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We have a six-game NBA slate today. There are two games with a total of at least 230 on DraftKings Sportsbook: Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans (230.5) and Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets (238.5). The Golden State Warriors are the biggest favorite by 6.5 points over the Washington Wizards while the Boston Celtics are right behind at 6 points over the Minnesota Timberwolves. There are three games with a spread of three points or lower: New York Knicks -3 over Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans -3 over Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks -1 over Utah Jazz.
Things are going to change throughout the day, so make sure to keep abreast of the news by following @dklive on Twitter.
Let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings NBA lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Hornets ($10,500) – The Hornets are fifth in offensive pace and DraftKings Sportsbook has this game with the highest total on the slate at 238.5, so there should be plenty of opportunities for fantasy goodies. Over the past six games, it’s been a true roller coaster ride in terms of Irving’s DKFP production. He’s coming off a 29-DKFP performance against the Heat and went for 38.5 against the Celtics. That said, those are two of the best defensive teams in the league and he’s gone over 60 DKFP three times with a high of 87! He’s scored 43, 60 and 50 points over that stretch. The Hornets have boosted the FPPM to point guards by 5.43% above the league average on the season and are 23rd in defensive rating. I’ll risk the floor for the potential ceiling in a juicy fantasy environment.
Other Options – Luka Doncic ($11,600), Jordan Poole ($7,700)
Value
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,800) – It took some time, but Pritchard looks to be a solid member of the rotation now. He’s not starting or playing an exorbitant amount of minutes, but he’s getting around 20 minutes per game. Over the past month, he’s averaging 1 DKFP/Min and has put up 21.75, 28.25, 28.5 and 36.25 DKFP over the past four games. He’s scored double figures in each game and racked up at least 1 steal. Minnesota plays at the fastest pace in the league so the environment should be a good one.
Other Options – Tomas Satoransky ($3,800)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets ($7,100) – I’m not crazy about the top options at the position. Sure, James Harden ($10,000) is a threat to triple-double on any given night but the matchup isn’t a good one, so the probabilities of accessing a ceiling game are muted. Rozier is averaging 1.05 DKFP/Min so he will likely score in the 30-DKFP range. That said, he has gone over 50 DKFP eight times this season with two over 60. This game environment is the best on the slate and the last time he played the Nets, he went for 55.5 DKFP. Shooting efficiency has always been a bugaboo for Rozier so he’s always in play to crash and burn but the probabilities of Rozier and Harden finishing with similar DKFP is better than the salary difference indicates.
Other Options – Kyrie Irving ($10,500)
Value
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors at Washington Wizards ($3,900) – Payton is a low usage player who doesn’t necessarily get the juices flowing. That said, he is averaging 0.94 DKFP/Min on the season and has played 30 and 27 minutes in the past two games, contributing 27.5 and 20.75 DKFP. The Wizards are 25th in defensive rating.
Other Options – Deni Avdija ($5,000)
Small Forward
Stud
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Hornets ($11,000) – Durant is averaging 1.4 DKFP/Min. With Irving back into the mix, it’s both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Irving’s presence opens up the court for him. On the other hand, Irving is always in play for a 50-burger so Durant just chills in those situations. That’s exactly what happened the last time these teams met. Irving went for 50 points while Durant only attempted 13 field goal attempts. Other than that, Durant is an unstoppable offensive force and is always in play for a 70-DKFP game himself.
Other Options – Jayson Tatum ($9,600), Miles Bridges ($7,300)
Value
Grant Williams, Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,600) – Al Horford is out, so Williams should enter the starting rotation for the 18th time this season. In the prior 17, he averaged 30.6 minutes, 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals and 0.9 blocks. He’s gone over 30 DKFP in four of those contests. Minnesota plays at the fastest pace in the league.
Other Options – Tomas Satoransky ($3,800)
Power Forward
Stud
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans ($11,200) – The sky is blue, water is wet and James is questionable for a game. With the Lakers clinging to the ninth spot in the Western Conference, only one game ahead of the 11th-seeded Spurs, it’s highly unlikely that James sits. James is averaging 1.49 DKFP/Min on the season but has ramped it up to 1.53 over the past month. The usage rate has usually been in the 30% range but has spiked to over 40% in three of the past nine games. He’s gone over 70 DKFP in four of those contests. In the three most recent games, he’s put up 76.75, 62 and 61.25 DKFP. The Pelicans boost the FPPM to small forwards by 12.18% above the league average.
Other Options – Kevin Durant ($11,000), Jayson Tatum ($9,600), Miles Bridges ($7,300)
Value
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors at Washington Wizards ($4,000) – Kuminga was inserted into the starting lineup on Friday and bombed, playing 15 minutes and producing 8.5 DKFP. In the prior 10 games, he had another sub-10 DKFP game but also went over 20 in eight with two over 30. IF he starts, the ownership should be low and the upside still remains. The Wizards have boosted the FPPM to power forwards by 4.39% above the league average.
Other Options – Grant Williams ($3,600), Wenyen Gabriel ($3,800)
Center
Stud
Andre Drummond, Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Hornets ($5,600) – Drummond is averaging 1.34 DKFP/Min on the season. The issue is that the playing time has been all over the place. Over the past 10 games, he’s played under 20 minutes in four of those contests and over 25 in only two. That said, this is a juicy environment for fantasy and the last time he faced the Hornets, he put up 47.5 DKFP in 25 minutes. Joel Embiid ($11,400) is at the head of the class for centers on this slate, and he will likely score around 50 DKFP, but Phoenix is a good defensive team so a ceiling game could be difficult to come by. If Drummond can score around 40 DKFP while Embiid scores 50, then the outcome is favorable considering the spread in salary.
Other Options – LeBron James ($11,200)
Value
Dwight Powell, Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets ($4,500) – Over the past 10 games, Powell has averaged 25.2 minutes, 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.7 blocks. He’s scored under 20 DKFP three times, so yuck. He’s gone for at least 20 seven times with a 41 and 50-point DKFP game. Yippee! So, the range of outcomes is wide with the likely production falling somewhere in the 20-DKFP range. That said, the environment should be a good one and he has shown the capacity to hit the ceiling.
Other Options – Mason Plumlee ($4,400)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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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.
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