clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Notable DFS trends from the Western Conference in the bubble

We go over some of the most surprising trends from teams in the Western Conference during the NBA season restart so far.

Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies defends Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 31, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.  Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

A bevy of teams that have clinced playoff appearances are trying to climb the ranks in the Western Conference while others are aiming punch a ticket to the postseason by taking the eighth seed from the Memphis Grizzlies. We’ve seen some surprises in the DFS world through the first weekend of seeding games, and here are some of the trends we’ve noticed so far.

Jusuf Nurkic is back

Nurkic hasn’t missed a beat since returning for the first time since suffering a serious leg injury last season. The do-it-all big man has is holding on to the Portland Trail Blazers’ starting center spot and won’t let it slip anytime soon. He’s averaging 22 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists through three games this season, and has yet to dip below 50 DKFP. Nurk is fresh off cleaning the glass all night to help the Blazers dispatch the Rockets on Tuesday night.

Paul George’s efficiency from deep

It makes sense that George has been a hot commodity while Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell aren’t playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. George has provided some much-needed scoring for L.A. by shooting lights out from beyond the arc. He is averaging 27 points per game in the bubble and is averaging 5.0 three-pointers per game while shooting 51.7% from downtown. His numbers will drop once the Clippers get their depth back, but he’s hard to pass on in any game that’s not a blowout.

Houston Rockets have a ton of potential

The Rockets have the shortest rotation in the NBA, and that comes with a ton of fantasy potential. Their eight-man rotation is averaging 125 points per game in the bubble, and it’s easy to know that every player in their core group will get a chance to shoot some 3s and log significant minutes. Even if James Harden and Russell Westbrook account for a large chunk of Houston’s offense, Robert Covington, Danuel House Jr., and P.J. Tucker are sure to get a ton of exposure. The Rockets’ lack of options make them very stackable in smaller slates. Players priced around $3,000 like Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore have a good chance at hovering between 15-20 DKFP.