(Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports )
If you are looking for some extra cap relief for your FantasyScore lineup Friday, keep an eye on the status of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (ankle) and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin (hamstring) as tip-off time approaches.
If Adams sits, forward Mitch McGary ($3,400 salary; 6.8% of cap) should deliver useful numbers in an expanded role. His per-36 minute numbers this season include 15.7 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
Meanwhile, forward Chase Budinger ($4,000; 8.0%) should make a solid option if Martin is sidelined again. In the six previous games Martin has missed, Budinger is averaging 28.71 fantasy points.
Featured studs
C DeMarcus Cousins, Kings vs. Pelicans
$9,500 salary | 19.0% of cap
Cousins could be shut down for the year after Sacramento's current homestand, but in the meantime, he is a must-play option. He is averaging 68.31 FantasyScore points over his last four games, and he destroyed the Pelicans for 39 points and 20 rebounds last Friday.
F Anthony Davis, Pelicans at Kings
$9,400 salary | 18.8% of cap
He has scored at least 47.25 fantasy points in each of his last five games, and is averaging 52.25 over the same stretch. Davis delivered 51.25 fantasy points when these teams met last Friday, and he should have another big game against Sacramento's 29th-ranked scoring defense.
Start
G Elfrid Payton, Magic at Timberwolves
$5,800 salary | 11.6% of cap
The rookie continued his recent tear with 42.75 fantasy points against the Spurs Wednesday, and Payton has managed at least 30.00 in nine straight games, topping 40.00 six times during the stretch. He is a no-brainer option against a Minnesota team allowing the fourth most points and fifth most assists per game to point guards.
F Marvin Williams, Hornets at Pacers
$3.800 salary | 7.6% of cap
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle) is the latest member of Charlotte's frontcourt to be sidelined, and Williams is averaging 28.92 fantasy points in the three games Kidd-Gilchrist has missed. If you need to free up some cap space, Williams should make a safe option.
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G Jordan Clarkson, Lakers vs. Trail Blazers
$4,800 salary | 9.6% of cap
Clarkson continues to come into his own late in the season, and the rookie has scored at least 35.00 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He is averaging 48.40 over the same stretch, and he is a bargain at his current price.
C Zaza Pachulia, Bucks at Celtics
$4,100 salary | 8.2% of cap
He doesn't have a ton of upside, but Pachulia has been a steady source of points and rebounds as Milwaukee's starting center. He is averaging 29.68 FantasyScore points over his last seven games, and he draws a friendly matchup against a Boston team allowing the most points per game to centers.
Bench
C Al Jefferson, Hornets at Pacers
$7,600 salary | 15.2% of cap
Jefferson is averaging less than 30.00 fantasy points over his past three games, and after learning that he has had his knee drained three times in just over a week, the drop in production is easy to understand. Don't pay up for a hobbled "Big Al."
