Despite neverending ratings discourse, the NBA is heating up, and Tuesday’s slate is fascinating across the board.
DraftKings is offering a contest with the chance to win $100,000. Below, I’ve identified a pair of DFS value plays that will give your lineup a critical edge.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Zone Special [$100K to 1st]
DraftKings Value Picks
C Donovan Clingan ($4,100)
Regardless of the status of Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, Chauncey Billups needs to turn to Donovan Clingan to anchor his frontcourt. Portland is in the midst of a directionless rebuild, with few viable trade chips and young talent. The seventh pick in the most recent draft, Clingan is one of the few clear building blocks for the future. At UConn, the 7’2″ monster was a menacing rim protector. He could hold his own in one-on-one assignments or roam the baseline and be a shot eraser.
These attributes have translated to the next level when he’s on the floor. In six of the seven times he’s played at least 20 minutes, the rookie has tallied at least two rejections. The offensive game is still a work in progress, but he’s a serviceable role threat who can flush down an alley-oop or finish in the paint. His post moves are still unrefined, but it’s an area he can impress in if given the chance.
In his last two games, Clingan has been a force on the glass, which has put him on the DFS radar. He’s shown too many flashes to keep off the court and should see a more established role on this team from this point on. Clingan will tower over his likely matchup in Nic Claxton and should bully the undersized center.
SG Keon Ellis ($4,100)
One of the most fascinating sub-plots of the early NBA campaign was the curious case of Keon Ellis. The 25-year-old had some flashes toward the end of last season. He is a lengthy wing who is the club’s top on-ball defender and sniper from deep. Ellis is a career 41% shooter from three-point land, and that efficiency has translated to games where he’s had an uptick in workload. Whatever Mike Brown had against Ellis, new coach Doug Christie does not.
Since Brown’s firing, Ellis has slowly started to see more run and is proving he deserves a consistent spot in the rotation. Ellis has started five of the last six games after only seeing three starts in the 30 outings prior. His counting stats don’t jump off the page, but Sacramento is winning, and he’s contributing. The scoring hasn’t come around yet, but the pieces are there. Milwaukee has arguably the worst defensive backcourt in the NBA, and this is a prime spot for Ellis to play above his averages.
