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.
NYK and WAS are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Draymond Green and Jeremy Sochan are questionable. Tari Eason and Josh Richardson are doubtful. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: MIN -13.5 over WAS. There are two games within three points: HOU -2.5 over MEM and LAL -3 over SAS. There is one game with a total of at least 230: MEM/HOU (235.5). There is one game with a total below 220: MIA/LAC (215). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
In four of his last five games, Cade Cunningham has put up 67.5, 59, 57 and 63.5 FPTS. In the other game, he finished with 26.75 FPTS due to a blowout in which he only recieved 23 minutes of run. Cunningham is the alpha for the Pistons and should find success against a Knicks team that is 19th in defensive efficiency. In two prior meetings with New York, Cunningham put up 71.5 and 41 FPTS.
Shooting Guard
Anthony Edwards started getting uber-aggressive five games ago. He put up 65.6, 61.75 and 53.25 FPTS but has fallen off with 40.25 and 20.25 FPTS in the two most recent contests. Those games were against MEM and ORL, two of the premier defensive teams in the league. Monday’s matchup is against the Washington Wizards, a team that is dead-last in defensive efficiency and plays at the fourth-fastest pace.
Small Forward
Josh Hart is such a unique player because he doesn’t garner a high usage rate but delivers those fantasy goodies. Most of them are from rebounding, as he’s grabbed double-digit boards in 10 of the last 11 games. He also racks up steals and dishes out dimes. He even has four triple-doubles on the season. Hart has exceeded 40 FPTS 19 times with four of those over 50 and a high of 66.75 FPTS. In two prior meetings with Detroit, Hart finished with 33.25 and 31.5 FPTS.
Power Forward
LeBron James hasn’t played since last Tuesday due to the fires in Los Angeles. I think the rest will have done his 40-year-old body some good. While ceiling games are unlikely, James is still a threat to triple-double on any given night, something he’s done eight times this season. In two prior meetings with the Spurs, James finished with 51 and 56.5 FPTS.
Center
I like many of the options at center on this slate, so this is likely where the most differentiation will occur. In a vacuum, I will side with Victor Wembanyama. Sure, the range of outcomes is the widest out of the top options, but he has the highest ceiling due to his ability to produce a robust number in every statistical category. He’s gone over 80 FPTS twice 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.
