Tonight’s six-game NBA slate isn’t exactly appointment viewing. Every game but one features a team headed for the top of the lottery, and that Clippers-Pelicans tilt could be marred by injury. I guess it’s a good thing we have DFS to keep us engaged, right?
Let’s dig deep and find some values for Friday evening.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Micro-Max [$100K to 1st, 150 Entry Max ] (Non Late Swap)
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PG Bones Hyland, Los Angeles Clippers at New Orleans Pelicans, $4,300
Welcome to Bones Hyland chalk night. An asset with extremely high projected ownership is an interesting thing. On the one hand, you generally want to avoid such spots, as variance is such a crucial element of DFS. However, on occasion, there’s simply chalk that is too tempting to pass up. I think this is one of those situations. Hyland drew a start on Thursday against the Bulls, as James Harden ($8,700; shoulder) sat due to injury. Postgame, Harden said his status was uncertain for Friday, and I could certainly see a scenario where the Clippers decide to be cautious with their point guard. Heck, Kawhi Leonard ($8,500) has also recently been dealing with back spasms. There’s a non-zero chance that he’s listed on tonight’s injury report, too. Hyland logged 31.6 minutes versus Chicago, finishing with 17 points, 11 assists and 50.75 DKFP. He led Los Angeles with 75 touches. If Harden sits again, you’ll need to have some exposure.
PG/SG Vit Krejci, Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, $3,900
I’m not here to tell lies about Krejci. I’m not here to pump his tires and say he’ll flirt with 40.0 or 50.0 DKFP on Friday. The fact of the matter is Krejci is a low-usage piece, who happens to be getting major minutes in the Hawks’ rotation at the moment. Take Wednesday’s loss to Portland as a perfect example. Krejci started and logged 31.3 minutes with a microscopic 8.2% usage rate. It’s definitely not ideal. However, with Bogdan Bogdanovic ($6,700; illness) now questionable and threatening to join Trae Young (finger) and Saddiq Bey (knee) on the sideline, Atlanta is just running out of warm bodies. Not to mention Jalen Johnson ($7,600; ankle), who is questionable and on the cusp of missing his fourth straight contest. Krejci is going to be on the court tonight. A lot. In a game with this slate’s highest implied total and in a matchup with a Jazz squad that owns the Western Conference’s worst defensive rating (119.1). Considering his price tag, Krejci has to at least be mentioned.
SF Brice Sensabaugh, Utah Jazz vs. Atlanta Hawks, $4,800
In a vacuum, the best way to attack the Jazz on Friday is to exploit the mid-tier. With Jordan Clarkson (groin) and Kris Dunn (rest) already ruled out, Utah has a ton of minutes open in the backcourt, which should lead to massive workloads for both Collin Sexton ($7,300) and Keyonte George ($6,600). In fact, with George having exceeded 40.0 DKFP in each of his last three full games, the rookie might just be my favorite play on the whole slate. Still, George isn’t cheap enough to be a true “value” option, so let’s move to another first-year piece on the Jazz. Sensabaugh has started the team’s last three contests, registering at least 15 points in both games where he logged 30-plus minutes. Utah is extremely thin at both the two and three on Friday. I’m not sure I see a scenario where Sensabaugh doesn’t reach that 30-minute threshold, which means he’s viable in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Micro-Max [$100K to 1st, 150 Entry Max ] (Non Late Swap)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) 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.
