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 four games.
ATL, CHA and DET are playing the second leg of a back-to-back. DAL and UTA play on Sunday.
As for injuries, Stephen Curry, Paul George, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Andrew Wiggins and Caleb Martin are questionable. Luka Doncic is doubtful. Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson and Klay Thompson are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, DET is -1 over PHI at home with the total at 220.5. MIL is -15.5 over WAS at home with the total at 234.5. PHO is -2.5 over GSW at home with the total at 229. DAL is -6 over UTA on the road with the total at 232.5. Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
Damian Lillard has gone for over 40 FPTS in each of the last four games, with two over 50 and a high of 66.25 FPTS on Tuesday. Now he gets a matchup against a Wizards team that is fourth in pace and dead-last in defensive efficiency. Tap that wrist.
Shooting Guard
Luka Doncic is doubtful while Klay Thompson has been ruled out for Saturday. In 200 minutes this season with both players off the court, Kyrie Irving has seen a 6.95% usage bump to 33.11%. Irving has scored over 40 FPTS in each of the last three games, with a high of 51.25 FPTS. Utah is 29th in defensive efficiency and plays at the 11th-fastest pace.
Small Forward
This is a tough position to navigate because Paul George is questionable, while Lauri Markkanen has a tough matchup and has been dealing with a knee contusion and a personal issue. That said, I don’t think any of the other players can match the raw points of these two. Markkanen has gone for at least 40 FPTS in three of the last four games with a high of 50.75 FPTS. He did only put up 29.5 FPTS in the most recent contest, though, and Dallas is 10th in defensive efficiency. I still think he approaches 40 FPTS.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a Q next to his name but he’s probable for Saturday. He has the highest floor/ceiling combo at the position and slate, while the matchup is pristine, as the Wizards play fast and eschew defense.
Center
Man, I thought the small forward position was tough. At least there were players who were obviously in a tier above the others. The center position is a cluster. There is no player in an obvious penthouse tier, while many have playing time concerns. As a result, I will go with Brook Lopez. It’s highly likely that he plays over 30 minutes and the matchup against the Wizards is pristine. He has also shown semblance of ceiling this season with two games over 50 FPTS.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st]
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.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
