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 players salary. That brings a lineup to 250 fantasy points, which will cash on most days.
With tonight’s slate having so many possibilities, there will be two lineups, one for cash games, one for tournaments.
Give DraftKings a shot, as there will be a few freeroll opportunities each night in Daily Fantasy Basketball. Click here to play.
Without further ado, the value plays and lineups for November 7th:
Value Plays
Guard
Aaron Brooks, Point Guard, Chicago Bulls $3,100
Derrick Rose is a game-time decision for tonight, and call it a hunch that the Bulls might not want to risk his health against the Sixers, who are the only team in the Eastern Conference without a win. Be sure to check Rose’s availability, but if he cannot go Brooks becomes a must-play at his price. Sure, Kirk Hinrich may get the start for the Bulls, but in the two games without Rose, Brooks was the better play. In those two games, Brooks totaled 59.5 fantasy points in 53 minutes on just 22 total shots. At $3,100, value can be reached at 15.5 fantasy points, which is merely five field goals and three assists. If Rose doesn’t play for the Bulls tonight, Brooks has one of the highest probabilities to reach value among guards in this slate.
Other values at guard: Garrett Temple, WAS $3,700, Courtney Lee, MEM $3,800, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET $3,900
Forward
Chris Copeland, Power Forward, Indiana Pacers $5,100
Copeland is averaging the 20th-most fantasy points among all forwards who are playing tonight on DraftKings, yet there are 26 forwards who are more expensive. At his price, value can be reached at 25.5 fantasy points. In Copeland’s last four games, he has a minimum of 26.5 fantasy points, and that came against the Grizzlies, who are the best team in the NBA in terms of points allowed. Copeland has averaged over 30 minutes per game in his last four, and has taken 66 shots in that timeframe. There are only 12 players who have taken more shots in the NBA this season than Copeland. Not only does he have the green light, but Copeland is shooting just under 40% from beyond the arc this season, and he leads the Pacers in points per game, is fourth in rebounds, and is third in assists. Tonight, Copeland and the Pacers will face the Boston Celtics, who are last in the NBA in defending the three, allowing opponents to shoot 42.6 percent from downtown. Boston also allows opponents to score over 109 points per game, 29th in the NBA.
Other values at forward: Brandon Davies, PHI $3,000 and Solomon Hill, IND $3,500
Center
Kyle O’Quinn, Orlando Magic $3,200
First things first, O’Quinn is questionable for tonight’s game, so be sure to check his availability before putting him into any lineups. In addition, spending at center is still advised. But if you need value at center and O’Quinn starts, he is the play tonight. At $3,200, value is reached if O’Quinn can accrue 16 fantasy points. In his only game this season, O’Quinn was 2-8 from the floor, had four personal fouls, and only played 21 minutes against a dominant interior defense in New Orleans. Yet, he was still able to reach 21.5 fantasy points. Tonight, the Magic will face the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are giving up the 11th-most fantasy points to power forwards (which O’Quinn will play) and are allowing opponents to shoot over 46 percent from the floor. If O’Quinn is healthy and starting, he will be slated for at least 25 minutes. With a current rate of over a fantasy point per minute, that makes O’Quinn a bargain at center.
Other values at center: Alex Len, PHO $3,000 and Jason Smith, NYK $3,000
Lineup (Cash Games)
PG – Brandon Knight $7,400
SG – Jimmy Butler $5,200
SF – Josh Smith $7,600
PF – Greg Monroe $7,000
C – Marc Gasol $7,800
G – Darren Collison $6,400
F – Chris Copeland $5,100
UTIL – Solomon Hill $3,500
Lineup (GPP)
PG – Rajon Rondo $8,600
SG – Courtney Lee $3,800
SF – Josh Smith $7,600
PF – Brandon Davies $3,000
C – Al Jefferson $8,500
G – Darren Collison $6,400
F – Kevin Love $9,000
UTIL – Aaron Brooks $3,100
