DraftStreet is ready to blow the competition away with a monster contest just a few weeks away. On March 26, 2014, $55 will buy you in to a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool aka the NBA Big Score, with a shot at $50,000 if you finish with the top score. The top 400 finishers will win at least $100, with the top seven getting $1,000 or more. The format is the familiar 100K salary cap, in which you choose eight players with a total virtual salary not exceeding $100,000. For a shot at entering the Big Score for a discount, you’ll find satellites open for registration in the NBA lobby at DraftStreet, priced from $1 to $11.
Sunday’s schedule is split into two afternoon games and seven evening games – it is the latter that I will focus on. Though there are a few interesting early bird contests, the majority of DraftStreet offerings begin at 6 PM EDT and our choices are limited to players from the seven evening games. If you don’t have a DraftStreet account, you can sign up using this link. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Featured DraftStreet Contests
Salary Cap: $22/$10,000 (6 pm start), $5/$5,000 (6 pm start), $11/$3,000 (1 pm start) and four other standard payout GPPs.
50K satellites (for next week): $1/$110 (5 tickets- 6 PM start), $5/$220 (10 tickets – 1 PM start), $2/$110 (5 tickets – 1 PM start) ; 150K satellites (for March 26 main event): $11/$440 (8 tickets, 6 PM start), $1/$110 (2 tickets, 1 PM start).
Pickem: $11/$2,500 (6 pm start), $2/$2,000 (6 pm start)
Remember to register at least 10 minutes before the roster deadline. Sunday contests start at either 1 PM EDT ot 6 PM EDT.
My Lineup at DraftStreet
The following is my recommended lineup, subject to change, for the $5/$5,000 Standard Payout GPP at DraftStreet (closing at 6:00 pm EDT). You are required to have three guards, three forwards, one center and one wildcard/utility player for a legal eight-player lineup in DraftStreet NBA contests:
C-Andre Drummond/DET-$16,860, G-Kyle Lowry/TOR-$14,971, F-Josh Smith/DET-$14,326, F-Gerald Green/PNX-$13,186, F-Paul Pierce/BKN-$11,026, G-Randy Foye/DEN-$10,520, F-Jeff Green/BOS-$10,105, G-Terrence Ross/TOR-$8,816.
Lowry/TOR has fallen in price and has a superb matchup against the Wolves’ wonky defense. The same, though to a lesser extent, applies to Ross/TOR. Due to the uncertain health of Goran Dragic/PNX, Gerald Green/PNX will be asked to shoulder an increased work load. Andre Drummond/DET has the most upside among the available options at center.
Raptors Try to Cool Down Timberwolves
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls (1:00 pm EDT); over/under 188.5 ; Heat -3. . INJURIES: MIA: none ; CHI: none .
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (3:30 pm EDT); over/under 228.5 ; Thunder -11.5. . INJURIES: OKC: Thabo Sefolosha (OUT), Kendrick Perkins (OUT) ; LAL: Pau Gasol (P), Kobe Bryant (OUT), Nick Young (OUT).
Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans (6:00 pm EDT); over/under 214.5 ; Pelicans -2 . INJURIES: DEN: none ; NOP: none .
Sacramento Kings at Brooklyn Nets (6:00 pm EDT); over/under 202.5 ; Nets -6.5. . INJURIES: SAC: none ; BKN: Kevin Garnett (Q) .
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (6:00 pm EDT); over/under 203.5 ; Celtics -2. . INJURIES: DET: Josh Harrellson (OUT) ; BOS: Avery Bradley (OUT) .
Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves (7:00 pm EDT); over/under 208 ; Wolves -4.5. . INJURIES: TOR: none ; MIN: Ronny Turiaf (OUT) .
Portland Trail Blazers at Houston RocketsChicago Bulls (7:00 pm EDT); over/under 214 ; Rockets -5.5. . INJURIES: POR: Nicolas Batum (P), Joel Freeland (OUT) ; HOU: none .
Indiana Pacers at Dallas Mavericks (7:30 pm EDT); over/under 199 ; Mavs -1.5. . INJURIES: IND: C.J. Watson (OUT), Andrew Bynum (OUT) ; DAL: none .
Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors (9:00 pm EDT); over/under 211.5 ; Warriors -7.5. . INJURIES: PNX: Goran Dragic (Q), Miles Plumlee (Q), Leandro Barbosa (OUT), Eric Bledsoe (OUT); GSW: Klay Thompson (P) .
Yesterday’s News
TOP GUNS:
Kyrie Irving/CLE. He was a strong candidate to bounce back and did.
Carmelo Anthony/NYL. The Knicks seem to win more often when the supporting cast plays well, taking the pressure off Melo.
Spencer Hawes/CLE, Tobias Harris/ORL, Derrick Favors/UTA.
SLEEPERS:
Tony Wroten/PHI. Hot and cold. He can earn you major value when he is on his game.
Amar’e Stoudamire/NYK. He’s the Knicks’ second best player right now and seems to be close to peak form.
Drew Gooden/CLE, Manu Ginobili/SAS, Kyle Korver/ATL.
LET DOWNS:
Patrick Mills/SAS. In San Antonio, if you come off the bench struggling, your minutes tend to disappear.
Al Jefferson/CHA. Not a big surprise given the matchup (versus the Grizzlies).
Jamal Crawford/LAC and Anderson Varejao/CLE. Both played limited minutes due to this being their first game back.
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