DraftKings, your paradise of DFS nirvana, has done it again, with a new contest called NBA Starting 5. It’s so easy to play that my dad would have fun with it, and he barely knows how to text me.
You select one point guard, one shooting guard, one small forward, one power forward and one center.
There is no salary cap.
The only stipulation is that you must select players from at least two different teams.
That’s it. EZ PZ.
For Friday’s slate, there are seven games.
As for injuries, Brandon Miller, Karl-Anthony Towns, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Zach LaVine, Jalen Smith, Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner, Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi and Daniel Theis are questionable. Immanuel Quickley is doubtful. Scottie Barnes and CJ McCollum are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
No teams are the second leg of a back-to-back. BOS, CHA, CLE, DEN, MIN, OKC, POR, SAC and TOR all play on Saturday, though.
DraftKings Sportsbook has BOS as the biggest favorite at -11.5 over CHA. The tighest spreads are BKN -2 over CHI and IND -2.5 over NO. There are three games with a total of at least 230: BOS/CHA (233), SAC/ATL (237.5) and IND/NO (236.5). There are three games with a total below 220: ORL/CLE (217.5), NY/DET (217.5) and CHI/BKN (217). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st]
Point Guard
If Karl-Anthony Towns is out, then Jalen Brunson is my guy. He hasn’t been great to start this season, converting only 44% of his shot attempts. He’s a career 48% shooter, so he’s going to get better. The main thing, though, is that in 35 minutes this season, Brunson has seen an 8% usage bump to a whopping 40%!
If Towns plays, then I’m going with Dennis Schroder. He’s gone for 51.5 FPTS in each of the last two games. Now, he’s converted over 60% of his shot attempts, and that is unsustainable, especially since Chicago has been playing good defense. That said, the Bulls are playing at the fastest pace, so that should mitigate some of the loss in efficiency.
Shooting Guard
Austin Reaves went for only 12.5 FPTS on Wednesday. He only played 28 minutes as the Lakers got blown out by Cleveland. Things should be much easier for Reaves on Friday, as Toronto is playing at a top-10 pace and is dead last in defensive efficiency. On the season, Reaves has gone for over 30 FPTS in four of five games, which includes a 43.5 and 51.5 performance.
Small Forward
With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley doubtful, the offensive onus falls on the shoulders of RJ Barrett. On Wednesday, he garnered a usage rate of 32% and finished with 52.5 FPTS. Barrett shot 10-of-18 for 31 points, eight assists, two steals and four treys. The Lakers are 22nd in defensive efficiency.
Power Forward
Jayson Tatum has been money all season. He’s gone for over 50 FPTS in four of five games with two over 60. He did struggle against Milwaukee, finishing with 36 FPTS as he shot only 6-of-16 from the field. The Hornets are 27th in defensive efficiency and are playing at the 10th-fastest pace.
Center
Anthony Davis is one of the best fantasy players in the league. His only bugaboo is health, but he’s been healthy recently. Davis literally does it all, stuffing the stat sheet and dominating at both ends of the court. New coach JJ Redick has leveled him up offensively, as the usage rate is now 31% after languishing in the 27 to 28 percent range over the last few seasons.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st]
What is the DraftKings NBA Starting 5 Game Style?
- The Fantasy Sports NBA Starting 5 Game Style is a type of contest in which participants draft lineups by selecting one point guard, one shooting guard, one small forward, one power forward, and one center. NBA Starting 5 is scored the same way as classic NBA DFS contests.
Important Information:
- Fantasy Sports NBA Starting 5 contests require no salary cap balancing.
- NBA Starting 5 contests span multiple games, and Fantasy Sports participants must select athletes from at least two different teams.
- Participants will see all five positions on the draft screen, and must pick one athlete per position.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) 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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.
