The NBA is about to hit its next gear, and Saturday provides an excellent all-around slate.
DraftKings is offering a contest with the chance to win $20,000. Below, I’ve identified a trio of DFS value plays that will give your lineup a critical edge.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
DraftKings Value Picks
PG/SG Ayo Dosunmu ($6,000)
On a team with no evident desire to win or a way to bottom out, Ayo Dosunmu remains an intriguing glue piece. Despite being a primary on-ball creator at the University of Illinois, Dosunmu has stagnated offensively as a pro. After taking a mini-leap last year, Dosunmu’s shooting has taken a step back to start this campaign.
His shooting splits are down across the board, including being almost nine percent worse on attempts from beyond the arc. Dosunmu’s value comes from stuffing the stat sheet and often running the second unit. He’s active on the glass and has taken strides as a playmaker. Against a weak Portland squad, Dosunmu matches up nicely against its undersized backcourt.
PG/SG D’Angelo Russell ($5,900)
D’Angelo Russell is back in his favorite role as the focal point of a squad that’s content with letting him do whatever he wants. Out of structure, Russell is the poster child of “modern” hoops. He has a nifty handle that looks more visually appealing in a highlight package than it does generating him separation from defenders. He’s also obsessed with chucking triples and isn’t afraid to call his own number.
Regardless of his value on a winning team, Russell is competent at putting up numbers as a top option. He’s had at least eight assists in three of his last four games and has found his stroke from distance. He’s been coming off the bench as a result of the club’s youth movement but is still a fixture in crunch time and at crucial junctures of games.
Russell has a less-than-ideal matchup against an Oklahoma City side that has the best defensive rating in basketball. Russell is a veteran, and if the Thunder continue to deal with injuries to key rotation pieces, he can do enough damage to be DFS-relevant.
Dark-Horse Play: C Jaylin Williams ($4,000)
Often, there’s tremendous upside in tailing a role player forced into action. Chet Holmgren is still out indefinitely, and Isaiah Hartenstein is nursing a calf injury. That leaves Jaylin Williams as the only experienced center on the Thunder roster. “J-Will” has had his own string of injuries throughout his young career, but the 22-year-old looks comfortable taking on the extra burden.
Williams can space the floor and is comfortable firing at the top of the key off pick-and-roll. However, his efficiency has been shaky out of the gate, as he hits 32% of his shots from deep in 14 appearances. He is an underrated distributor, and with the team short-handed, he could tap into more of that side of his arsenal. Although Williams can get in trouble because he’s undersized, Brooklyn’s frontcourt has been a disaster defensively the last few weeks. If he can venture past the 30 fantasy point territory, he’ll be well worth his price tag.
