FanDuel Price: $6,600
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Not only are there plenty of power forward options to deflect ownership away from Kristaps Porzingis, but his New York Knicks are 10.5-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been very tough against power forwards.
Why You Should Use Him:
The Skills Champion has also struggled with consistency this season, but his upside is immense for a player at his price tag.
While his matchup against Cleveland does appear tough on paper, the majority of those numbers have been accomplished with Kevin Love in the lineup. With Love out for an extended period of time, Cleveland will instead force Channing Frye into heavy minutes. Frye's -0.93 defensive real plus-minus (DRPM) ranks 86th among 93 qualified power forwards, and he has no chance of matching Porzingis' length and athleticism.
Per nbawowy.com, Cleveland also takes a significant hit on the glass with Love out of the lineup. With Love on the floor, they have maintained a rebounding rate of 52.3%, which would rank third in the league. Without him, their rebounding rate sits at 47.5%, which would rank second to last.
They also attempt more shots from within three feet of the goal, taking 30.2% of their shots from that distance with Love off the floor, as opposed to 28.7% with him. That may seem insignificant, but that would put them at the eighth-highest frequency from that range, just behind the Brooklyn Nets.
Shot attempts from within three feet have a high correlation with the most-blocked teams this season, with 6 of the top-10 most-blocked teams also ranking in the top 10 in shots from within three feet. Porzingis' 2 blocks per game ranks fifth in the league, and he should send away plenty of shots if Cleveland attacks the rim as frequently as they have in the past with Love off the floor.
Porzingis has enough volatility to his game to still post a dud, but it's clear this matchup isn't nearly as imposing as it appears on paper. He has enough upside to make him an elite tournament play at diminished price and ownership.