Full disclosure: I’m writing this article from a hotel room in Ottawa, Ontario. That’s right. Canada’s lovely capital city. I’ve been stranded here due to a cancelled flight. Needless to say, it’s been a long day.
Is my brain mush? Yes. Could that effect the quality of these value picks? I guess we’ll see!
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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PG T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, $4,800
This will be the third consecutive article in which I’ve written up McConnell, but if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right? With injuries and ailments to Andrew Nembhard (knee), Aaron Nesmith (ankle), Ben Shepard (oblique) and Jarace Walker (illness), the Pacers have little to no depth in their backcourt and on the wing. That’s where McConnell comes into the mix. As has generally been the case in recent seasons, McConnell continues to be an efficiency king, averaging a team-high 1.15 FPTS per minute logged in 2024-25. In his last two contests, he’s registered 34.25 FPTS and 27.75 FPTS, respectively. Why would I expect anything different on Friday evening?
SG/SF Quentin Grimes, Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets, $4,200
In general, Grimes is a fantasy asset on the rise. The veteran wing wasn’t exactly a cherished member of the Mavericks’ rotation to begin the season, but he’s now logged at least 20 minutes in each of his last five games. That includes dropping a season-high in both points (15) and FPTS (30.5) against the Jazz last Thursday. Still, I’ve buried the lede here. The main reason for Grimes’ viability on Friday is the absence of Luka Doncic (wrist), who is set to miss at least a week’s time. Considering Doncic’s 33.6% usage rate is highest mark of any Western Conference player, I think it’s safe to assume that there will be some shots to go around in Dallas. Obviously, Kyrie Irving ($9,800) will be the biggest beneficiary, yet there will be opportunity for a piece like Grimes. It should also be noted that Grimes started the only game that Doncic has missed to this point in 2024-25. If that happens again on Friday, at this modest a price, there’s clear ceiling.
SF/PF Amir Coffey, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Sacramento Kings, $4,000
Norman Powell (hamstring) has been incredible for the Clippers this season, but the guard is set to miss his second straight contest on Friday. What happened when he sat out on Wednesday? Well, Coffey drew his first start of 2024-25 and he thrived with the expanded opportunity. In fact, Coffey finished that victory over the Magic with 18 points, four rebounds and 25.5 FPTS in a season-high 33.2 minutes. Despite that effort, Coffey’s price tag has somehow gone down $100 in the last 48 hours. Take advantage of the opportunity to save.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
