Daily Fantasy Basketball is back, which means each day XN Sports will have a column detailing advised plays and lineups for the remainder of the NBA season. For those familiar with DraftKings, their daily fantasy basketball is formatted differently this season. There is no multi-position eligibility, which makes it a bit harder to set your lineup.
For those unfamiliar with DraftKings, you are given $50,000 in cap space to select a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center, a guard, a forward, and a utility player. There are no points deducted for missed shots, which changes the strategy from other sites. To read the full scoring, click here. Keep in mind that a double-double awards a bonus, which can be the difference between cashing in and winning nothing.
Generally, the goal for value is at five times a player’s salary. That brings a lineup to 250 fantasy points, which will cash on most days.
Give DraftKings a shot, as there will be a few freeroll opportunities each night in Daily Fantasy Basketball. Click here to play.
Without further ado, the value plays and lineups for December 1st:
Value Plays
Guard
Cory Joseph, San Antonio Spurs $3,000
Joseph is the Spurs’ back up point guard and should see an array of minutes regardless if Tony Parker plays or not. If he doesn’t, Joseph becomes as close to a must-play as there will be in today’s slate. The Sixers are in the bottom third in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards, and rank among the bottom in points allowed, opposing shooting percentage, and turnovers, all of which help point guards. At his price, Joseph will be targeted a lot in daily fantasy, but you almost cannot afford to fade him if Parker is out. Joseph averages 14.8 fantasy points per game this season, which is just under value.
Other values at guard: J.J. Redick, LAC $4,100
Forward
Austin Daye, San Antonio Spurs $3,000
Keep an eye on who is in or out for the Spurs, as there will be a lot of cheap plays if Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili sit. With both of these forwards at the bare minimum, their values could skyrocket if the Spurs’ top players do not play. Kawhi Leonard will start, but the Spurs should still crush the Sixers, giving the backups more run in the second half. The Sixers are last in the NBA in allowing fantasy points to opposing small forwards, and are giving up the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. With tonight being the second leg of a back-to-back, the Spurs may play strictly bench players, giving the entire slate value, and it starts with Daye.
When Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan are not on the floor, Austin Daye has a usage rate of 29.1, and no one has more minutes with a higher usage rate. At the minimum, Daye would become a value play if the “big three” do not play for the Spurs.
Other values at forward: No other cheap values for this short slate.
Center
Aron Baynes, San Antonio Spurs $3,000
As aforementioned, this is another play that becomes a value if the Spurs’ big three is out, but even if they do play, or if a few of them play, Baynes has reached incredible value in three of his last five games, and has been one of the more efficient big men in the NBA. Against the Sixers, he should see his normal 15-20 minutes, which is enough to reach value against a team who is last in the NBA in rebounding percentage.
Other values at center: No other cheap values at center for this short slate, but Gorgui Dieng and Marcin Gortat have the best matchups.
Lineup (If Spurs Big Three is out)
PG – Cory Joseph $3,000
SG – Dwyane Wade $7,200
SF – Austin Daye $3,000
PF – Blake Griffin $9,800
C – Aron Baynes $3,000
G – Ty Lawson $9,100
F – Boris Diaw $5,000
UTIL – John Wall $9,900
**Update: Parker and Duncan are OUT tonight.
*Keep an eye on the inactives, as things in the NBA change at the last second. Good luck tonight.
