Welcome to SuperDraft. Tired of salary-cap based DFS contests? In the mood for something refreshing and new? At SuperDraft, you can start any player available on the slate, and receive differing multiplier bonuses based on the players you plug in.
Damian Lillard, fresh off 111 total points in his last two outings, has a 1x multiplier. However, if you start someone with upside who is as inconsistent as Ja Morant, you get a 1.45x multiplier. The multipliers vary, making for some interesting strategy sessions as you have to pit raw production against multiplier production when making lineup decisions.
Tonight’s slate features contests from 4:00 pm EST onward only. This means the slate shrinks to five games instead of seven, and that we miss out on highly attractive, high multiplier plays like Thomas Bryant and Bogdan Bogdanovic (with De’Aaron Fox ruled out). It is important not to get too cute in setting lineups by chasing high multipliers only, as a combination of high floor, and high multiplier based upside usually leads to ideal results as far as finishing in the money. Let’s take a look at some of tonight’s top plays.
Deandre Ayton (1.35x multiplier)
With the bubble turning into a rest fest, identifying players who will be in line for a full complement of minutes needs to be prioritized. Deandre Ayton has been up and down in the bubble, but appears to be primed for a big contest against the Dallas Mavericks. The Phoenix Suns play at 4:00 pm, which means that their game will be going on the same time as the Memphis Grizzlies’, the team they are tied with for ninth place in the Western Conference.
Ayton has put 41.5 fantasy points per game this year at SuperDraft, but with the multiplier that number jumps to 55.8 fantasy points per contest. The 1.35x multiplier for a player as talented as Ayton was a bit surprising, but makes sense when one takes his inconsistency into account. He certainly has the tools to become one of the best big men in the league, but as of now he only teases with dominant flashes. Kristaps Prozingis is listed as questionable for this afternoon’s contest, and if the Mavericks big man does indeed sit, Ayton will get a big value boost. Dallas has nothing to play for after losing to Portland on Tuesday, as they are now locked into the seventh seed due to this contest against the Suns being their final reseeding contest.
All signs point towards Ayton starting and having a big game, but if the Mavericks decide to rest their starters en masse, we could see Ayton get a breather as well. If Ayton ends up a surprise rule-out, plug Dario Saric in at power forward (1.75x multiplier).
Devin Booker (1.3x multiplier)
Averaging 26.7 points and seven assists in three games against Dallas this season, the white hot Devin Booker will look to carry his team to the promised land with a victory tonight over the Mavericks. The Suns do not control their own destiny, as a Memphis win would result in an identical record, and the Grizzlies getting the tie break due to winning the season series 2-1. Luckily for SuperDraft players, both these teams will be playing at the same time.
Unfortunately for Suns fans, the NBA has indeed suspended Giannis Antetokounmpo for headbutting Moe Wagner. The Suns will need to play their starters as much as possible to ensure they get the win, while hoping the Bucks deploy enough players to at least be competitive in their contest. Booker has been on fire in the bubble and has now scored 35 points in four of his last five contests. Booker was always appreciated by the more hardcore of NBA fans (and of course fantasy players), but it is nice to finally see him start to get some of the national attention he has deserved as one of the premier scorers in the NBA.
Booker has put up 41.8 fantasy points per game at SuperDraft, but with the highly attractive 1.3x multiplier, that number jumps to a robust 54.3. If there was only one player playing today to bet on playing near his full complement of minutes, and putting forth the effort to give us some monster production, it is Devin Booker. At a 1.3x multiplier, he should be in every SuperDraft lineup.
Donovan Mitchell (1.4x multiplier)
Donovan Mitchell has been excellent in the bubble. He has not been as red hot as some of the other players who has received more national attention, but his efforts have not gone unnoticed by hardcore fans or fantasy players. Though his percentages are still abysmal (he should not be a number one on a team with legit aspirations at contending), he has scored 33 or more points in two of his last three contests. He has averaged 24.2 points per game on the season, and comes in just under that number in the bubble at 23.8.
Where Mitchell has really impressed DFS players is in the peripheral departments. He has recorded 5.4 assists per game, up from his season average of 4.3, and has averaged 5.8 rebounds per game, up from his season mark of 4.4 per contest. Mitchell has put up 38.4 fantasy points per contest at SuperDraft, but that number jumps to a highly attractive 53.7 with the 1.4x multiplier. The Utah Jazz will be resting both Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley Jr. for this evening’s contest, and will likely choose to deploy Mitchell to get him a final tune up after he missed two of the Jazz’s last three contests. On a day with so much uncertainty, Mitchell jacking up 15-plus shots seems like something SuperDraft players can count on.
Whether you’re new to daily fantasy golf or a seasoned professional, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Golf Glossary. You can get started with The Stats That Matter Most or head to more advanced strategy – like How To Use Vegas Odds To Generate Your Lineup – to learn more.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.