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 seven games.
ATL, DEN, DET, MEM, NYK and SA are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, John Collins, Bradley Beal and Josh Minott are questionable. Torrey Craig is doubtful. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Jusuf Nurkic, Jerami Grant, Brandin Podziemski and Royce O’Neale are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the NYK/CHI and MEM/GSW games are not on the board yet. For the other five games, there is one double-digit favorite: MIL -12.5 over POR. There are two games within 3 points: IND -2 over PHO and DEN -2.5 over SA. There are two games with a total of at least 230: PHO/IND (234.5) and DEN/SA (239.5). There are two games with a total below 220: PHI/BKN (216.5) and MIN/DET (217.5). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $6K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
This is an interesting position because Cade Cunningham and Stephen Curry have tough matchups. Tyrese Haliburton looks healthy and has put up 72.25 and 51.5 FPTS in two of the last three games, but he’s also gone for 37.25, 38 and 18 FPTS in three of the last five games. I’m going to go with Damian Lillard, as he faces the Portland Trail Blazers, his former team and one that is 27th in defensive efficiency. In close games, Lillard is playing 38-to-40 minutes. This game does have blowout risk, but Lillard still played 32 minutes and put up 40.5 FPTS in a 21-point win against the Pistons four games ago.
Shooting Guard
Devin Booker missed five games due to a groin injury. He returned on Tuesday, playing 31 minutes and finishing with 36 FPTS. I think he gets back to the mid-30 minute range and has a good chance of finishing with 40-to-50 FPTS, as the Pacers are 24th in defensive efficiency. Bradley Beal is also questionable, so a sliver of more usage could flow his way.
Small Forward
Josh Hart isn’t a high usage player, but he stuffs the stat sheet and is one of the best rebounding wings in the game. He’s been on quite the heater, posting back-to-back triple-doubles in the two most recent games, good for 56 and 66.75 FPTS. Chicago is third in pace and 22nd in defensive efficiency, so he should once again rack up those fantasy goodies.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo has failed to score at least 50 FPTS only six times, with none of those below 40. He’s exceeded 70 FPTS seven times with a high of 97.5 FPTS! Portland is 27th in defensive efficiency and they have no one to stop Giannis in the paint. Well, they do in Donovan Clingan, but Portland refuses to play him significant minutes.
Center
There are plenty of good options at center but I’m always going to side with Nikola Jokic. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo in the league and is always in play to put up a “had-to-have-it” score. Over the last four games, he’s put up 72.75, 93, 61.25 and 74 FPTS. He has three 90-FPTS games this season.
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.
