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With real basketball currently on hiatus, DraftKings is launching simulated basketball games! Take note of the rules since this contest doesn’t work like any other contest we have had before. Here, we will focus on Saturday’s free simulated game between the Heat and Clippers, which locks at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Set your FREE to play lineups here: Simulated Basketball $2K FREE Contest (MIA vs LAC)
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
How does Simulated Basketball work?
DraftKings will choose an NBA matchup and prior to each game, entrants can draft free DFS Showdown lineups for the upcoming simulated game. Lineups will receive fantasy points for a player’s performance within a randomly-assigned game earlier this season (any game from the 2019-20 season is eligible, not just the specific Showdown matchup listed above).
How does Simulated Basketball scoring work?
All lineups will receive points for the performance of their players in a specific game from the 2019-20 season. Each individual player will be randomly assigned stats from a single game in the 2019-20 season prior to the contest going live. Points will be revealed per player as the game moves along. Players will receive points in accordance with our single-game NBA Showdown Captain Mode rules and scoring.
Which players are eligible in the player pool?
Players who have played in at least 15 games in the 2019-20 season are eligible to be drafted.
What do I get if I win?
Every free contest will award DK Dollars that can be used to enter DFS contests.
What are DK Dollars?
DK Dollars act just like cash and can be used to enter any daily fantasy contest on DraftKings. DK Dollars cannot be withdrawn from your balance.
Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices.
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Miami Heat
Miami has two All-Stars, Jimmy Butler ($10,600) and Bam Adebayo ($9,200). The two have nearly identical production this season, with Butler averaging 41.85 DKFP compared to an average of 41.67 DKFP for Adebayo. I prefer rostering Bam to Butler for the salary savings and the slightly higher ceiling. Adebayo has scored as many as 70.25 DKFP this season. Even though I prefer Bam, this doesn’t mean we have to fade Butler. It makes sense to roster them both if fitting them both works for your lineup construction. With that said, Butler is the weakest play of the four most expensive players in this contest.
Kendrick Nunn ($7,800) is a player from the Miami side of the game that I am comfortable fading. Even though he has upside, Nunn is a bit overpriced considering his average performances. He’s stepped up at times when Miami has dealt with injuries, but only averages 26.35 DKFP for the season. This makes Nunn the eighth-best fantasy producer in the game while being the third-highest priced player. It makes way more sense to roster Goran Dragic ($6,800) for a cheaper price. Not only does Dragic come with $1,000 in savings, he averages 2.53 more DKFP per game.
As a value play, Derrick Jones Jr. ($3,800) is a sensible play. He’s been a pretty steady player, averaging 19.4 DKFP and he rarely has games with under 15 DKFP. Despite having a modest ceiling, Jones is cheap and makes sense because his salary savings allow us to fit in the three highest-priced players in this contest. There is also some reason to look at Kelly Olynyk ($3,000) for value, but he’s a way higher variance play than Jones.
My favorite value play from the Heat in this contest is Jae Crowder ($4,400). He’s a bit underpriced since his role has decreased a bit in Miami, but before being traded he was a starter in Memphis and logged some heavy minutes. As a result, Crowder is averaging 25.32 DKFP for the season and is a bit underpriced. It looks like he is only priced for his production during his time with the Heat and all his games are important for the format of these NBA sims.
Los Angeles Clippers
We have quite a few strong fantasy producers in this contest, the best of which is Kawhi Leonard ($17,100 CP/$11,400), making him my top choice in the Captain’s spot. He’s averaging 48.42 DKFP per game, by far the most of any player in this contest. The second-highest average is Paul George ($10,000) at 42.45 DKFP. We know Kawhi has upside and he has nine games going over 60 DKFP. We also don’t have to worry about him resting as we do in real life.
Speaking of games where Kawhi has rested, his absence has created some big upside for other players. One guy, in particular, is George, who I mentioned above. His usage shoots through the roof with Leonard off the court and we could see a big performance for PG13 if he draws one of the games where he was active and Kawhi rested. The same goes for Lou Williams ($8,000). He averages 32.27 DKFP for the season but has also moved into the starting lineup a handful of times when players were injured or resting. As a starter, Williams averages 39.41 DKFP. I slightly prefer Lou to Montrezl Harrell ($8,400) in a similar price range.
Reggie Jackson ($1,600) is the best per dollar play in this game. He’s priced for his time on the Clippers and his salary seems to ignore the time he spent with the Pistons. Jackson averages 24.49 DKFP and is one of the cheapest players in this contest. There isn’t a player priced close to him averaging close to his fantasy output. As another value play at guard, we can also look at Patrick Beverley ($2,400). He’s a bit more expensive than Jackson and averages less DKFP, but he’s still a good value play per dollar.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.