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.
-$100,000 prize pool.
– First place wins $10,000.
– $3 entry fee.
– Top 7,850 finishing positions are paid.
– Starts tonight at 7:00 PM EST.
– Salary Cap Style Drafting. $50,000 to select 9 spots. 8 players.
– Roster Format: 1 PG, 1 SG, 1 SF, 1 PF, 1 C, 1 G, 1 F, 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
Jarrett Jack, BKN $6,800
George Hill, IND $5,200
Tyreke Evans, NOP $8,200
Jeff Teague, ATL $7,300
Ricky Rubio, MIN $6,100 (GPP-Only)
Cheap Plays:
Jerryd Bayless, MIL $3,600
Ray McCallum, SAC $3,000
Spencer Dinwiddie, DET $3,000 (GPP-Only)
Tim Frazier, PHI $4,300 (GPP-Only)
Shooting Guard
Eric Bledsoe, PHX $8,000
James Harden, HOU $10,500
Kevin Martin, MIN $6,300
Khris Middleton, MIL $6,500
Cheap Plays:
Gerald Green, PHX $3,000 (GPP-Only)
O.J. Mayo, MIL $4,300
Louis Williams, TOR $4,200
Elijah Millsap, UTA $4,000 (GPP-Only)
Small Forward
Josh Smith, HOU $6,900
Andrew Wiggins, MIN $5,900 (GPP-Only)
Tobias Harris, ORL $6,400
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL $7,400
Cheap Plays:
Danilo Gallinari, DEN $3,800 (GPP-Only)
Solomon Hill, IND $3,300 (GPP-Only)
Power Forward
Anthony Davis, NOP $10,800
Robert Covington, PHI $6,000
David West, IND $6,700
Draymond Green, GSW $6,900
Cheap Plays:
Trevor Booker, UTA $3,000 (GPP-Only)
Center
Rudy Gobert, UTA $4,500
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC $10,600
Hassan Whiteside, MIA $7,600
Cheap Plays:
Rudy Gobert, UTA $4,500
Tyler Zeller, BOS $4,000 (GPP-Only)
Gorgui Dieng, MIN $4,800 (GPP-Only)
Notes (important)
– With all the trades, rosters are everywhere today. Many guys are starting just for one day in between trades, some guys are playing after a trade, etc. Be sure to keep an eye on the inactives.
– Anthony Davis is probable.
– Tobias Harris is questionable.
– Carmelo Anthony is out for the season.
– The Mavericks and Spurs are playing in a back to back.
– Traded players that are out: Brandon Knight, D.J. Augustin, Thaddeus Young, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Jackson and more.
– Chris Bosh is out, Dwyane Wade is questionable.
– Ryan Anderson is doubtful.
– Some cheap players are starting tonight: Spencer Dinwiddie, Ray McCallum, Gerald Green, Tim Frazier, Caron Butler, and more. This means the higher-priced players will be heavily owned.
– 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.
