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 Saturday’s Starting 5 slate, there are six games.
BKN is playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Lonnie Walker IV is probable. Ja Morant, Austin Reaves, P.J. Washington, Alex Caruso, Payton Pritchard, Jaylin Williams, Marcus Smart, Alec Burks, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Kai Jones are questionable. Cole Anthony, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Lonzo Ball are doubtful. Andrew Wiggins, Jake LaRavia, Kyshawn George, Duncan Robinson, Jeff Dowtin Jr. are out.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: BOS -11.5 over SAS. There are three games within 3 points: BKN -1.5 over WAS, CHI -2 over DAL and MEM -1 over LAL. There are three games with a total over 230: DAL/CHI (239.5), LAL/MEM (235) and IND/OKC (238). There are two games below 220: BKN/WAS (219.5) and MIA/PHI (219.5).
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $6K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
There are so many good options at the position on this slate, and PG could be where the most differentiation occurs. I love Josh Giddey, but I must get on my knees, click on Luka Doncic and sing, “HalleLuka!” Doncic is a threat to triple-double on any given night and has the highest floor/ceiling combo at the position. The last time he failed to put up at least 50 FPTS was back on March 2. Austin Reaves is questionable, which could provide more usage for Doncic if he’s out.
Shooting Guard
I hate this position. Reaves and Pritchard will probably not play. Desmond Bane would lose a ton of usage if Ja Morant returns. Stephon Castle has a tough matchup against the Celtics. The Heat play slow and are decent at defense, but I’m going with Quentin Grimes here. He’s been thrust into the alpha role for Philadelphia and thrived. He’s receiving playing time with minutes in the mid-30s so, as long as he gets the minutes and usage, he provides the best floor/ceiling combo.
Small Forward
Coby White has put up over 40 FPTS in each of the last four games with a high of 54.75 FPTS. The matchup is a juicy one, as Dallas is seventh in pace and 24th in defensive rating over the last 10 games.
Power Forward
Bam Adebayo can be so frustrating due to the inconsistency. Some games he’s uber-aggressive while in others he’s very passive, making the range of outcomes very wide. But he does have 50-FPTS upside and matchup doesn’t get much better than Philadelphia, a team that is 10th in pace and 29th in defensive rating over the last 10 games.
Center
Boston will likely blow out San Antonio, which means Kristaps Porzingis probably won’t play 30 minutes. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, as the Spurs are now one of the worst defensive teams in the league without Victor Wembanyama. Porzingis has put up at least 48 FPTS in three of the last four games — two of those over 50 FPTS — despite playing fewer than 30 minutes due to blowouts.
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.
