A new NBA season is upon us and with that comes the ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster that is NBA DFS. Opening night in the NBA offers up just a tiny two-game slate, but they should be two entertaining games. In the early slot is a good matchup of the favorite to come out of the east in the Boston Celtics versus who some believe to be the number one contenders for that crown in the Philadelphia 76ers. This game should be a close one with the spread sitting at just four and a half points in Boston’s favor per Westgate sports book. This game sports an attractive over/under number of 209 and the small spread makes this matchup even more appealing. You’ll see the bulk of the players I’ve chosen to highlight come from this early game.
In the late slot, we have the defending champion Golden State Warriors taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder with a potentially hobbled and limited Russell Westbrook. While this game does sport a very impressive 224 over/under you’ll see that I’ve faded the main stars of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant from this matchup as my stud pick of the evening went to Joel Embiid. This late game does have blowout potential and could get away from Oklahoma City early if they don’t play inspired basketball, which has scared me off of it.
A new NBA season is upon us and with that comes the ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster that is NBA DFS. Opening night in the NBA offers up just a tiny two-game slate, but they should be two entertaining games. In the early slot is a good matchup of the favorite to come out of the east in the Boston Celtics versus who some believe to be the number one contenders for that crown in the Philadelphia 76ers. This game should be a close one with the spread sitting at just four and a half points in Boston’s favor per Westgate sports book. This game sports an attractive over/under number of 209 and the small spread makes this matchup even more appealing. You’ll see the bulk of the players I’ve chosen to highlight come from this early game.
In the late slot, we have the defending champion Golden State Warriors taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder with a potentially hobbled and limited Russell Westbrook. While this game does sport a very impressive 224 over/under you’ll see that I’ve faded the main stars of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant from this matchup as my stud pick of the evening went to Joel Embiid. This late game does have blowout potential and could get away from Oklahoma City early if they don’t play inspired basketball, which has scared me off of it.
Either way, these are exciting times as the NBA is back and the stress of the DFS grind has returned, good luck!
Kyrie Irving (BOS): $8,400 vs PHI Irving is expected to log a normal complement of minutes even though he missed the final two games of the pre-season with a rib injury. His ownership may be a little down as a result of this injury and the fact he is expected to draw the attention of Ben Simmons on defense. Boston does come in sporting the second highest implied total of the evening of 106.8 according to the Westgate sports book, so there will be points to be had. Even though Boston did finish last season 23rd in pace of play, they get a boost playing a 76ers team that finished 4th. With Boston getting a boost in pace with this matchup selecting their leader in usage at a whopping 29.5% isn’t a bad idea. It’s still a bit unknown of how Gordon Hayward‘s presence will impact this usage rate, but it’s hard to pass on Irving, especially at this price point.
Markelle Fultz (PHI): $5,700 @ BOS In a total salary saver move, choosing Fultz can open you up to select another superstar in your lineup with a great matchup like Joel Embiid. Ownership is expected to be very low on a young player that struggled mightily in adjusting to the NBA game his rookie season. However, Fultz has shown signs of life in the pre-season showing off an improved jumper and even showed flashes of three-point success. He’s been announced as a starter in the backcourt alongside Ben Simmons, who also gives Fultz a boost simply due to his passing ability. It’s likely Fultz will draw the defense of Kyrie Irving which may be the biggest benefit to his insertion into your lineup. It should be known he comes with a lot of risk in what doesn’t seem like an appealing matchup, but keep in mind he could be sneaky good salary relief play.
Shooting Guard
Dennis Schroder (OKC): $6,100 @ GSW It’d definitely be wise to get a piece of a potentially high scoring game sporting an over/under of 223.5 according to Westgate sports book. Enter Schroder, fresh off a campaign where he averaged 19 points per game on 43 percent shooting. With Russell Westbrook expected to be on some kind of minute limit with his injury, it could open up additional minutes for other members of the OKC backcourt. Schroder also offers potential to accumulate assist totals averaging over six assists per game last season. With only two games on the slate, it’s important to find a balance of mid-level guys with upside that could carry you into the money and Schroder definitely offers that potential.
Jaylen Brown (BOS): $5,900 vs PHI Jaylen exploded on the scene last season as he was forced into additional action due to Boston’s plethora of injuries and he definitely made the most of it. Brown is expected to stay in the starting five for Boston and in a good matchup, he should avoid the tough defense of Robert Covington making him a more appealing selection. Brown has already proven to be an elite defender and can definitely provide in the peripheral stats which increases his value. In addition, there just aren’t a lot of top-level options at the shooting guard position on opening night, so going with a two-way starter on a team projected to score over 100 points in what could be a close game seems like a good choice. Brown can fill it up in any statistical category on any given night and most importantly should still see 30+ minutes on the court offering him more time for production.
Small Forward
Paul George (OKC): $9,000 @ GSW George stands to carry the bulk of the offensive load for OKC Tuesday night in what should be a high scoring matchup. With Russell Westbrook expected to be limited, it opens up George to be responsible for carrying the Thunder as much as he can. While this game does have blowout potential George should be the go-to man early and often. Just to give you an idea of the impact Westbrook either missing or being limited has on George’s production, George’s usage rate increased by a ridiculous 11.5 percent with Westbrook off the court. He should be able to obtain his value before this game gets out of hand. If you’re looking to own a piece of the OKC pie Tuesday night, look no further than George.
Robert Covington (PHI): $6,500 @ BOS Covington is a solid floor play in what should be a close game. While he can be a bit inconsistent with his shot attempts as evidenced by the last three pre-season games (shot totals of 14, five and five respectively) he does offer the upside of peripheral defensive stats. Covington is a top-level defender and can stuff the stat sheet with blocks/steals/rebounds. Typically a “3 and D” player, Covington has flashed an improved mid-range game to his arsenal to combat tight coverage on the perimeter. If Covington can prove to be consistent offensively his stock will inevitably improve. Tread with caution in this first game, but in a very short slate his upside offers up nice potential in a game that should come down to the wire.
Power Forward
Jayson Tatum (BOS): $6,200 BOS vs PHI There has been talk of there being some concern regarding the Sophomore’s performance in the pre-season, however, his role seems to be fairly safe in the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics. Tatum is already proven to be an elite defender and can pile up stats on the defensive end. His struggles offensively in the pre-season have been well documented (has failed to shoot over 40 percent from the field in any game), but he does offer the upside of peripheral stats like rebounds/steals/blocks. In a matchup against the 76ers, there should be more points available as Philadelphia played at the fourth fasted pace last season, so this should benefit Tatum who is not shy about getting shots up.
Marcus Morris (BOS): $4,500 vs PHI If it seems like I’m high on Boston Celtics players in this very small slate, well…you’re right. Morris has been playing very well this pre-season scoring in double figures in every game, shooting over 40 percent in every game all while logging no more than 25 minutes in any game. I’m fully aware it was just pre-season but it’s very encouraging to see Morris shooting so well and efficiently coming into the season. He is still an average to solid rebounder and will be one of the first off the bench for the Celtics. Morris is a sneaky good value play Tuesday night and could easily find himself getting more time on the floor if his shot is falling and Jayson Tatum’s struggles continue. Morris was a very efficient fantasy contributor last season averaging over 13 points and five rebounds per game. He’s definitely worth a look, especially against a 76ers team facing some frontcourt depth issues with injuries to Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.
Center
Joel Embiid (PHI): $10,400 @ BOS Embiid was the first player in my lineup as the matchup looks like it’s ripe for the picking. He gets a Boston frontcourt that is undersized and a matchup with an aging veteran Al Horford who he could take advantage of in a multitude of ways. Embiid sports a premium low post game and has the size to simply shoot over Horford, but could also use his speed in space on the perimeter to easily move around the slower Horford. On top of his offensive potential for the evening, Embiid did also sport a defensive real plus-minus of over three, which ranked him fifth best in the league according to NBA.com. A stretch-five center, who ranks as a potential top 5 defender in his position is a no-brainer as the core in lineups Tuesday night.
