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, plus five points. That brings a lineup to 290 fantasy points, which will cash each day.
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.
Tonight’s slate will have a lot of moving parts, and it will be tough to find values anywhere. Be prepared for a lot of last minute news, with injuries, back-to-backs, and suspensions changing the landscape of tonight’s slate.
Point Guard
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets $8,400
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors $10,000
Ty Lawson (Questionable), Denver Nuggets $9,700
Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings $6,600
Derrick Rose (Questionable), Chicago Bulls $7,000
Cheap Plays:
Nate Robinson, DEN $3,000
This is contingent on Ty Lawson’s status. If he is unable to go, Robinson becomes the top value at point guard against the Hornets, who are 29th in the NBA in defending the point guard. With Robinson at the minimum, if he starts at point guard he will be one of the most-owned players on a shorter slate, but you might not be able to fade him with the cap relief he presents.
Shooting Guard
Monta Ellis, Dallas Mavericks $7,500
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls $7,700
James Harden, Houston Rockets $11,600
Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings $5,300
Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets $5,900
Cheap Plays:
Gerald Henderson, CHA $4,300
Henderson has reached excellent value the last two nights as a starter in place of injured Lance Stephenson. In these two games, Henderson has taken a combined 23 shots, which ranks among the team leaders. With the Nuggets allowing almost 104 points per game and the over/under set at 199.5, it should be a high-scoring game. Henderson is a cheap way to have action in a game with one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
Small Forward
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors $7,500
Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks $7,100
Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings $8,500
Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers $6,000
Cheap Plays:
James Johnson, TOR $3,900
Johnson has started the last two games, but has not seen his minutes increase. Nevertheless, he has accrued 51.5 fantasy points in the last two contests. With his price at under $4K, anything over 23 fantasy points reaches value, which Johnson has an opportunity to do against the Bulls, who are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.
Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers $10,600
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs $8,900
Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz $7,300
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers $11,000
Cheap Plays:Â
Thomas Robinson, POR $3,000
Robinson is a value only if LaMarcus Aldridge is out tonight. With Robin Lopez already hurt, the Blazers’ bigs could be Robinson, Chris Kaman, Joel Freeland, and Meyers Leonard, which would give Robinson all the minutes he could handle. Even if Aldridge is active, Robinson is a decent play in GPPs, with the uncertainty surrounding the center position in Portland. If he does start for Aldridge, Robinson will have the fifth-best matchup against Houston, who has allowed an average of 24 points and 13 rebounds to opposing power forwards this season.
Center
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers $8,600
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings $10,400
Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets $9,400
Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets $9,000 (Great matchup, very expensive though)
Cheap Plays:
No cheap plays at center in tonight’s slate, be prepared to spend.
*Keep an eye on the inactives, as things in the NBA change at the last second. Good luck tonight.
UPDATE: LaMarcus Aldridge is OUT tonight.
UPDATE: Randolph is OUT