The NBA season is in full swing, and DraftKings has released a new Snake Draft fantasy format! Below, we break down strategy for Tuesday’s DraftKings NBA Snake slate.
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Favorable Early Round Targets
Russell Westbrook, G, Washington Wizards
Snake Classic Rank: 1st
The first pick in tonight’s snake drafts is an absolute no-brainer. Westbrook has been a phenomenal source of fantasy value recently, and he’s coming off one of the best fantasy performances we’ve seen all season. He racked up 35 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, resulting in 94.5 DKFP.
That game came with Bradley Beal out of the lineup, and it’s possible that Beal will not suit up again on Tuesday. He’s currently dealing with a right hip contusion after taking a hard fall during Saturday’s contest. We still haven’t received the Wizards’ official injury report for Tuesday, but expect Beal to be questionable.
Westbrook has unsurprisingly been one of the biggest beneficiaries with Beal off the court this season, increasing his usage rate by 7.5% and averaging 1.53 DKFP per minute.
Kawhi Leonard, F/C, Los Angeles Clippers
Snake Classic Rank: 4th
If you can’t get Westbrook, Leonard is a fine consolation prize. He’s coming off the board with an ADP of 4.2, but I’d be fine with taking him as early as second overall.
The Clippers will continue to be without Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley, and those absences have given Leonard a boost from a fantasy perspective. He’s scored at least 45.0 DKFP in four-straight games, and he’s averaged 1.34 DKFP per minute with both players off the court this season.
There’s also a chance that Paul George could miss his second-straight game, which would obviously be a huge development for Leonard’s fantasy stock. He gives you a nice floor even if George is in the lineup, and he has a monster ceiling if George is ultimately ruled out. That’s a nice combination.
Early Round Player to Avoid
Trae Young, G, Atlanta Hawks
Snake Classic Rank: 3rd
No one stands out as being wildly over-drafted on Tuesday’s four-game slate, but I think Young is coming off the board a few picks too early. He’s the third-ranked player in the snake draft format, and his current ADP checks in at 3.4.
The big problem with Young is his matchup. The Hawks are taking on the Suns, who have been one of the worst matchups in the league this season. They rank fifth in defensive efficiency, and they’ve also played at the third-slowest pace in 2020-21. Atlanta is currently implied for just 107.0 points, which is well below their season average of 112.5.
Young also has a brutal individual matchup against Chris Paul, who remains one of the best defensive point guards in the league. He ranks third in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus, so it’s not surprising that the Suns have been the worst matchup for point guards this season on DraftKings.
You’ll also need to decide how you want to approach George (Rank 13th) and Beal (Rank 21st). Both players have the potential to vastly outperform their ADP, but there’s also a chance that both players give you zeros.
Late Round Flyers
It should be noted that these players are ranked below the threshold of players that would be drafted. This section simply tries to exploit players who are in favorable matchups and are down the rank list.
Rui Hachimura, F/C, Washington Wizards
Snake Classic Rank: 19th
We don’t need to go too crazy on today’s slate. The largest format that DraftKings is offering features just six teams, so a maximum of 36 players will come off the board in each draft.
Hachimura’s ADP of 17.1 means he’s being drafted at the end of round three, but I’d be willing to reach to add him to my roster. He’s been playing all the minutes he can handle with Davis Bertans out of the lineup, and he has the potential to play even more than usual if Beal is ruled out. He’s increased his usage rate by 7.3% with Beal off the court this season, resulting in an average of 0.98 DKFP per minute.
Malik Monk, G, Charlotte Hornets
Snake Classic Rank: 41st
The top implied team total on the slate belongs to the Hornets. That’s not a huge surprise given their matchup vs. the Wizards — they’ve played at the fastest pace in the league this season — but that makes the Hornets a nice team to target at the end of the draft.
Monk sat out their last game, but he’s currently listed as probable for Tuesday’s matchup. He scored at least 32.75 DKFP the last two times he’s suited up, so he has nice upside for his ADP.
Danny Green, G, Philadelphia 76ers
Snake Classic Rank: 45th
Green is in a similar boat as Monk. His stock is on the rise with Joel Embiid (knee) out of the lineup, and he’s scored at least 32.5 DKFP in four of his past six games. His matchup vs. the Nuggets isn’t quite as friendly as Monk’s, but he should be locked into more minutes. Overall, I’d say he has a slightly higher floor and a slightly lower ceiling, but he’s definitely worth a selection with your final pick of the draft.
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