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 five games.
CHI and LAC are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Zach is available. Karl-Anthony Towns, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Amen Thompson, Josh Hart, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert are questionable. Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Donte DiVincenzo and Zaccharie Rishacher are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the biggest favorite is HOU -7.5 over DET. There is one game within 3 points: MEM -3 over MIN. There are two games with a total of at least 230: MIN/MEM (233.5) and PHO/CLE (236). There are no games with a total below 220. Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $3K Zone [$1K to 1st].
Point Guard
Trae Young has a 28.3% usage rate on the season, but over the last four games, that number has been in the low-to-mnid 30% range. Young has put up at least 50 FPTS in four of the last five games with two of those over 60 FPTS. This game is in MSG, and you know how much Trae loves antagonizing the New York faithful. Another 50-burger seems to be on the grill, ready to be cooked up.
Shooting Guard
Donovan Mitchell had an insane 43% usage rate last game with Evan Mobley out, finishing with 59 FPTS. Mobley has already been ruled out for Monday, so Mitchell should see an elevated usage rate once again as Mobley has been an important offensive cog for the Cavaliers.
Small Forward
Jaylen Brown has had a wide range of outcomes this season, as it’s not surprising if he finishes with 25 FPTS or 55 FPTS on any given night. Jayson Tatum is the alpha for the Celtics but Brown is his sidekick and takes on a larger role on some nights. Recently, he’s been more in playmaking mode, dishing out dimes instead of straight getting buckets. That said, he has the highest ceiling at the position.
Power Forward
Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers and fantasy players of our generation. With his size, length and offensive bag, he can get a bucket whenever he wants, against whomever he wants. With Bradley Beal sent to a reserve role, both Durant and Devin Booker have garnered a usage rate bump. Durant has put up at least 40 FPTS in each of the last seven games with a high of 62.25 FPTS.
Center
Alperen Sengun is called Baby Jokic for a reason, as his game is multi-faceted; scoring, grabbing rebounds, dishing out dimes and his defensive contributions have been much improved. The usage rate has been a solid 26.8% on the season and he’s put up at least 50 FPTS in each of the last two games.
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.
