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 Monday’s Starting 5 slate, there are eight games.
DET, MEM and MIL are playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
As for injuries, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun, Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Daniel Theis, Jordan Hawkins and Vasilije Micic are questionable. Dejounte Murray, Fred VanVleet, Julius Randle, Russell Westbrook and Josh Okogie are out. Keep track of all the pertinent injury updates at DK Live.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there is one double-digit favorite: DEN -13.5 over NOP. There are five games with a total of at least 230: ATL/DET (236), SAS/MEM (242.5), MIL/OKC (234.5), NOP/DEN (235.5) and IND/UTA (237.5). There is one game with a total below 220: WAS/CHA (217.5).
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Starting 5 $10K Zone [$2K to 1st] (Early).
Point Guard
Cade Cunningham has seen his usage rate increase recently to around 37 percent. He’s put up at least 50 FPTS in six of the last seven games with a high of 61.75 FPTS. He faced the Hawks six games ago and put up 56 FPTS in Atlanta. This game is in Detroit.
Shooting Guard
Ja Morant has been in and out of the lineup over the last seven games. Even when he’s played, Morant received only 26 and 27 minutes in the last two contests. Over that span, Desmond Bane has seen increased usage and has produced, putting up at least 40 FPTS in five of those contests with a high of 57.5 FPTS.
Small Forward
Trey Murphy III has been on quite the heater, putting up at least 50 FPTS in each of the last two contests. Prior to that, he contributed at least 30 FPTS in 18 straight with two over 50. With Dejounte Murray lost for the season, Murphy should continue playing in the 38-minute range and hucking and chucking from downtown to his heart’s content.
Power Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo is gigantic, great, glorious, ginormous…uh, I’m running out of adjectives that start with G. He stuffs the stat sheet and is one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA. He faced the Thunder back in December during the NBA Cup and put up 77.25 FPTS. OKC did have Isaiah Hartenstein for that one.
Center
All is right in the world, as Nikola Jokic put up 83.25 and 62.25 FPTS in the last two games after producing 40 and 39.25 FPTS in two of the three prior games. Jokic has the highest floor/ceiling combo in the game and can put up a score that is literally unmatched by any one else on the slate. Jokic has four games over 90 FPTS on the season!
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.
