We’re talking about the last major of the year, so that alone will have guys bringing their ‘A’ game. But it also happens to be the 100th edition of the PGA Championship making a win just a little sweeter. As is the case with every Major, the best of the best golfers in the world will be taking part.
So, from a daily fantasy perspective, there are going to be plenty of options this week at the Bellevire Country Club. But before diving into an examination of some of the options…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The Bellevire Country Club is located in Town and Country, Missouri. It’s a par-70 course that is 7,329 yards long. It’s one of the longest courses to host the PGA Championship in the history of the tournament.
As for the weather, it could get a little tricky this weekend. Thursday and Friday shouldn’t be too bad. Thursday is going to be partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Friday is expected to have clear skies but also a 20 percent chance of rain. Winds are going to be stronger Thursday (8 MPH) than Friday (4 MPH).
But weather conditions could get a little crazy on Saturday and Sunday. Temps are expected to be in the high 70s with winds topping out at 6 MPH. However, there is a chance of thunderstorms on both days with a 40 percent chance of rain Saturday and 60 percent on Sunday.
The Players
It’s not often where the stars align just right to make it easy to pick out a favorite player for a tournament. But they have aligned this week. You’d be foolish not to start the defending champion, Justin Thomas.
Not only is he one of the best in the world, but he is playing well right now (just won last week). Oh—and his game fits well with the layout at Bellivire. It’s a long course, but a straightforward one. It doesn’t get tricky or anything. It just requires guys to hit it long, hard, and accurate.
Last week at Firestone, Thomas was third in driving, tied for second in greens hit, and was first in proximity. Yeah, he’s going to do well this week.
Some other guys worth considering include:
Dustin Johnson: There is a reason why the man is the No. 1 golfer in the world—he’s good. Not just good but good no matter where he plays. He has missed the cut once in his last five tournaments (British Open). But he placed first in two of the others and third in the remaining two (tied for third in one). He may not be driving as well as Thomas but there is no arguing with his results.
Brooks Koepka: He had a bit of a hiccup at the RBC Canadian Open but righted the ship pretty well at Firestone last week. His fifth-place finish was his fourth top-ten of the year. He was one of the leaders in distance and led the field in strokes gained. His game matches up well with Bellevire.
Rory McIlroy: He’s had some moments this season that was not very good but lately appears to be getting closer and closer to putting it all together. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open but otherwise finished t8 (Memorial), t12 (Travelers), t6 (CVS Health), t2 (British Open), and t6 (WGC-Bridgestone). He’s struggled in the later rounds at the Majors this season but don’t be shocked if he puts it all together this week.
Dark Horse Candidates: Jason Day, Tony Finau, Francesco Molinari, and Thorbjørn Olesen.
Buyer Beware: Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods; both are excellent golfers, but you can’t trust either to put four strong rounds together in a given weekend.
Top 6 NBA Free Agency Steals in 2018 – NBA
6. Nerlens Noel signed a two year $3.8 Million dollar contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thus happening when just over a year ago Noel turned down a four year $79 Million dollar contract from the Dallas Mavericks. This low ball contract is a steal for the Thunder this season. It also allows Noel to show that if he can play well in OKC, he can opt out after one year and try and get his big contract again. Between Noel and Steven Adams it should allow 48 minutes of rim protection for OKC.
5. Ed Davis signed a $4.4 Million dollar contract with the Brooklyn Nets. Davis is a great pick and roll player and tremendous finisher at the rim. Davis is also one of, if not the best backup rim protector and rebounder in the NBA. This is something that Brooklyn desperately needed as they continue to develop Jarrett Alllen and between Allen and Davis they should be much better at slowing down opposing teams.
4. DeMarcus Cousins signed a one year $5.4 Million dollar deal with the Warrior’s. Do the Warrior’s even really need him? Probably not, but at that price it is sure worth the gamble and a clear path to winning three straight Championship. Even if the Warrior’s get 70% out of Cousins this season it is all a bonus.
3. Julius Randle signed a two year $18 Million dollar deal with the Pelicans. He is a steal at this price as he continues to build off of his best season yet with the Lakers. Randle should fit nicely next to Anthony Davis and a great replacement for DeMarcus Cousins. Randle and Davis are good friends and should build off one another with great chemistry and communication. He should start right away for the Pelicans and bring a toughness with Davis that will be hard to penetrate the rim for opposing teams.
2. Isaiah Thomas signed a veteran’s minimum one year $2.4 Million dollar contract with the Denver Nuggets. Thomas will bring a nice spark off the bench and already knows his old coach’s system in Mike Malone. The Nuggets are in dire need of scoring as much as any mid tier team trying to break into the playoffs this upcoming season. A big part of this team’s equation to win is scoring because the Nuggets aren’t necessarily known to play defense, and neither is Thomas. It is hard to think that just two seasons ago Thomas was on the verge of getting a supermax deal that would of been upwards of $150 Million, 2.4M is a steal.
1. Brook Lopez is a guy that has the potential to have a breakout year with the Bucks. His numbers were actually top 5 last year in Centers production on a per minute stat line, the only problem was that he barely averaged over 20 minutes with the Lakers last season. Look for Lopez to push past 30 minutes a game this year, and at a one year $3.4 million dollar deal, that is a steal for the Bucks. Lopez isn’t great at pick and roll defense, but he can protect the rim, and shoot the 3, which spreads the floor for this young Bucks team and adds shooting at the Center position.
After a poor showing at the British open, Dustin Johnson wasted little time reminding everyone why he is the number one golfer in the world when he teed it up for the RBC Canadian Open. His 23 under par was good for his third victory of the PGA season, while also cementing him as one of the most valuable picks in daily fantasy golf.
Plenty of Birdies in Ontario
It was a relatively straightforward four days at Glen Abbey. The favorites all found themselves near the top of the leaderboard and the weather was far easier to put up with than Carnoustie. Besides Johnson, Tommy Fleetwood was in the mix once again, finishing inside the top ten. His $12,000 price tag on FanDuel may have been lofty, but his 11 birdies and an eagle over the weekend helped him live up to his salary.
Byeong-hun An proved to be the ultimate sleeper of the week with his second place finish. Though he was not a popular pick on DraftKings or FanDuel, his second place finish is likely to have more DFS players paying attention. Our mid-tier recommendations from last week had medicore weekends. Jhonattan Vegas and Charley Hoffman both finished way back from the lead at -11. Adam Hadwin’s didn’t have the home field advantage as we hoped; the Canadian missed the cut after two frustrating days.
Star-studded Field at Firestone
Johnson may be the odds on favorite heading into the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, but everyone in Akron will be talking about Tiger Woods leading up to tee off. The man has won here eight times, a PGA record, and is just coming off his most promising performance in years at the Open Championship. Despite this, he is settled in the second tier price range, allowing DFS players the opportunity to spend a little more in the lower spots in the lineup.
Don’t sleep on Francesco Molinari, who is available for $11,200 on FanDuel. The Italian phenom has shown to have a game that translates on any tour and has been piling up points for those who have started him all summer. Tony Finau remains a sleeper option despite him taking his game to the next level this season. A victory at Firestone with this packed field would surely see his affordability disappear quickly.
A Few Wildcard Options
We’ve all been in the situation where we have five perfect picks, but the remaining bankroll has you sifting through players so obscure they don’t even have pictures next to their name. Every now and again, someone from this group pays off though. Anirban Lahiri can be picked up for $6800 on DraftKings, but he’s made 16 out of 21 cuts, and averages 57.9 points. Patton Kizzire has some trouble making cuts, but when he makes the weekend, he often scores pretty well. Lastly, Andrew Landry could be a possibility for some value from that final roster spot. His play has been spotty throughout the season, but he does have five top ten finishes and is ridiculously cheap on FanDuel at $7000.
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After spending the last couple weekends out of the country, the PGA Tour returns to the U.S. this week. The action this week will be at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. But it will not be the usual slate of golfers.
This week, since it’s an ‘invitational’ there will only be 73 golfers to choose from—including the entire top 50 in the world– for your daily fantasy team. But before diving into an examination of some of the options…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The players will be playing the South Course at the Firestone Country Club. It is a par-70 course that is 7,400 meters long.
It’s been a bit toasty in recent weeks in the Midwest, but that does not appear to be the case for the Bridgestone Invitational. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 70s each of the four days. Saturday is the only day expected to have clear skies. The rest are either going to be cloudy or mostly cloudy.
There will be a chance of rain every day starting with a 30 percent chance on Thursday. It drops to 20 percent on Friday and Saturday. But then jumps up to 50 percent on Sunday.
It could get ugly out there, but hey—no one said it was going to be easy.
The Players
A case could be made for including last year’s champion, Hideki Matsuyama. He’s not having a bad year having made the cut in 11 of the 14 events he’s played in. He missed the cut at the British Open and Players Championship. But between them, he finished t16, t13, and t16.
He hasn’t been bad but this week I think there are too many good options to consider going with an alright one.
Tiger Woods: Come on—how can you not go with Tiger this week? The stars are aligned for him to get that first elusive win of his comeback. He’s still not playing as good as we’d like him to play. But he could play well enough to win if everything goes right. He’s certainly going to be in the perfect place; one where he’s won eight times.
It’s been about five years since his last win. Will he finally get one? You don’t want to be the one guy who didn’t start him if he does.
Justin Rose: He’s like Tiger in that he should know this course like the back of his hand. After all, the man has only played it 12 times. He’s finished inside of the top five on four occasions but never in first. He’s playing very well right now having finished t2, t10, t6, and in first his last four times out.
Dustin Johnson: It almost feels like cheating to suggest him since he is coming off a win and is the No. 1 golfer in the world. But he did win here just a couple years ago. However, it is also worth noting that in his seven other trips his best finish was t15.
Rory McIlroy: I know he’s supposed to be one of the best in the world. But whenever I think about starting him he tends to tank. But I think I’m starting him this week. It bugs me that he’s missed four cuts this season but there is no cut line this week. That being said, he’s fresh off finishing t2 at the British Open.
He appears to be playing well right now and could be worth a start.
Jordan Spieth: This is the only guy I would say don’t start. I know he’s a good golfer and good golfers are bound to break out of their slumps. But I’m not confident he’ll do it this week or anytime soon. He may give you three really good rounds but that last one on Sunday will kill you.
Dark Horse Options: Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Thorbjørn Olesen, and Bubba Watson.
At first glance, many daily fantasy players will just scoff at the notion that a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns has any daily fantasy value in the first place. But with all the coaching and personnel changes during the offseason, there is a reason to believe a Browns quarterback could be worth starting.
But if the worst case scenario ends up being true about Josh Gordon, the daily fantasy value of the Browns QB could already be nose-diving.
What did Josh Gordon do this time?
Technically, the troubled but talented receiver hasn’t done anything other than not report to training camp. But he has a good reason—he’s undergoing some counseling.
With his long history of drug use, it is not hard to see why many are assuming that the ‘counseling’ must be drug-related. But if he slipped up, failed a test, or in any way violated the terms of his reinstatement he is subject to another year-long suspension.
Should he be suspended again, it is going to become a lot tougher for Tyrod Taylor or Baker Mayfield to get the passing game going. They’ll still have Jarvis Landry to work with, but without another quality receiver on the field, defenses will blanket Landry.
Landry is good, but not good enough to beat double coverage on a regular basis. So, without Gordon on the field demanding respect from defenses, his production is going to be limited.
If his production is limited and Gordon’s non-existent, the Mayfield and Taylor will be worthless as daily fantasy quarterbacks.
But…
With Gordon’s track record, it is not hard to see why many are jumping the gun. But rumor has it that he is clean; so far, the NFL seems to be in agreement. But then why did the league say the matter would be addressed at the appropriate time?
One Twitter user theorized that his doctors and therapists may just be trying to avoid the spotlight and scrutiny of HBO’s Hard Knocks cameras.
It’s a believable theory, but if HBO ever caught wind of it, the network would probably be upset. Whether it’s good for him or not, Gordon is one of the most interesting stories on the roster for the Browns.
In conclusion…
It could be nothing, but at the same time, the worst-case scenario is not hard to believe either. Fans will have to wait and see how this plays out.
With a multitude of dynamic stars to choose from in both pitching and offense, it can be difficult to craft a winning lineup each day. Everyone knows Mike Trout and Chris Sale are can’t miss players, but it’s not always wise to devote that much of your bankroll to such high salaries.
Winning DFS baseball lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel are often made up of great value picks. Now that a hundred plus games are in the books, let’s look back at the players at each position that can provide your roster that sneaky value that can help you win big.
Pitching
Starters like Jon Lester, Blake Snell, and Miles Mikolas have all racked up double digit wins, but won’t put quite the dent in your bankroll as Max Scherzer or any of the Houston pitchers for that matter. If you are looking for an intriguing, but affordable option, Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians has made quite the splash since becoming a fixture at the backend of an already dominant rotation. He’s available for around $8000 on FanDuel and $8100 on DraftKings.
Catcher/First Base
These two positions don’t have the same amount of offensive prowess as in years past, but many emerging young players are quickly putting an end to that. J.T. Realmuto has managed double digit home runs and a .300 plus average from the weaker group at the catcher position. C.J. Cron of the young Rays team has shown quite a bit of pop this year, belting 19 home runs. Each player will be found in the mid-tier price range and average double digit fantasy points a game. Will Meyers is a player that has been rounding into shape as of late, and could represent a good sleeper pick depending on the pitching matchup.
Second Base
Despite his strikeouts, Yoan Moncada has averaged over 10 points per game on FanDuel this season. He’s heated up this past month, but can still be found toward the bottom of the salary list for second baseman. Jed Lowrie was lighting things up in the first half, but has cooled as of late. But with his name linked to many trade rumors, a fresh start could find him producing once again.
Third Base
Eugenio Suarez is all the talk of the 2018 MLB season, but for daily fantasy purposes, he’s still a bonafide sleeper. Available in the mid three thousand range, the young Reds third baseman can provide significant punch to a lineup. Travis Shaw is another option to consider if looking for a cheap option. His sub .250 average isn’t pretty, but he’s the type of streaky hitter who could go on a tear for a few weeks and rack up the fantasy points.
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts is on the higher end of the middle tier, but with so many powerhouses hitting in front of him, the Boston shortstop has feasted on pitchers’ mistakes to the tune of 16 home runs. Bogaerts’ pinstriped rival, Didi Gregorius, is also one who could provide great value in the second half of the season. The left handed hitter has shown decent pop this season and is likely to continue hitting as a part of the much vaunted Yankee lineup. He can usually be picked up for around $4000 on DraftKings.
Outfield
There are so many studs at this position that the value picks are a plenty. Arizona’s A.J. Pollock has really found his form as the season moves along, and is still found way down the list of available options. Kris Davis has cooled off recently, but it appears the All-Star break has rejuvenated him. With a two-homer game last weekend, the Oakland slugger may be that sneaky pick that puts you ahead of the pack. Shin-soo Choo and Nicholas Castellanos are two players that continue to put up solid numbers, but picking them up in the $3000 ranges could save you quite a bit if you’ve splurged for a big name player like Mookie Betts.
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After an exciting week across the pond, the PGA Tour returns to North America this week, but not the United States. This week the eyes of the golf-loving world will look north of the border—to Ontario for the RBC Canadian Open.
Many of golf’s best will be flying in from Scotland hoping to record a win. But they will not be the only options worth considering for your daily fantasy roster this week.
Before diving into an examination of some of those options…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The tournament will be held in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, at the Glenn Abbey Golf Course. It’s a par-72 course that is 7,253 yards long.
Anyone looking to get a break from crazy weather is likely going to be left wanting. The tournament opens with some crazy weather on Thursday— 13 MPH winds, a chance of thunderstorms, 50 percent chance of rain. But at least it will not be hot (73 degrees).
Friday and Saturday are expected to be clear but windy (12 MPH on Friday; 9 MPH on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60’s and there is still a 20 percent chance of rain.
It isn’t supposed to rain Sunday, but it will still be a little windy (8 MPH), partly cloudy, and cool (70 degrees).
The Players
There is no way I could in good conscience recommend last year’s winner, Jhonattan Vegas. The last time he finished in the top-ten was early January. He missed the cut his last two times out and hasn’t finished better than tied for 40th in his last eight outings.
However, he was stinking up the course heading into last year’s Canadian Open, too. But I still can’t recommend him even though he’s won the tournament the last two years.
I would, however, say you should give these guys a look:
Kevin Kisner: He looked like he was going to win his first major. But then he had a bad day on Sunday and slipped into second. His last six outings prior to the British Open were not very good, so he is going to do everything in his power to keep the good times rolling.
After coming so close in Scotland, I wouldn’t be shocked to at least see him play well here.
Dustin Johnson: It almost feels like cheating to pick the No. 1 golfer in the world. But he missed the cut last week proving he is indeed fallible. He will not be this week, though. He’s played this course very well in the past and there is no reason to think he will not do so again.
In fact, after missing the cut last week, he may be out for blood this week.
Charley Hoffman: There is no motivation quite like coming in second the previous year because you lost in a playoff. He’s played well in his last three outings as well as his last three trips to Glenn Abbey. He tends to be a streaky player, but the streak seems to be in his favor right now.
Tony Finau: When it comes to golf’s biggest stages, the Majors, he’s played well recording three top-ten finishes. But he seems to be a little all over the place everywhere else. However, he does have seven top-tens this season and tied for fifth last year at the Canadian Open.
Dark Horse Picks: Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter, Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Ryder, and J.J. Spaun.
While most of the PGA’s elite took the weekend off to prepare for the third major championship of the season, those who teed it up for the John Deere Classic gave daily fantasy golf players a wild weekend full of scoring. In the end, it was young phenom Michael Kim breaking away from the pack to earn his first victory on tour. The 25 year old shot a whopping 27 under, eight strokes better than the next best competitors.
Birdies Galore at Deere Run
Kim’s 158 points on FanDuel was certainly one of the best scores of the season for four-day contests, a slew of players also put up huge numbers. Francesco Molinari finished tied for second, while other recommendations from last week’s column such as Zach Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, and Harold Varner, III all outperformed expectations.
Other than Bryson DeChambeau having to withdraw due to injury, there were few disappointments for DFS players at the John Deere. With 49 players at least ten under par, winning scores in four day contests were breaking 700 points.
Anyone’s Game at Carnoustie
While we’re sure everyone is clamoring to hear all about the key players in this week’s Barbasol Championship, DK Legends brings you a preview of that other tournament happening across the pond. World number one Dustin Johnson and defending British Open champion Jordan Spieth top the list of early favorites heading into Thursday. The other usual suspects include Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, and Jon Rahm, making for a difficult choice when drafting from the top tier.
The good news about the log jam at the top of the salary list; however, is that hovering in a slightly more affordable range are several other players with a strong chance to be lifting the Claret Jug Sunday. Solid producers like Francesco Molinari, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, and Tiger Woods could be that first pick and spare you some extra cash when scouring the bargain bin for that last spot.
Fast Conditions Bring Out the Dark Horses
It’s The Open Championship, so weather and course conditions play a starring role from the onset. The winds will of course be present, though forecasts do show that those early to tee off could have it a little easier. Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott, and Tony Finau are all great players in the wind and each can be had for decent prices on either DFS site.
With the firm fairways and greens, look for players with great short game stats. Ryan Moore, Emiliano Grillo, and Brian Harman all are well adept at getting out of trouble around the greens and are affordable enough to round out the bottom of your lineup.
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The PGA Tour hops across the pond this week to the United Kingdom, to be more specific, Angus, Scotland, for the 147th Open Championship. It will be the last time for the foreseeable future that it will be the third Major of the season with the PGA Championship moving to May next season.
Like every other major, the best golfers in the world will be turning out with hopes of taking home the claret jug. This will, of course, make it challenging for daily fantasy players to choose their lineups. But better too many options than too few, right?
Before diving into an examination of those options…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The Open will be held at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. The course is 7,402 yards long and is a par-71.
Like it often is at The Open, the weather could make things kind of tricky this week for golfers. The cooler temperatures (high-50’s to low-60’s) will likely be a welcome change from what golfers have seen in recent weeks in the U.S.
Winds start out at 9 MPH on Thursday, increasing to 10 MPH for Friday and Saturday, and top out at 11 MPH on Sunday.
There is a good chance there will be some rain during the tournament. Thursday and Saturday have only a 10 percent chance. But Friday has 50 and Sunday a 60 percent chance of rain.
The Players
The defending champ, Jordan Spieth, will be worth a look but not because he’s playing well—which he isn’t. Since finishing in third at the Masters, he’s played in seven tournaments, missed the cut in three, and his best finish was tied for 21st.
However, Americans have been on a run at the Majors recently having taken the last five. While he hasn’t been great in about two months, he is still one of the top golfers in the world. If there were ever a time for a young golfer to break out of a slump, this would be it.
The following are some other players worth considering for your daily fantasy roster this week:
Tiger Woods: Call Tiger the sink or swim option this week. He has been playing good golf this season, but far from great. Whenever you decide to give him a shot in your lineup seems to be when he has a bad weekend, too. With the exception of missing the cut at the U.S. Open, he’s done well his last four times out (tied for fourth, 23rd, and 11th).
It’s bound to come together for him at some point. That point may not be until next season. But it could also be this week. If you don’t start him and he does well, you’ll be kicking yourself.
Brooks Koepka: I’m more excited about Koepka than I am about Tiger. Here you have a guy who hasn’t missed a cut at a major since 2013. He’s placed inside the top-20 at 12 of the last 15 (so you know he isn’t going to play poorly). He’s the No. 4 golfer in the world. Eventually, he is going to start collecting wins.
Why not start now?
Dustin Johnson: He’s the best in the world? How can you not choose him? He’s played well lately. His game at Shinnecock shows he can handle the winds at Carnoustie. There doesn’t appear to be a reason not to choose him. But maybe you shouldn’t. Chances are, he’ll do well for at least three of the four days which may be enough for your daily fantasy roster.
However, he seems to have something holding him back at Majors.
Tommy Fleetwood: Did you see his final round at Shinnecock? His 63 on Sunday at the U.S. Open shows what he is capable of. Of course, he doesn’t always have his ‘A’ game when he plays. But this week, a guy like him having his ‘B’ game may be enough to help your daily fantasy roster out.
Dark Horse Candidates
Sergio Garcia: He’s intriguing because he’s placed in the top ten in three of the last four Opens but also because he took second back in 2007 the last time the Open was at Carnoustie.
Justin Thomas: He’s fresh off a brief stint as the No. 1 golfer in the world. But he has not done well his last two times out at the Open (t53 and missed cut). However, he started each with a 67. If he can make it past Day Two, he could have a heck of a tournament.
Henrik Stenson: He holds the record for lowest score in Open history (20-under). That was at the Royal Troon and not Carnoustie (he missed the cut last time the Open was there in 2007).
A look at who the biggest possible fantasy risers and losers during free agency are so far
We know the biggest winner in free agency this offseason was the purple and gold Lakers in landing the best player in the NBA, Lebron James. But from a fantasy projection which other free agents are in line to see an increase or decrease in overall production? Lebron has made his third move and third organization and what we have learned from James is that it doesn’t matter what team he is on, he produces at a high level. Let’s now take a look at some other free agent moves that might from a fantasy perspective impact the players they left behind, or the current players that free agent is joining forces with.
Winners:
Deandre Jordan, Dallas Mavericks- This time it is for real, DeAndre is actually going to Dallas and it looks like it might be a great fit for him. With Dallas being so young and having a strong perimeter offense with Dennis Smith Jr. and new draft pick Luka Doncic this should make life easier on Jordan creating offense for him at the rim. The youth, speed, and shooting also allows him to do what he does best in rebounding and playing defense only. His offense is non existent outside the rim and Jordan shouldn’t be asked to score, so this is a perfect fit for his game.
Julius Randle, New Orleans Pelicans- This could be a great fit for Randle moving forward. He doesn’t need to shoot much with Anthony Davis next to him, but is a guy that can bring energy and fill the stat sheet. After spending last season coming off the bench with the Lakers, battling for a starting job, and then finally winning it, he looks to continue to excel.
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks- Lopez has a chance to have a much bigger impact on the Bucks then he did with the Lakers. Lopez only averaged 23.4 minutes on the Lakers last season and was able to hit ( 34.5% on threes, 1.5 threes per game made, 1.3 blocks per game), at a high offensive and defensive rate in a limited role. The Bucks not only need shooting, but they love big Centers that can protect the rim. This is a big boost not only for him, but also for the Bucks. Look for Lopez to come out and have impactful numbers this season.
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers- This is Love’s chance to show that he has still got it, and I believe he does. Love could have the biggest opportunity out of all of these guys to put up big double double numbers again. Don’t forget in his last year pre Lebron (2013-2014 season) he averaged 26 points with 12.5 rebounds and nearly 5 assists per game. Those are all NBA numbers and with the Cavs losing a high volume shooter in Lebron, look for Love to have the biggest offensive role for Cleveland.
Elfrid Payton, New Orleans Pelicans- The Pelicans are used to a non shooting PG in having Rajon Rondo last season, and Payton has not shown he can shoot with any type of consistency. Payton has had triple double potential and shown that in both Phoenix and Orlando. Payton can also manage a game, this is why the Pelicans might just be the right fit. New Orleans has shooters in Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Mirotic, and more so this might be a great fit for Payton in where he can focus on what he does best.
Losers:
Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans- With New Orleans signing Julius Randle it almost brings flashbacks of when Mirotic was on the Bulls. Mirotic was constantly fighting for playing time on the Bulls and this might just be the case again. Look for Mirotic to slide back into a committee role like he shared with Bobby Portis and the Bulls.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers- Ball’s minutes and production are going to decrease without a doubt. Lebron James will eat up a lot of his assists and playmaking ability. This will force Ball to be more of a shooter and create his own drives in which Ball has never really excelled in either of those areas. Then add the fact that a proven veteran in Rajon Rondo will be on his heels to show what he can do with Lebron. This is a recipe for Ball to become a true role player and hopefully get some type of consistent shot so he can stay on the floor for long stretches.
Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers- This is another Laker that will definitely lose some value heading into this season. Ingram was the key offensive initiator for the Lakers last year and guess what, that is exactly what Lebron does. Lebron initiates the offense which will clearly hamper Ingram’s touches, drives, and foul shots. Not only that, but Kyle Kuzma is a much better 3-point shooter then Ingram, and we know Lebron likes to have 3-point shooters on his side at all times. I can see Ingram clearly taking a secondary role this year, and a big hit in production.
Demarcus Cousins, Golden State Warriors- Cousins will be coming off a major Achilles injury and for big men that is hard to do. He will need time to get healthy and joining the Warriors gives him that time, but it also makes him the 5th option on the team when he does come back. His impact and fantasy value will take a major hit even when he gets healthy.
Tyreke Evans, Indiana Pacers- Evans had a great season last year in Memphis when he was given that opportunity. But most of that was in part because of the Mike Conley injury, well basically half of Memphis backcourt was injured last season and nobody else could really score on that team outside Marc Gasol. Evans goes to the Pacers who will clearly continue to leave the keys to the team in Victor Oladipo’s hands. I believe Evans will still be productive, but not nearly like he did last year in Memphis.