With the sports world on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, our friends at FanDuel have devised some ways to keep their DFS patrons entertained. There are League of Legends DFS contests of all shapes and sizes, but they are also offering a Survivor game and some interesting NBA contests. With the NBA season suspended indefinitely, FanDuel is now offering contests for simulated NBA2K games, and for a classic team live stream.
The simulated contests are played a day ahead, so tonight’s slate is the set of NBA games that would have been played on Thursday, March 26. The contests are free to play and have a $2,000 bonus cash prize pool. The top prize is $100, and there are payouts for the top 8,000. You are allowed up to five entries. These contests are competitive given the price point, but they are an entertaining way to find a much-needed mental break during the trying and scary times the entire world is enduring. Let’s dig in.
Check out all of FanDuel’s NBA2K Sim Contests 
Tristan Thompson (CLE): $5,900
On a cost per projected point basis, there is no better consistent value than Tristan Thompson. He has scored 40 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games, averaging 41.5 fantasy points per game over that time. Since these are simulated games, they do not care that the Cavaliers would prefer to tank and feed minutes to their young and developing players. This means that Thompson and Kevin Love will receive full-time starters minutes. Thompson is an elite play when his production and price are taken into account. He deserves a long, hard look for at least one of your entries.
Kevin Love (CLE): ($6,800)
Love makes all of my NBA2K sim FanDuel lineups. He is consistently priced as a value and provides a steady return on investment. His lower price point allows one to fit more pricey options into lineups elsewhere. LaMarcus Aldridge is the superior cost-per-projected-point option for this evening, but Love’s lower salary allows for more flexibility. He has scored at least 32 fantasy points in three of his last four sim contests, averaging 33.95 over that stretch. Love is not quite the value Thompson is, but he has been strong enough to warrant consideration for lineups whenever he is playing.
LaMarcus Aldridge (SA): ($7,300)
Aldridge is the best value of the power forwards available tonight. While he does not have the upside of Anthony Davis ($10,900), he has consistently provided top-level production in the simmed games. Aldridge has scored 43 or more fantasy points in each of his last three contests, a time period in which he has averaged 46.7 fantasy points. He started the simulations slow, so there is some risk of him falling back down to a sub-30 point range, but with the Minnesota Timberwolves on tonight’s schedule, Aldridge should be good for another 35-plus fantasy points.
Andrew Wiggins (GS): $7,600
Andrew Wiggins has provided strong value in these simmed games. He has scored at least 39.6 fantasy points in three of his last four contests, topping out with a 65.5-point performance against the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 50.5 fantasy points in those three games and 41.6 if including the 15.5-point dud against the Detroit Pistons. Dud aside, Wiggins has provided the best return on investment of the small forwards available for tonight’s contest.
Zach LaVine (CHI): $7,900
Zach LaVine is one of the best shooting guard options in these simmed contests regardless of who else may be playing on a particular night. His 12.6-fantasy-point bust against the San Antonio Spurs has dragged his average over his past five games down to 40.3 points, but he has been producing at an elite level otherwise. He has averaged 47.2 in four of his last five contests, a span in which he scored at least 44.5 fantasy points. LaVine is the highest upside two-guard available tonight. If you can squeeze him into your lineup budget-wise, he should propel you to finish in the money.
DeMar DeRozan (SA): $7,600
DeMar DeRozan has been one of the more consistent options at shooting guard. With not much to choose from in terms of high-level producers at the two tonight, DeRozan is one of the most appealing choices. He has averaged 40.9 fantasy points over his past five contests and has failed to fall under 36.7. There are better plays on a strict return-on-investment basis, but they are riskier options that have not shown the type of consistency DeRozan has in these simmed contests. He deserves strong consideration for your lineup tonight.
Check out all of FanDuel’s NBA2K Sim Contests
Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
