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Friday features an 11-game NBA main slate, and the action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. ET. Let’s break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st, 3x Crowns!]
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Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Denver Nuggets, $12,200 — There’s a real fear that the Bucks blowout the depleted Nuggets. However, even with limited minutes in a possible blowout, Antetokounmpo can still work based on his elite productivity (1.7 FPPM). The Bucks’ star has one of the largest usage rates on the slate at 33.8% and one of the highest player efficiency ratings (32.1 PER). If anyone can produce in a blowout, then it’s Antetokounmpo.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $11,400 — His minutes projection is through the roof (34 projected minutes) and he has been an elite source of fantasy points on a per minute basis — 1.5 FPPM. Curry checks all of the boxes on a normal night (True Shooting Percentage, Usage Rate and PER), but he gets the added benefit of facing a soft matchup tonight against a poor defensive team in the Trail Blazers (108.7 defensive efficiency). Golden State is one of the teams on tonight’s slate with a high team total with their projection sitting at 115.5 points.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Atlanta Hawks, $9,600 — The Grizzlies star continues to rank among the best in the Association in terms of fantasy production with 1.2 FPPM and a 31.3 % usage rate, and he is expected to be busy tonight with 35 projected minutes. This game has one of the highest projected totals on the slate (226) and the Grizzlies are facing one of the worst defenses in the league in the Hawks (108.7 defensive efficiency).
Value
Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies, $4,600 — The story is always the same. If his shots fall, then he is in play. Huerter is Joe Harris light, but while De’Andre Hunter remains out of the Hawks’ lineup, Huerter will remain on the value radar. The Hawks shooting guard has a high probability of being in the winning lineup based on his GPP projection of 35.2 points which is heavily influenced by a favorable matchup with the Grizzlies (111.5 defensive efficiency).
Rudy Gay, Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $3,400 — The veteran has a GPP projection much higher than his salary indicates (26.1 DKFP). The Jazz have one of the highest implied team totals (114.25 points), and Gay should be active in contributing to that total. In two of the four games since his return to action, he has scored 22.8 and 30.3 DKFP, and tonight the Jazz face a weak defense — the Pelicans have a 110.5 defensive efficiency rating.
Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets, $3,300 — Most of the DFS community is turning to Malik Beasley ($3,900) or Jarred Vanderbilt ($4,700), but what about Jaden McDaniels? Like Beasley and Vanderbilt, McDaniels will absorb extra minutes due to injuries in the Timberwolves’ lineup. The question is, can McDaniels do anything with those minutes? At his price, he has to do less than the others, and this is a pace-up game against a poor defense (Hornets have a 108.2 defensive efficiency). It will not take much for McDaniels to hit 6x or even 7x.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st, 3x Crowns!]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is greenflagradio2) 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.
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