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 five games.
No team is playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Jonathan Kuminga is probable. Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis, Jake LaRavia, Yves Missi and Noah Clowney are questionable. Josh Giddey and Lonzo Ball are doubtful. LeBron James, Bilal Coulibaly, Kelly Olynyk, Brandin Podziemski and Jaxson Hayes are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, DET is -15 over WAS at home with a 232.5 total. MIL is -4 over LAL at home with a 228 total. CHI is -3 over BKN at home with a 227 total. ORL is -1 over NOP on the road with a 213.5 total. GSW is -6.5 over SAC at home with a 234 total.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
Luka Doncic is questionable, but if he plays, I think he’s the way to go because he has the highest floor/ceiling combo at the position. He’s coming off a triple-double and is always a threat to accomplish the feat on a nightly basis. Doncic has gone for at least 50 FPTS in each of the last five games, with three over 60 FPTS. Back in December, he went for 94.25 FPTS, which is a ceiling that probably only Nikola Jokic can hit.
Shooting Guard
Austin Reaves has seen an increase in usage rate with LeBron James out. There’s a chance he becomes the conductor of the Lakers’ offense, as Doncic is questionable. Reaves has shown in the past that he’s able to function and prosper in an alpha role.
Small Forward
Jimmy Butler is so volatile from a fantasy perspective because he’s not always aggressive on offense. Over the last three games, though, he’s gone for 42.5, 43.75 and 52.5 FPTS, as he’s literally been doing it all for the Warriors. With defenses locked onto Stephen Curry, that’s opened up space for Butler to operate. He’s happy and engaged right now, and a happy and engaged Butler is a fantasy-friendly Butler.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo will more than likely score at least 50 FPTS because the Lakers are thin at center and Giannis is Giannis. That said, the Lakers have been doing a good job of protecting the paint, so a ceiling game seems unlikely. But a floor game from Giannis is a ceiling game for everyone else.
Center
This is a tough one, especially since Nikola Vucevic probably won’t play 30 minutes while Jonas Valanciunas has Domantas Sabonis possibly returning to action. Alex Sarr has struggled against Detroit and Jalen Duren doesn’t play 30 minutes. I guess it’s Draymond Green by default!! If Sabonis doesn’t play, then Valanciunas is the way.
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.
