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 Friday’s Starting 5 slate, there are seven games.
GS and ORL are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Nikola Jokic, Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox, Myles Turner, Dejounte Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride, Jordan Poole, Alexandre Sarr, Jordan Walsh, Johnny Davis, Richaun Holmes and Ryan Rollins are questionable. Aaron Gordon is doubtful. Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, D’Angelo Russell, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Malcolm Brogdon and Ajay Mitchell are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there are three double-digit favorites: BOS -10.5 over SAC, CHI -11.5 over WAS and DEN -14 over BKN. There are two games within 3 points: MIL -3 over ORL and OKC -2.5 over NYK. There is one game with a total of at least 230: WAS/CHI (240.5). There is one game with a total below 220: MIL/ORL (209.5). Log into DK Sportsbook for the updates.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $8K Zone [$2K to 1st].
Point Guard
Over the last nine games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has put up at least 50 FPTS in seven of those contests with four over 60 and a high of 73.25 FPTS. He is The Alpha of the Thunder offense, garnering a usage rate of 33.7% on the season. He is a master assassin in the midrange but also stuffs the stat sheet in all the periphery categories. He is essentially a perfect player, especially since he shoots efficiently from the field.
Shooting Guard
There are quite a few players I like at the position, but I’m going with Coby White because of the matchup and game environment. This game has a whopping total of 240.5, as both teams eschew defense and are both Top 5 in pace. The fantasy production has been volatile for White, but he’s gone over 40 FPTS in three of the last five games with a high of 51.5 FPTS. There’s a good chance another 50-burger is on the menu.
Small Forward
Zach LaVine has been on a little heater recently, putting up over 40 FPTS in each of the last four games with two at 51 and 63.5 FPTS. He’s attempted over 20 shots in each game while dishing out a total of 22 dimes. As mentioned above, this game environment is a juicy one for fantasy and both LaVine and White could get there.
Power Forward
I’m not crazy about the matchup for Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the Magic play stout and are stout on defense. These teams met in early December and Giannis put up 56.25 FPTS. That’s essentially his floor while being the ceiling for the others at the position.
Center
Domantas Sabonis leads the league with 32 double-doubles. He’s put up over 50 FPTS in nine of the last 11 games with three of those over 60 and a high of 70.5 FPTS. The other two games were 45 and 41.5 FPTS, so the floor/ceiling game is pretty enticing.
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.
