We have an eight-game slate to kick off our NBA DFS week and some great options all across the board. There are some serious injuries going around, which could shift the dynamic for some teams and open up value. As always, check your lineups before lock in case there is any last-minute injury news.
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Guards
Cameron Payne (CHI): $4,700 @ NY
It has already been announced that the Bulls will be without both Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for tonight’s game, presenting an opening for Payne. In his last game, Payne put up 32 DraftKings points in 32 minutes, which is fantastic production for a player under $5K. He is almost certain to get the start tonight and will likely be one of the more popular picks on the slate since his minutes should be locked in and he isn’t too expensive. He is up against the Knicks, who are giving up 47 DraftKings points per game to point guards, which is in the bottom 10 for the league. Payne has a usage rate sitting at 20%, along with averaging 0.99 fantasy points per minute this season.
We have an eight-game slate to kick off our NBA DFS week and some great options all across the board. There are some serious injuries going around, which could shift the dynamic for some teams and open up value. As always, check your lineups before lock in case there is any last-minute injury news.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Guards
Cameron Payne (CHI): $4,700 @ NY
It has already been announced that the Bulls will be without both Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine for tonight’s game, presenting an opening for Payne. In his last game, Payne put up 32 DraftKings points in 32 minutes, which is fantastic production for a player under $5K. He is almost certain to get the start tonight and will likely be one of the more popular picks on the slate since his minutes should be locked in and he isn’t too expensive. He is up against the Knicks, who are giving up 47 DraftKings points per game to point guards, which is in the bottom 10 for the league. Payne has a usage rate sitting at 20%, along with averaging 0.99 fantasy points per minute this season.
Will Barton (DEN): $6,300 @ MIA
With Gary Harris being out with an injury for the Nuggets, Barton should continue to see a bump in minutes and usage. He has taken 12 or more field goal attempts in each of his last three games and is taking advantage of the increased usage. He is averaging 0.97 fantasy points per minute when Harris is off the court and should be able to hit that level of production if he gets in the starting lineup for the second game in a row. Barton does have a bit of three-point upside, making him a nice GPP option for tonight’s slate, combined with the fact he is up against the Heat, who are slightly better than average vs shooting guards.
Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): $10,800 @ CLE
Antetokounmpo is the second most expensive player on tonight’s slate, so you will have to find the value elsewhere in order to get up to his price. He is up against the Cavaliers who he has faced three times this season. In those games, he has averaged 39 minutes, along with 60 DraftKings points. Those are massive numbers from him, well over one fantasy points per minute, which is exactly what you want from a high-priced player. Giannis is one of the few players on the slate who has triple-double upside, exactly what you are targeting in tournaments. This game has an over-under set at 222 points, putting Antetokounmpo in a great spot considering the Cavaliers are giving up 43 DraftKings points per game to small forwards, which is second worst in the league.
Draymond Green (GS): $9,600 @ SA
Green is seeing massive production over his last two games since the Warriors are dealing with several injuries. The Warriors are without Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, meaning Green is now averaging 1.20 fantasy points per minute. He has scored 50 DraftKings points or more in two straight games due to all of these injuries. Green and the Warriors are up against the Spurs, so this isn’t the best matchup for him, but with his usage rate sitting at 23%, he is tough to pass up. His minutes will be locked in and he has plenty of double-double or triple-double upside given his new role in the offense.
Centers
Ante Zizic (CLE): $3,700 vs. MIL
Zizic is super cheap and has been seeing good minutes in recent games due to several injuries the Cavaliers have suffered. He has played 15 or more minutes in three of his last four games and has produced over one fantasy point per minute in each of those three games. That’s great value and production from a player who should be seeing the starting lineup again and has a very favorable matchup in front of him. Zizic and the Cavaliers are up against the Bucks, who are giving up 54 DraftKings points per game to centers, which is second worst in the league. He won’t be scoring that many points, but the upside is there and he has shown the ability to be productive when he is on the court.
Marc Gasol (MEM): $7,900 @ BKN
Gasol is one of the more consistent players in NBA DFS, but he often gets overlooked since he plays for a bad team. The Grizzlies are up against the Nets, who are giving up 57 DraftKings points per game to centers, which is dead last in the league. This is an ideal spot for Gasol, who has plenty of double-double upside, considering this is a pace up spot for the Grizzlies. He has a usage rate sitting at 28%, along with averaging 1.13 fantasy points per minute, both of which are second highest on the team. It’s a really great spot for him, and with a full slate of games, he shouldn’t be too highly owned.
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Thomas Vecchio is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Thomas, check out his archive and follow him @DFS_Tom.
