Injuries and ever-changing rotations are the only guarantee in the NBA, which makes finding value in DFS contests a difficult task. Yet, if you look close enough, there’s plenty of hidden gems available to slot into your lineups. Here are two players from Thursday’s three-game slate that are being slept on.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
PG/SG Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics ($5,400)
There are plenty of reasons for the recent success of the Celtics: prolific shooting, terrific coaching, and selfless stars to name a few. However, the team’s bench pieces often go unnoticed, including Payton Pritchard. The fifth-year pro is the early favorite for Sixth Man of the Year (-290), averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 49.7% shooting from the field (43.0% 3PT). The Oregon product has nearly doubled his offensive output from last season, emerging as Boston’s fourth-leading scorer despite playing just over 28 minutes per game.
Pritchard is due for an even bigger workload on Thursday. Superstar forward Jayson Tatum isn’t able to play tonight vs. the Pistons due to right knee inflammation. Although Boston still has plenty of other scoring options, the All-Star’s absence opens up some touches for the rest of the roster. Over his last seven games played without Tatum, Pritchard has scored more than 20 points five times. Detroit has given up the seventh-fewest DK fantasy points to opposing guards, but this opportunity is simply too good to pass up.
SG/SF Kevin Huerter, Sacramento Kings ($4,900)
Kings head coach Mike Brown decided to shake things up in December, moving Malik Monk into the starting lineup. In theory, that would eat into the workload of Sacramento’s other guards, including Kevin Huerter. However, the sharpshooter has thrived off of the bench, averaging 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 57.5% shooting over his last four games. Although the minutes have gone down, it’s looking like Red Velvet might have more chances to contribute as a sixth-man.
If those numbers weren’t promising enough, tonight’s opponent surely is. This season, the 5-20 Pelicans are giving up the fifth-most DK fantasy points to opposing shooting guards. New Orleans’ weaknesses play into Huerter’s strengths, as the team has allowed the sixth-most three-point attempts (38.7 3PA) and the seventh-highest percentage (37.0% 3PT) in the NBA. If this game turns into a blowout, Brown might opt to keep his top bench scorer on the floor, as he did in Sacramento’s previous two wins over the Spurs and the Jazz. Huerter offers plenty of value in your starting lineup at just under $5,000.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) 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.
