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.
– First place wins $5,000
– $2 entry fee (FREE with first deposit)
– Top 8,375 finishing positions are paid.
– Starts tonight at 7:00 PM EST
– Salary Cap Style Drafting. $50,000 to select 8 players
– Roster Format: 1 PG, 1 SG, 1 SF, 1 PF, 1 C, 1 G, 1 F, and 1 Utility
– First time depositors at DraftKings receive a 100% bonus up to $600
Remember, when you sign-up on DraftKings, use the promo code: XN.
Each position will have a few guys that we like for each night, ranked from top to bottom in terms of value. To find these players, tools like usage rate, defense vs. position, injuries, minutes, and more are used.
(GPP-only play) – Means that these players are risk/reward. Play them only in tournaments, not cash games.
Be sure to read the notes at the bottom of this column, as it details things you do not want to miss.There is a lot of news that will affect lineups tonight, stay informed before tip.
Point Guard
John Wall, WAS $9,100 (if he starts)
Brandon Knight, MIL $7,200
Elfrid Payton, ORL $5,700
Cheap Plays:
Devin Harris, DAL $3,100
Jerryd Bayless, MIL $3,900
Shooting Guard
Monta Ellis, DAL $7,500
Tyreke Evans, NOP $7,900
Kevin Martin, MIN $5,100
Cheap Plays:
O.J. Mayo, MIL $4,500
Evan Fournier, ORL $3,700 (if he starts)
Small Forward
Tobias Harris, ORL $5,500
Khris Middleton, MIL $5,300
Jeff Green, MEM $4,600 (GPP-only)
Cheap Plays:
Jared Dudley, MIL $4,100 (if he starts)
Jerami Grant, PHI $3,000 (GPP-only)
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL $6,200
Blake Griffin, LAC $9,600
John Henson, MIL $4,600
Cheap Plays:
Aaron Gordon, ORL $3,000 (GPP-only)
Center
DeAndre Jordan, LAC $7,800
Al Jefferson, CHA $7,600
Timofey Mozgov, CLE $5,000
Nikola Pekovic, MIN $5,300
Cheap Plays:
Steven Adams, OKC $3,800
Alex Len, PHO $3,500
Notes (important)
– Zach LaVine is out. Mo Williams is expected to play, but Ricky Rubio is returning tonight with a minutes limit for the Timberwolves. Stay away from those three until the situation is clear.
– Al Jefferson and Dirk Nowitzki are underpriced, and should be cash plays at their price with injuries to other players in their respective starting lineups.
– Minnesota and Dallas have the highest over/under in tonight’s slate at 207 points.
– DeAndre Jordan is a cash option as well with his floor being just under 30 fantasy points in the last 10 games. Jordan will see the bulk of the rebounds tonight, especially with his opponents being Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez, who are two reason why the Nets’ rebounding percentage is 24th in the NBA.
– The Cavaliers have an excellent matchup against the Sixers, but that game’s spread is 16.5 points, so do not expect the Cavs’ core to play over 30 minutes tonight.
Usage Rates
– Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki’s usage rates increase with Rajon Rondo out of the lineup, as they create their own shots more, with Ellis controlling the ball.
– Al Jefferson has the highest usage rate on the Hornets with Kemba Walker out, and his minutes have increased to a respectable amount again.
– Tyreke Evans’ usage rate remains close to 30 percent without Jrue Holiday.
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.
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