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 Thursday’s Starting 5 slate, there are six games.
BOS is playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Tyrese Haliburton, Paul George, Josh Giddey, Bennedict Mathurin, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, Cole Anthony, Justin Edwards and Lonzo Ball are questionable. Nikola Vucevic is doubtful. Tyrese Maxey, Fred VanVleet and Ayo Dosunmu are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there are two double-digit favorites: BOS -13 over PHI and GSW -10 over BKN. There are two games within three points: IND -2 over ATL and LAL -2.5 over NYK. There is one game with a total over 230: IND/ATL (246.5). There is one game below 220: CHI/ORL (218.5).
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
If Tyrese Haliburton is available (currently questionable with a hip issue) then that’s how I would differentiate on this slate because most will likely go with Luka Doncic. The matchup against Atlanta is one of the most fantasy-friendly ones out there, as they are first in pace and 24th in defensive rating over the last 10 games. Plus, Haliburton has been delivering the fantasy goodies recently, putting up at least 47 FPTS in each of the last seven games with four over 50 and a high of 67.75 FPTS. If Haliburton is out, then Doncic is the way.
Shooting Guard
Over the last three games, Quentin Grimes has gone for 43.25, 33.5, and 63 FPTS while playing 38, 38, and 37 minutes. With Tyrese Maxey out, he should continue playing in the high-30 range and garner a decent usage rate on offense. That number has been 34.7%, 21.8%, and 24.3% across his last three outings.
Small Forward
This is a tough position for me, but I’m going to go with Amen Thompson. I think Houston gives Zion Williamson some trouble, while Paolo Banchero looks to have re-established himself as the alpha in Orlando. Thompson is a low-usage player but does work on the boards and on defense. He’s also a beast in transition. Over the last two games, Thompson has played at least 40 minutes in both and has attempted at least 10 shots in each of the last three contests. New Orleans has been 23rd in defensive rating over the last 10 games.
Power Forward
Paolo Banchero has put up 73.5 and 59.5 FPTS in two of the last three games. As mentioned above, it looks like the pecking order has been re-established in Orlando, with Banchero as the 1A and teammate Franz Wagner sliding back to the 1B. The matchup is a fantasy-friendly one as Chicago is sixth in pace and 26th in defensive rating over the last 10 games.
Center
Alperen Sengun will likely put up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists with a block or steal while playing 35 minutes. That’s essentially what he’s done in four of the last five games, which have been good for 45 to 55 FPTS. Now, he faces a Pelicans team that has boosted the fantasy points per minute of centers by 7.61 percentage points, the sixth-most in the NBA.
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.
