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 Friday’s Starting 5 slate, there are eight games.
None of the teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back. CHI, DEN, GSW, HOU, MIL and POR play on Saturday.
As for injuries, Nikola Jokic, Brandon Ingram, Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Yves Missi, Nic Claxton, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jordan Hawkins, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker and Marvin Bagley III are questionable. Deandre Ayton and CJ McCollum are doubtful. Luka Doncic, Paul George, Cam Whitmore, Patrick Williams and Kyle Lowry are out Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there are three double-digit favorites: BOS -15 over WAS, GSW -10 over NOP and HOU -13.5 over POR. There is one game within 3 points: CHI -1.5 over ATL. There are three games with a total of at least 230: BOS/WAS (236), IND/MIL (236) and ATL/CHI (241). There are two games with a total below 220: BKN/PHI (217.5) and POR/HOU (217). Log into DK Sportsbook for updated betting lines.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $4K Zone [$1K to 1st]
Point Guard
Trae Young has been struggling as of late, as the shooting efficiency has been poor while teams have been doubling him, forcing the ball out of his hands. The positives, though, are that he’s been racking up a ton of assists and this game environment should be a juicy one for fantasy. This game has the highest total on the slate at 241. In addition, the Bulls are 26th in defensive efficiency and second in offensive pace.
Shooting Guard
Luka Doncic is out so Kyrie Irving will be the main offensive weapon for Dallas. While he doesn’t see a huge spike in usage rate with Doncic off the court, he’s still garnering around a 29 to 30% usage rate. Irving will likely end up in the 30 to 40 FPTS range, but he does have three games over 50 with a high of 63.25 FPTS.
Small Forward
Jaylen Brown has been a consistent and steady offensive force for the Celtics this season. He’s put up at least 40 FPTS in all but three games this season. The ceiling isn’t high, though, as he has only one game over 50, but there’s a high probability that he ends up somewhere in the 40s, which is pretty good. Washington is fourth in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been Godzilla-esque recently, wreaking havoc over the fantasy landscape. He’s gone for over 60 FPTS in four of the last six games with a high of 97.5! While Jayson Tatum and Jalen Johnson could match the floor, they are unlikely to match the ceiling of Antetokounmpo, especially since he has had recent success against the Pacers, averaging 39.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in the last eight games.
Center
If Nikola Jokic plays, then you play him. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo on the slate. If he’s out, then Alperen Sengun, aka Turkish Jokic, is someone I like. He has two triple-doubles on the season and has gone over 50 FPTS in four of the last six games. The biggest improvement in Sengun’s game has been the defensive contributions, as he’s averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals. He had never been over 1 in either category before. Joel Embiid is also an enticing option, especially against a center-less Nets team.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $4K Zone [$1K 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.
