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 Tuesday’s Starting 5 slate, there are seven games.
No teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Grayson Allen is probable. Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins and Caleb Martin are questionable. Tyrese Haliburton and Ty Jerome are doubtful. Joel Embiid, Jalen Johnson, Jusuf Nurkic, Herbert Jones and Andre Drummond are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: OKC -12.5 over PHI. There are four games with a total of at least 230: PHO/ATL (237), NOP/CHI (233.5), SAC/MIL (231.5) and DEN/DAL (230.5). There are two games with a total below 220: OKC/PHI (216.5) and BKN/POR (216). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
I do like Russell Westbrook, but since price is not a variable, I’m going to side with the floor/ceiling combo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has failed to hit 40 FPTS only six times this season, while he exceeded 70 FPTS three times.
Shooting Guard
Devin Booker has picked it up recently, attempting at least 20 shots in each of the last four games. He hit that mark only once in the prior five games. He’s playing close to 40 minutes a night and has contributed over 50 FPTS in three of the last four games with a high of 62.5 FPTS.
Small Forward
Trey Murphy III has finished with over 40 FPTS in six of the last nine games. In the other three contests, Murphy put up over 30, so the floor is relatively high. Now he gets to face a Bulls team that is third in pace and 22nd in defensive efficiency, and Murphy thrives in transition.
Power Forward
I’m not crazy about anyone at the position, so Giannis Antetokounmpo it is. The matchup isn’t great, as the Kings have posted the third-best defensive rating over the last seven games. That said, Giannis just does so much and can get there in a variety of ways, that’s it’s always tough to fade him. With no price considerations, the decision is made a little easier.
Center
Nikola Jokic is on the slate? Then it’s pretty much an auto-click for me. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo in the game. Period. Over the last eight games, he’s put up over 60 FPTS in all with four over 80 and a high of 93 FPTS!
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.
