After an amazing All-Star break, our batteries are recharged, and we’re ready for a monster second half. All of the COVID protocols wreaked havoc in the first two months of the season, but this break hopefully calmed some things down. We don’t have a lot to talk about for this first day because there are only two games in action, but it’s exciting nonetheless. It’s a nice appetizer for the remainder of the season, though, and we’re ecstatic to get back to things. With that in mind, let’s get into it!

If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel

Check out today’s NBA Tip-Off from DraftKings

Most Value Per Dollar 

The good news about this short slate is the fact that we have some close matchups. Memphis is currently a 1.5-point favorite over Washington, while Dallas is a 5.5-point favorite over San Antonio. The Wizards-Grizzlies game should be the higher total of the two, but we anticipate both being north of 220. In terms of positions, the point guard position is the strongest, while shooting guard is easily the weakest.

If you’d like to see more information on how the betting landscape will be for this slate, check out BettingPros.

Below is a list of the top players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. These are ranked in order.

DeMar DeRozan (SAS) $8,000
I hate to play the narrative game, but DeRozan should be really hungry here. He was probably the most vocal player about not making the All-Star team, and what better chance to show why he deserved it than a nationally televised game on the first day back? This guy has been crushing it recently, too, averaging 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.3 assists over his last 10 games. That has led to him doing a ton of ball-handling, and he should continue to that against a 23rd-ranked Dallas defense. In his one game against the Mavs earlier this season, DD collected 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Maxi Kleber (DAL) $4,300
Kleber has established a nice role as a Mavericks starter, and he remains way too cheap at just $4,300. The big man is playing 28 minutes a night over his last 12 outings, averaging 20 fantasy points per game in that span. That 20-point total doesn’t seem like much, but it looks a lot better when you see that he has 59 combined DK points over the last two games. We also don’t mind him facing a subpar Spurs frontcourt either.

Jakob Poeltl (SAS) $6,000
It appears that Poeltl has stolen the starting center job from LaMarcus Aldridge, and as long as that’s the case, he should be closer to $7K. In his 14 starts this season, Poeltl is averaging 28.2 DK points per game in 28.2 minutes a night. That’s all you can ask for from a $6K player, especially with Poeltl’s averaging getting up to 32 DK points across his last seven outings. Facing a 23rd-ranked Dallas defense only adds to his value.

Josh Richardson (DAL) $4,900
Richardson has quietly been really solid since coming off the COVID list, and we want to keep using him as long as he remains below $5,000. Since the beginning of February, J-Rich is averaging 25 fantasy points per game across 32 minutes a night. That’s a monster total from such an affordable player, and as long as you get that a sub-$5K player playing 32 minutes, you can’t avoid him on a two-game slate. San Antonio also owns a 24th OPRK against opposing shooting guards if you needed any more incentive.

Jonas Valanciunas (MEM) $7,100
JV is one of the most beastly players in the NBA, and it’s exhilarating that his minutes have been creeping up this year. He’s playing 28 minutes a night since coming back from injury, which includes a 13-minute blowout last week! That means 30 minutes seems possible, which is scary, with Valanciunas averaging over 1.3 DK points per minute for the season. We really love this matchup, though, with Washington playing at that fast pace we already mentioned while surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Moritz Wagner (WAS) $3,200
This is easily one of the riskiest plays on the board, but it’s also the sort of pick that can win you a GPP. We say that because Wagner is the starting center in Washington and has had some monster games when given the opportunity. In fact, Moritz has at least 25 DraftKings points in four of his 11 starts this year, which would be a ridiculous total from a guy who’s flirting with a minimum price. If you’re offering me a 36 percent chance to land 8X value on a two-game slate, I’ll take that every day of the week! He also makes it much easier to get studs into your build, and that’s what we have next for you guys!

Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Luka Doncic (DAL) $10,700: It’s tough to fade Luka when we have a full schedule, but it’s impossible to avoid him on a two-game slate. The simple fact is, nobody has the upside he does. We’re talking about a superstar who has at least 39 DraftKings points in 28 of his 32 games this season, averaging 57 fantasy points per game. That makes him worth it no matter the price, and this happens to be a great matchup too. In fact, San Antonio surrenders the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. In their one meeting earlier, Doncic dropped a 66-point gem.
• Bradley Beal (WAS) $9,400: It seems crazy that Beal is $700 cheaper than Russell Westbrook and remains below $10,000. Amazingly, Beal has scored at least 35 fantasy points in all but one game this season, averaging over 50 DK points per game. That alone makes this price tag hard to understand, especially with Beal having such a good matchup. The Grizzlies currently rank eighth in pace, and Beal feels like a near guarantee for 30-plus points with so much fantasy production in this sure shootout.
• Ja Morant (MEM) $7,800: Morant has been a bit of a mixed bag, but this dude can go crazy when given the opportunity. We say that because he averaged over 50 fantasy points per game before getting injured in the second week and has at least 49 DK points in back-to-back games before the break. We really love this matchup, though, with Washington ranked 27th in total defense while playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. In their one matchup earlier this season, Morant had 35 points and 10 assists in one of the best games of his career.

Notable Players to Fade

• Kyle Anderson (MEM) $6,300: Anderson was amazing when filling-in for JV and Morant earlier this season, but his role is not the same with those guys on the floor. Those two swallow up about 30 shots and 50 percent of the team’s usage, forcing Anderson to provide through stat-stuffing. While he can do that, it’s hard to trust when we have to pay this much to use him. He’s showed that in his last two games, scoring 20 or fewer fantasy points in both of those.
• Jalen Brunson (DAL) $5,700: Brunson has been awesome at times this season, but now that everyone is off the COVID list, his role is tough to trust. If Tim Hardaway or Richardson is rolling, it’s possible that Brunson won’t even play 25 minutes. That makes him a tough sell, especially when you see a guy with a 23-point average being priced this expensive.
• Lonnie Walker IV (SAS) $4,900: Walker got a ton of minutes when half of the Spurs roster was out due to COVID, but now that most of them are back, he might not play a whole lot. Before that COVID breakout, Lonnie never reached 15 fantasy points in any of his previous five games, averaging just 9.3 fantasy points per game in that span. Obviously, we can’t use a $5K player with that sort of floor.

Create DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. Our Lineup Optimizer allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players. We’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.