuable fantasy asset in both cash and GPP contests.
Small Forward
LeBron James, CLE at ATL ($11,500)
Following one of the most hectic trade deadlines in recent memory for one team, the Cavaliers will be quite shorthanded Friday, as none of their new acquisitions are expected to suit up for the contest. With Green arguably the team's third-best available player, LeBron is in an unparalleled position to put up a monster fantasy outing against the 17-38 Hawks. Considering the situation, it seems fair to toss aside The King's recent sub-par performances and focus on his upside, with his five best performances this season averaging out to 76.3 fantasy points -- a number that doesn't actually seem far-fetched.
Power Forward
Jeff Green, CLE at ATL ($3,900)
As previously mentioned, the Cavaliers are missing a lot of talent Friday, appearing to make Green the team's No. 2 or 3 option on offense (depending on how you feel about Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith). Though Green's per-minute numbers aren't anything to write home about (0.83 fantasy points/minute), the vast majority of those games have been with him being a relative afterthought in the team's game plan, as he averages just 7.5 field-goal attempts across 22.3 minutes per game on the season. However, the story changes dramatically when looking at the contests where Green sees increased usage. In the six games this season that Green has taken at least 12 shots, his production jumps to 1.11 fantasy points/minute. That number makes him a strong play Friday, as it's hard to imagine he'll take fewer than 12 shots with Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas, et al out of town or out of action.
Center
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs. MIL ($7,600)
Whiteside's inconsistency causes me to avoid in him cash contests, so first and foremost, I'd like to acknowledge that this is a suggestion for GPPs only. However, I like him as an upside play today considering his matchup, as he's taken it to Milwaukee over the teams' past two meetings. In those tilts, Whiteside has averaged 50.4 fantasy points, looking far too strong for the Bucks' relatively soft frontline. He's also having a solid four-game stretch, averaging 36.3 fantasy points on the back of 13.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 27.5 minutes.
