It’s great to be back with Team Sheridan on the fantasy hoops beat. All that NBA knowledge gleaned from your Roto and Head-to-Head draft preparation can really pay off at DraftKings.
The season tips off on Tuesday, October, 28th at 8:00 EST with a huge contest.
NBA $100K PICK AND ROLL
That’s a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool, paid out to the top 2,000 finishes among a maximum of 9,500 teams. First place wins $10,000 cash.
The entry fee is $12 for this big event, but DraftKings offers other contests for every budget: free, 25 cents, $1, $2 and all the way up to $5,300 for high rollers.
Rules
The DK game is easy to learn. You have a Salary Cap of $50,000 for eight roster spots: 1 PG, 1 SG, 1 SF, 1 PF, 1 C , 1 G, 1 F, 1 UTIL. Best team wins, according to this scoring system:
- Point = +1 PT
- 3PT Shot = +0.5 PTs
- Rebound = +1.25 PTs
- Assist = +1.5 PTs
- Steal = +2 PTs
- Block = +2 PTs
- Turnover = -0.5 PTs
- Double-Double = +1.5PTs (MAX 1 PER PLAYER: Points, Rebounds, Assists, Blocks, Steals)
- Triple-Double = +3PTs (MAX 1 PER PLAYER: Points, Rebounds, Assists, Blocks, Steals)
What makes opening night so interesting is the limited choices because of only three games; Dwight Howard $8800 towers above the other C in this format, where missed free throws don’t matter. Tyson Chandler $5700 is a maybe and Kyle O’Quinn $3700 a longshot. That decision alone affects your budget at other spots.
Position eligibility is inflexible; Anthony Davis $9500 qualifies only at PF. You can enter multiple lineups — recommended, as that increases your odds of winning the ten grand, or multiple smaller prizes — and you can make roster changes easily until the deadline.
On Wednesday, October, 29th at 7:00 EST with a 12-game slate, the combinations are endless and the stakes even higher.
NBA $400K CROSSOVER
Yes, that is a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool and first place wins $100,000 cash!
There will be up to 16,800 teams. Even if the contest doesn’t “fill” the top 3,475 finishers are paid; that’s even better odds.
The $27 entry fee may be too steep for some, but there are ways to qualify for $5 or even $2. Just enter one of the LAST CHANCE: $400K Crossover SUPERSat contests on Tuesday. For $5, the top 150 finishers from 930 teams win a $27 ticket to the big event, and the top 100 out of a maximum 1550 entries will qualify to win that hundred grand for a mere two bucks!
Strategy
Multiple entries with different lineups (where permitted) has worked well for me over the years. Many times, the team I liked best flopped, but my second or third choice saved the day. On occasion, you can “pepper the leaderboard” and every lineup cashes.
Every day is a brand new season, another chance to win. Money management is important. Serious players don’t focus exclusively on the huge jackpots, they invest a percentage of their bankroll in Head-to-Head or 50-50 contests, where they cash far more often.
Stay on top of injuries, illnesses and other breaking news. Try to anticipate real-life lineups. For example, I love Kobe Bryant $7800 on Tuesday. Mamba will be pumped for a huge comeback game. However, he’s not guaranteed to play at all in the back-to-back on Wednesday, so he won’t be on any of my teams, despite the same price tag.
The salary floor is $3,000 and it’s always nice to find a bargain at that price, so you have more to spend on stars. Evan Fournier $3,000 could be the starting SG for the Magic while Victor Oladipo is sidelined. After a strong preseason, Fournier will almost certainly get more minutes and more touches than casual fans expect. I’m using him on Tuesday for sure.
Incentives
First time depositors at DraftKings receive a 100% bonus up to $600; those bonus dollars will be added to your account as you play. You can even compete against other beginners for 50 games, a big advantage for experts in “traditional” fantasy hoops.
The DK interface has always been the best in the industry, and since acquiring former competitor DraftStreet, the DK pools are fantastic. If you are not 100% convinced but curious, it costs nothing to open an account, see for yourself and enter free contests. See you there; my user name is SheridanHoopsFantasy. Good luck!
The Fantasy Spin will be spun every day of the NBA season and right through the playoffs, Follow me on Twitter @SheridanFantasy for updates.