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 $10,000
– $3 entry fee
– Top 7,850 finishing positions are paid.
– Starts Wednesday, February 11 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
Damian Lillard, POR $8,700
Brandon Knight, MIL $7,400
Tyreke Evans, NOP $8,200
Langston Galloway, NYK $5,400
Elfrid Payton, ORL $5,400 (GPP-Only)
Cheap Plays:
Marcus Smart, BOS $4,700 (GPP-Only)
Devin Harris, DAL $4,600 (GPP-Only)
Shooting Guard
James Harden, HOU $10,300
Wesley Matthews, POR $5,800
Victor Oladipo, ORL $6,700 (GPP-Only)
Kevin Martin, MIN $6,100
Eric Gordon, NO $5,900 (GPP-Only)
Cheap Plays:
O.J. Mayo, MIL $4,300
Evan Fournier, ORL $3,200
Courtney Lee, MEM $3,100
Avery Bradley, BOS $4,600 (GPP-Only)
Elijah Millsap, UTA $3,600 (GPP-Only)
Small Forward
LeBron James, CLE $10,300 (GPP-Only)
Gordon Hayward, UTA $8,200
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL $7,000
Cheap Plays:
James Johnson, TOR $3,600 (if he starts)
Shabazz Muhammad, MIN $3,400 (GPP-Only)
Harrison Barnes, GSW $4,300 (GPP-Only)
Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR $9,600 (GPP-Only)
Paul Millsap, ATL $7,800
Derrick Favors, UTA $7,200
Chris Bosh, MIA $7,500 (GPP-Only)
Cheap Plays:
Lance Thomas, NYK $3,200
David Lee, GSW $4,700 (GPP-Only)
Charlie Villanueva, DAL $3,800 (GPP-Only)
Mitch McGary, OKC $3,800 (GPP-Only)
Center
Nikola Vucevic, ORL $8,300
Al Horford, ATL $7,900
Hassan Whiteside, MIA $7,600 (GPP-Only)
DeAndre Jordan, LAC $7,800
Timofey Mozgov, CLE $5,100
Cheap Plays:
Robin Lopez, POR $4,800
Omer Asik, NOP $4,300
Meyers Leonard, POR $3,000 (GPP-Only)
Notes (important)
– Darren Collison is out, Ramon Sessions will start again.
– Anthony Davis is questionable.
– Tobias Harris is out.
– Carmelo Anthony is doubtful. Amar’e Stoudemire is playing.
– Monta Ellis is questionable. Tyson Chandler is out.
– If Ellis is unable to go, the Mavericks’ backcourt would be J.J. Barea and Devin Harris for the majority of the game.
– Some players are underpriced on DraftKings today, Shabazz Muhammad and Courtney Lee being two of them.
– Tonight is the last slate on DraftKings for eight days, so get your lineups in.
– Do not forget to play the $3 contest, which can be found here.
Usage Rates
– If Anthony Davis is out, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon have usage rates over 30 percent.
– With Darren Collison out, Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins have usage rates of well over 30 percent.
– Langston Galloway‘s usage rate without Carmelo Anthony is 23.5 percent.
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.
