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 10 games.
DAL, DEN, MEM, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS and UTA are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Tyrese Haliburton, Fred VanVleet, T.J. McConnell, Nikola Vucevic, Duncan Robinson, Jaxson Hayes, Al Horford, Patrick Williams, Alec Burks, Vit Krejci, Keaton Wallace and Haywood Highsmith are questionable. Kristaps Porzingis and Lonzo Ball are doubtful. LeBron James, Jalen Brunson, Cam Thomas, Amen Thompson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jakob Poeltl, Richaun Holmes, Khris Middleton, Brandin Podziemski, Marcus Smart, Jonathan Mogbo, Trendon Watford and Tidjane Salaun are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live. DAL, DEN, MEM, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS, GSW, NYK and UTA have not submitted yet.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: GSW -12 over POR. There is one game within three points: SAC -1 over NYK. There are two games with a total of at least 230: IND/CHI (241.5) and DEN/OKC (241). There are three games with a total below 220: LAL/BKN (217.5), CHA/MIA (216) and ORL/HOU (213).
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $15K Zone [$5K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
A Swiss watch company should make Shai Gilgeous-Alexander their spokesperson because he would perfectly embody their precision and high-quality. As its watches predictably count the time, SGA tick tocks his way to fantasy goodies on a consistent basis. He is one of the most efficient and unstoppable offensive forces in the game right now. He’s gone for over 50 FPTS in each of the last four games with a high of 73.25 FPTS.
Shooting Guard
At the end of his rookie season, Austin Reaves averaged 33.3 minutes, 18 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 treys over the last four games, which included a triple-double. He showed that he could stuff the stat sheet in an alpha role. He garnered the trust of LeBron James to, not only be a secondary creator, but to take care of the ball when he needed a blow. With both James and Luka Doncic on the floor, the usage rate predictably declined for Reaves, affecting his fantasy production. Well, James is out and Doncic is questionable, so it is once again time for Reaves to shine.
Small Forward
Jaylen Brown has put up at least 40 FPTS in each of the last four games. Jayson Tatum is questionable for Monday’s matchup against the Jazz, which could provide an uptick in usage rate for Brown. Over the last 10 games, Utah is sixth in pace and 24th in defensive rating.
Power Forward
Miles Bridges has been on a heater recently, putting up at least 54 FPTS in three of the last four games with a high of 64.5 FPTS. He’s attempted at least 20 shots in each of the last five games with 32 attempts two games ago!
Center
Alperen Sengun garners a 26% usage rate for the Rockets. He can shoot from the perimeter, punish defenders down low, clean the glass and dish out dimes. He has even improved the defensive stats, averaging 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks this season. He has put up at least 42 FPTS in each of the last four games with a high of 50.5 FPTS.
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.
