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 Tuesday’s Starting 5 slate, there are four games.
BKN, IND and WAS are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Jose Alvarado, Kelly Olynyk and Pat Connaughton are questionable. . Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, DET is -13.5 over WAS at home with the total at 232.5. CLE is -17.5 over BKN at home with the total at 223.5. LAC is -7 over NOP on the road with the total at 221.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
James Harden has played 44, 36, 38 and 38 minutes over the last four games while hoisting up around 20 shots per game. Oh, he’s also grabbing boards and dishing out dimes, with two games of 11 and 15. That’s translated to over 55 FPTS in three of those contests. This is the front end of a back-to-back for the Clippers, so there’s a chance Kawhi Leonard sits out, which would increase the offensive responsibilities for Harden.
Shooting Guard
Andrew Nembhard has put up over 30 FPTS in four of the last five games. With Tyrese Haliburton out, he’s dished out 12 and 10 dimes while attempting double-digit shots, resulting in 41.75 FPTS on Saturday. Haliburton is questionable once again and I’m working under the assumption that he will miss another game.
Small Forward
This is an interesting position. Bennedict Mathurin sits atop the player pool and is coming off a 52-FPT performance, but he played 40 minutes in that one. Haliburton was out and Atlanta is playing super fast these days. Mathurin does have spike games for sure and could go for over 40 FPTS on any given night, but more often than not, he’s going to end up in the 20-to-30 FPTS range. I’m thinking the ownership will be high, so, Aaron Nesmith will be the one I select, as he’s put up at least 20 FPTS in each of the last nine games while going over 30 FPTS twice. He’s playing in the mid-30s as well, something that the others can’t lay claim to.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest floor/ceiling combo on the slate. Don’t be a hero. Differentiate somewhere else.
Center
If I want safety, then I’m going with Ivica Zubac, as he’s put up over 40 FPTS in each of the last four games with a high of 57.5 FPTS. New Orleans is 23rd in defensive rating over the last 10 games and they don’t have the beef to handle Zubac down low. If I want to live dangerously and inject some volatility, then Jalen Duren is my choice. The range of outcomes is extremely wide, as he could end up with 18 FPTS or 50 FPTS. But the ownership should be low for him and I could see him matching or even exceeding the production of Zubac.
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.
