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.
For Saturday’s slate, there are five games.
As for injuries, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Stephen Curry, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, De’Anthony Melton and Steven Adams are out. John Konchar is doubtful. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
SAC, TOR, MIN and CLE are playing the second leg of a back-to-back. None of the teams play on Sunday.
DraftKings Sportsbook has HOU as the biggest favorite at -6 over GS. The CLE/MIL game has the highest total at 231.5. There are two games with totals below 220: GS/HOU (216) and MIN/SA (215). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st]
Point Guard
Over the last two games, Tyrese Maxey has had usage rates of 34.9% and 36.6%, while playing a whopping 40 and 48 minutes. No one else can match that. He’s gone for 50.75 and 62 FPTS in those contests. The matchup should be a good one, as the Grizzlies are 17th in defensive efficiency while playing at the third-fastest pace.
Shooting Guard
There are some nice options at the shooting guard position, but I’m going with Donovan Mitchell, despite playing the second leg of a back-to-back. Anthony Edwards is also in the same situation, but the Spurs don’t play fast and have actually been decent in defensive efficiency. Jalen Green has been en fuego, but the Warriors have been on the best defenses in the league. Milwaukee, on the other hand, is playing at the seventh-fastest pace and sit 24th in defensive efficiency. Mitchell should feast on Damian Lillard.
Small Forward
With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley out, RJ Barrett has been THE man for the Raptors. He’s scored over 30 points in back-to-back contests. On Wednesday, he put up 31 points, eight assists, four treys and two steals, good for 52.5 FPTS. On Friday, he finished with 33 points, five rebounds, 12 assists and three treys. Sacramento has been playing good defense, but the usage is too much to ignore.
Power Forward
After a less-than-stellar opening game with his new team, Julius Randle has been straight balling out. He went for over 40 FPTS in three straight and is having a decent start to Friday’s game. Jeremy Sochan is a good defender, but he’s giving up 20 pounds to Randle.
Center
This is a tough one because Victor Wembanyama probably has the highest ceiling on the slate. That said, the floor is lower than some of the other options, and with Rudy Gobert guarding him, most of his shots will likely be from the perimeter. So, I’m leaning towards Domantas Sabonis, who is essentially a lock to double-double. On the season, he’s gone for over 40 FPTS in every contest, with a high of 67. The Raptors are top-10 in pace and dead-last in defensive efficiency.
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.
