DraftKings, your paradise of DFS nirvana, has done it again with a new contest called NBA Starting 5. 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 Monday’s Starting 5 slate, there are six games.
As for injuries, Joel Embiid and Lindy Waters III are questionable. Damian Lillard is probable. Domantas Sabonis and Wendell Carter Jr. are doubtful. DeMar DeRozan and De’Anthony Melton are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: NYK -13 over WAS. There are four games within 3 points: DET -3 over CHI, IND -3 over TOR, MIL -3 over HOU and PHO -2.5 over ORL. There are three games with a total of at least 230: CHI/DET (231.5), WAS/NYK (230.5) and IND/TOR (238). There are games with a total below 220: PHI/MIA (215.5), HOU/MIL (217.5) and ORL/PHO (204.5). There is one home dog: TOR. Log into DK Sportsbook for updated betting lines.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st]
Point Guard
Cade Cunningham has blossomed this season. Part of the reason is natural development, but the front office did an excellent job surrounding him with shooters to open up the lane. Cunningham has triple-doubled three times this season and has become a nightly threat to mess around. He’s also been contributing some defensive stats. He has failed to score at least 40 FPTS only once this season and has gone over 50 FPTS six times with a high of 71.25. The matchup on Monday is a fantasy-friendly one as Chicago is third in pace and 24th in defensive efficiency.
Shooting Guard
Jared McCain is buried at the bottom of the player pool but he’s mighty enticing, especially if Joel Embiid is unable to play. Tyrese Maxey is still out, so McCain will likely continue seeing a usage rate over 30%. In addition, Devin Booker has been struggling and has a tough matchup against Orlando. McCain has gone over 30 FPTS in each of the last four games with a high of 58.5. I think he can match or exceed the production of the other players at the position.
Small Forward
Franz Wagner has been an animal since Paolo Banchero succumbed to injury. The usage rate has consistently been above 30% and he’s gone over 40 FPTS in each of the last six games, with two over 50 and a high of 63.75. He is the alpha for the Magic on offense right now.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo is questionable, so make sure he plays. In addition, the matchup isn’t a good one, but since there is no price consideration, if Giannis plays, you probably have to click on his name. The floor/ceiling combo is too high and no one can match his production if he plays a full complement of minutes.
Center
The center position is likely where the differentiation will happen, as there are so many nice options. If Karl-Anthony Towns plays, the skills and matchup are too good not to play, as he’s too agile for Jonas Valanciunas and too big for Alex Sarr. Over the last eight games, Towns has put up at least 40 FPTS in all with six over 50, three over 60 and a high of 71.5. Washington is dead-last in defensive efficiency and plays at the second-fastest pace.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K 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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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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.
