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.
Rather than value plays and lineups tonight, XN will give you a cheat sheet with the best plays at each position.
For those who frequent this column: if you like this idea let us know. If you prefer the other format, let us know as well.
Each position will have a few guys that we like for each night, ranked from top to bottom. To find these players, tools like usage rate, defense vs. position, injuries, minutes, and more are used.
There is a lot of news that will affect lineups tonight, stay informed before tip.
There is a seven game slate that starts at 7 pm EST tonight, which is what this column will detail.
Point Guard
Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets $5,500
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers $8,500
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets $7,900
Cheap Plays:
C.J. Watson ($4,200) is an excellent play regardless of matchup as the starting point guard for the Pacers. He has averaged over 24 fantasy points per game in the last four, and will play 30 or more minutes as the starting point guard going forward. The Pacers do play Portland today, who are one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, but with a weaker slate, he is one of the only values available.
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic $6,300
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers $4,300
Cheap Plays:
No cheap plays in this slate except for Gary Neal ($3,500) who has been as volatile of a fantasy performer as they come.
Small Forward
Small forward is weak today, but if C.J. Miles is able to go, he is still a value at $3,800 as he was on his way to reaching value before his injury last night.
Matt Barnes ($4,000) against Milwaukee is another good play, but as a player who averages just 27 minutes a game and has a usage rate of just 13.8 percent, he is a risky play.
It may be worth paying up for Rudy Gay ($8,400) even though he is in a cold streak as far as shooting is concerned. Gay is the go-to player with Cousins out, and has averaged around 17 shots per game in his last eight contests.
Power Forward
Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies $7,400
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons $7,200
Cheap Plays:
Jason Thompson ($4,600) is an excellent cheap value tonight at just $4,600, as he has reached value in four of the last five games with Cousins out. Today, the Kings face the Pistons, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. With Cousins out, Thompson has been one of the primary rebounders, which gives him added value at power forward against a team who is 26th in the NBA in defensive rebounds.
Center
Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets $9,200
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers $7,000
Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers $5,000
Cheap Plays:
Lavoy Allen $3,000
Allen continues to be the minimum, and he continues to reach value on DraftKings. He only needs 15 fantasy points or more to reach value, and has seen 21.4 minutes per game, and has averaged over 20 fantasy points per contest, making him a candidate each night as a punt option. The Pacers face the Trail Blazers tonight, who have given up an average of 16 points and 13 rebounds to opposing centers this season. With Roy Hibbert recovering from a leg injury and Ian Mahinmi out, expect Allen to play more than 20 minutes tonight.
*Keep an eye on the inactives, as things in the NBA change at the last second. Good luck tonight.
