Daily Fantasy Basketball is in full swing, 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.
Point Guard
Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets $5,300
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls $7,100
George Hill, Indiana Pacers $6,300
Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks $7,000
Cheap Plays:
No cheap plays at point guard tonight in a shorter slate.
Shooting Guard
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls $8,500
Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic $5,700
Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets $6,500
Cheap Plays:
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Hornets $3,900
Sergey Karasev, Brooklyn Nets $3,300
Small Forward
Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic $7,200
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets $4,800
Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz $7,700
Cheap Plays:
Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks $4,300
Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz $3,600
Power Forward
Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz $7,200
David West, Indiana Pacers $6,300
Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls $4,800 (if he starts at small forward)
Cheap Plays:
Kris Humphries, Washington Wizards $4,000
Center
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers $8,100
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat $7,900
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic $9,000
Cheap Plays:
Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee Bucks $4,000
Lavoy Allen, Indiana Pacers $4,000
Notes
– With Larry Sanders out again tonight, Pachulia and Henson will get most of the minutes for the Bucks at power forward and center.
– Nikola Mirotic should receive a boost in minutes because the Bulls are looking to play him at small forward.
– Alec Burks is out again tonight, so Rodney Hood will start at the two guard for Utah and is a good, cheap option.
– Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has reached value in four of his last six games and is priced at under $5,000 tonight.
– Sergey Karasev is priced at just $300 over the minimum and has reached value in six straight games.
– Jarrett Jack is the hottest point guard on the planet in terms of value, obliterating it in five straight games.
– If Gary Neal is out, Gerald Henderson will see over 30 minutes. At under $4,000 that would make him a serious value at shooting guard.
Narrative Alert
Chris Bosh returns for his first game since injury. His price is low at under $8,000, but he is unlikely to be in game shape, so buyer beware. Otherwise, it looks rather quiet on Narrative Street for tonight.
Usage Rates
– Brandon Knight is at 35 percent without Ilyasova, Sanders, and Parker on the floor for the Bucks. O.J. Mayo is at 27.3 percent usage.
– Kemba Walker‘s usage rate is at 27.3 percent without Neal and Stephenson on the floor for the Hornets.
– Gordon Hayward’s usage rate is at 29 percent without Alec Burks, and he has played over 200 more minutes than the next guy.
– When Nikola Mirotic is on the floor, he has an average of 19.2 percent usage. He will play more minutes if he starts, but his usage will decrease, so his value might be higher off the bench.
If you have any questions or concerns leading to tip, let me know on Twitter @JoshCollacchi.
*Keep an eye on the inactives, as things in the NBA change at the last second. Good luck tonight.
