The first week of the NBA season has been good to us and we’re going to keep it rolling here. Tuesday slates tend to be a bit lighter but we’re looking at a 10-game slate here. That’s all we can ask for but injuries and COVID have been causing mayhem in the opening week. That’s going to be the case all year though and it should open up a ton of value. With that in mind, let’s get into it!
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Point Guard
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Stephen Curry (GS) | at DET | $9,600 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Markelle Fultz (ORL) | vs. OKC | $6,100 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Elfrid Payton (NYK) | at CLE | $5,500 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
- Curry is a usage monster with Klay Thompson injured and we’ll explain that more later.
- Fultz has been superb for the Magic, averaging 33.4 DK points per game. That should continue against a subpar Thunder defense.
- Payton was terrible in the first two games for the Knicks but 43.3 DraftKings points per game on Sunday shows the sort of potential he can provide. Cleveland is not a team we’re scared of either.
Shooting Guard
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Coby White (CHI) | at WAS | $6,500 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Eric Bledsoe (NOP) | at PHX | $5,900 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| George Hill (OKC) | vs. ORL | $4,800 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
- White is a breakout pick for many fantasy experts and his increase in usage could be a huge asset against a terrible Wizards defense.
- Bledsoe has been really bad in his first few games for the Pelicans but he’s simply too good of a player to be sitting below $6K.
- Hill started for the Thunder in their first game, dropping 34 DraftKings points in just 24 minutes of play. He followed that up with over 30 DK points on Monday.
Small Forward
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Brandon Ingram (NOP) | at PHX | $8,200 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Kelly Oubre (GS) | at DET | $5,700 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Josh Jackson (DET) | vs. CLE | $4,500 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
- Ingram has been one of the best players in the early going and we’ll discuss that more later.
- Oubre simply can’t hit a shot right now but it’s lowered his price way too much. He’ll eventually figure it out.
- Jackson started for the Pistons on Monday and if he does that again here, he’s a great value with his fantasy point-per-minute production. He led the team with 27 points in that loss and is clearly one of the most talented players on this roster.
Power Forward
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | at MIA | $10,800 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Al Horford (OKC) | vs. ORL | $5,900 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Naz Reid (MIN) | at LAC | $5,100 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
- Giannis is always one of the best plays out there and we love him with Jimmy Butler likely sitting.
- Horford is the go-to guy in the OKC frontcourt and he’ll likely get his price tag closer to $7,000 as the season progresses.
- Reid will likely start for Karl-Anthony Towns and he averaged nearly 30 fantasy points per game in that role last season.
Center
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Andre Drummond (CLE) | vs. NYK | $8,700 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | at CLE | $5,600 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Brook Lopez (MIL) | at MIA | $4,700 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
- Drummond has been fantastic and he’s found himself back into our studs section.
- Robinson has been one of the best per-minute producers in the NBA since being drafted and if he matches the 34 minutes that he played on Sunday, he could become a fantasy beast.
- Lopez averaged nearly 30 DK points per game last season and is way too cheap at $4,700.
5 Studs Worth Their Salary
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL ($10,800): In six healthy games against Miami last season, Giannis averaged over 50 DraftKings points per game. Look for him to be hungry after that playoff exit.
- Nikola Jokic, DEN ($10,200): Jokic is averaging a triple-double right now and he’s almost impossible to fade until he cools off.
- Stephen Curry, GS ($9,600): Curry is leading the Warriors with a usage rate north of 30 percent and is taking more than 20 shots a game. That’s all we can ask for against a bad Pistons team.
- Andre Drummond, CLE ($8,700): With Kevin Love likely sitting, Drummond should feast on the boards. Over his last two games, Drummond is averaging over 60 DK points per outing and could continue that against a lackluster Knicks defense.
- Brandon Ingram, NOP ($8,200): Ingram has been a monster in the early going, averaging 50 DraftKings points per game. That means his price is way too low and we have to keep riding him until his price rises or his production falls off.
5 Notable Players to Fade
- Devin Booker, PHX ($9,100): Booker has had a hard time adapting to life with Chris Paul, averaging just 35.4 DK points per game. That’s simply not enough at this price.
- Jimmy Butler, MIA ($7,900): Butler enters this matchup with a doubtful tag and we really wouldn’t like him against a stingy Milwaukee defense.
- D’Angelo Russell, MIN ($7,600): Russell has been terrible in the first week of the season, averaging just 27 fantasy points per game.
- Blake Griffin, DET ($6,900): Griffin hasn’t played at a $7,000 level in years and it’s hard to understand why he remains so expensive.
- Buddy Hield, SAC ($6,800): With De’Aaron Fox running the show in Sacramento, Hield has been struggling. In fact, he’s shooting just 38 percent from the field and is failing to provide fantasy production in anything but pure points. We need stat-stuffers in this price range.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.