Injuries and ever-changing rotations are the only guarantee in the NBA, which makes finding value in DFS contests a difficult task. Yet, if you look close enough, there’s plenty of hidden gems available to slot into your lineups. Here are three players from Thursday’s New Years Day slate that are being slept on.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
PF Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards ($6,400)
Playing for the first time in nearly a month, Kyle Kuzma looked solid in limited action on Monday night. Despite coming off of the bench, the forward accounted for 9 points, three rebounds and two assists over 21 minutes of play against the Knicks. The performance was good enough for 17.0 DK fantasy points, more than half of his season-long average (25.9). That might not sound like much, but it’s safe to assume that head coach Brian Keefe will increase the veteran’s workload sooner rather than later.
A minutes boost might not be needed to put up numbers against the Bulls. This season, Chicago’s defense is giving up the second-most points to opponents (121.0) and the sixth-most DK fantasy points to opposing power forwards. Assuming Kuzma returns to the starting lineup on Wednesday, this price tag is more than worth it.
SF/PF Tristan Da Silva, Orlando Magic ($4,900)
In the absence of stars Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, the Magic have needed several lesser-known players to step up. Among them is Tristan Da Silva; the rookie has posted 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists over the past two weeks. Most recently, he put together a 21-point, seven-assist, six-rebound outing against the Nets on Monday (42.0 fantasy points).
The Colorado product should keep the good times rolling on Wednesday vs. the Pistons. This season, Detroit is allowing opponents to convert on 38.4% of their three-point shots, the worst mark in the NBA. That plays into Da Silva’s strength as a sharpshooter, as he’s nailed 39.1% of his attempts from beyond the arc in Orlando’s previous four games. Look for the Magic to keep the 23-year-old involved on offense tonight against one of the association’s worst perimeter defenses.
PG Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls ($3,800)
Even with a fairly recognizable last name, injuries and inconsistent performance have dropped Lonzo Ball’s cost dramatically. Suiting up for the first time in nearly two years, the former lottery pick hasn’t played much, hovering around 18 minutes over 14 appearances this season. However, he has shown signs of his old self, with per36 averages of 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Following his third 20-minute outing of the season on Monday, is Ball trending towards more playing time? Wednesday’s matchup might be a good indicator. The Wizards are giving up the most points to opponents (122.4) and the most DK fantasy points to opposing point guards. That makes this the exact type of matchup that Lonzo could thrive in. The Bulls aren’t good enough to predict a road blowout, so both teams should have their best players in for most of the contest. At a next-to-nothing cost, there’s far worse options to fill out the bottom of your fantasy lineups.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is b.armetta) 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.
