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 Friday’s Starting 5 slate, there are four games.
HOU and UTA are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, D’Angelo Russell, Justin Edwards and Tosan Evbuomwan are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, PHI is -9.5 over BKN at home with the total at 213.5. DEN is -6.5 over LAL at home with the total at 240.5. HOU is -8 over UTA on the road with the total at 228.5. POR is -5.5 over CHA at home with the total at 219.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
Most of the players at this position have tough matchups, with the lone exception being Anfernee Simons, but he’s too streaky and one-dimensional for my taste. LaMelo Ball it is then, because he contributes across the board and can access a ceiling that most can’t touch. He did rest on Thursday, the second leg of a back-to-back, so he should be fresh for this one. Portland has been playing good defense, but Tyrese Maxey faces the Brooklyn Nets, a team that has been first in defensive rating over the last 10 games.
Shooting Guard
Over the last four games, Jamal Murray has put up at least 47 FPTS in three of those contests with a whopping high of 74 FPTS. The lone game he failed was a 146-117 blowout over Portland in which he played only 29 minutes. Nikola Jokic is the bonafide alpha for Denver, but Murray is no slouch as the Robin.
Small Forward
I considered Deni Avdija for a minute, but the matchup is too good for Amen Thompson. Utah has been 11th in pace and 23rd in defensive rating over the last 10 games. This should be an up-and-down affair, which perfectly suits Thompson’s game as it allows his freakish athleticism to shine.
Power Forward
I don’t want to keep clicking on the top name at the top, but on a small slate, sometimes it’s inevitable. I did consider Miles Bridges, but LaMelo Ball should be back for this one, which saps usage from him. I wanted to fade LeBron James because Luka Doncic should be back, but LeBron just contributes in too many facets of the game and his floor is too high to get away from him.
Center
Nikola Jokic is on the slate. Don’t get cute. Just click on his name and be happy. Could someone outscore him? Sure, anything can happen on any given night, but the probabilities always favor Jokic to put up the most raw points on the slate. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo in the game.
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.
