The really big money — $400,000 in cash, $100,000 top prize — is being given away on Wednesday night, but the NBA season starts tomorrow with another very lucrative contest at DraftKings.
You can enter Tuesday’s NBA $100K PICK AND ROLL for just $12, and the top 2,000 teams will earn cash. First place is worth ten grand, second wins $5,000 and all payouts are 100% guaranteed, even if the limit of 9,500 players isn’t reached.
Also on Tuesday night, there are ways to qualify for Wednesday’s enormous NBA $400K CROSSOVER without spending the $27 entry fee.
If you are new to Daily Fantasy Sports, the best place to play is DraftKings. Start in the Lobby, select NBA from the dropdown list of sports, and you’ll see a list of all available contests. Sort by Entry Fee to find free contests (the prize is a $2 ticket), and money leagues for as little as 25 cents per team.
In yesterday’s Spin, we outlined the rules and scoring system in detail. The game is simple: pick the eight players you think will score the most fantasy points, without exceeding the salary cap. I also mentioned that there are SuperSat contests for the Crossover where the entry fee is just $2 or $5, but it’s possible to win the hundred grand by spending just a quarter.
Click on Qualifiers and look for the 25-cent leagues called NBA $400K CROSSOVER SUPERSAT [2 TICKETS]. They are limited to 250 players (you may enter more than once to improve your odds) and the top two finishers will get a $27 seat in Wednesday’s massive contest.
You can’t win it if you aren’t in it. Make an initial deposit and DK will match it (up to $600) with bonus money that will be added to your account as you play.
My strategy on Tuesday is to enter multiple lineups in the $0.25, $2 and $5 SuperSat leagues, hoping to earn at least one shot at the big bucks the following night.
Once you enter a contest, you can create your lineup. Don’t worry about getting it “perfect” right away; unlimited changes are permitted until the 8:00 ET deadline.
By default, PG are highlighted, but the C position is key with only three NBA games on opening night, so let’s begin there. Dwight Howard $8800 is the most expensive (and worth it) against his former Lakers teammates. Nikola Vucevic $7600 will be better value on other nights; he’s facing a strong Pelicans front line in the opener. The game between Dallas and San Antonio might be high scoring, making Tyson Chandler $5700 a decent play. Longshot fanciers can consider Kyle O’Quinn $3700 — with Channing Frye injured, he’s been playing the “stretch 4” role throughout the preseason.
At PF, Anthony Davis $9500 is not cheap. If you use him and Howard up front, that leaves an average of less than $5300 to fill the other six positions. Other strong PF options are Tim Duncan $7600 and Dirk Nowitzki $7400 as they play each other, and my bargain-basement hunch play is Ed Davis $3900. Likely to be prominent off the bench for the Lakers against the Rockets’ second unit, Ed could even finish the game if Houston has a big lead.
I usually start at the bottom of the salary lists and look for $3000 players — at any position — with a chance to put up numbers. SG Evan Fournier $3000 is at that rock-bottom price because the salaries were set before Victor Oladipo $7400 suffered a facial fracture. Expect Fournier to get 30 minutes and be productive. I’m inclined to use him on every team, though he will be quite popular. The two huge names at SG go head-to-head in L.A., with James Harden $10200 the most costly player in the entire pool and Kobe Bryant $7800 extremely motivated.
Getting back to PG, the price is right on Tony Parker $6400 and not even Gregg Popovich will rest him on opening night. Jrue Holiday $7800 may not be 100% recovered from a leg injury, but if he’s 90% himself, Orlando is a great matchup. Rookie Elfrid Payton $5200 and Luke Ridnour $3000 may be in a time share until Oladipo returns.
Prices seem fair for the best SF. I’d like Chandler Parsons $7300 more if he wasn’t guarded by Kawhi Leonard $6200. The latter, or Trevor Ariza $6200, are solid value and Wesley Johnson $4000 might pay his way.
In addition to the five standard positions, there are three more spots to fill: a G, F, and Util player. That’s a lot of possible combinations even on a 3-game night, and with 12 games on Wednesday the challenge will be sorting through many more “live” players.
It can be a bit like a jigsaw puzzle at the end; when you have selected the six or seven players you like best, you’re looking for pieces that fit under the cap. Often, my Util guy is simply the best available player at whatever amount I have left to spend.
Tomorrow, we’ll put it all together with some recommended lineups for the $100K Pick and Roll. See you at DraftKings.
The Fantasy Spin will be spun every day of the NBA season and right through the playoffs. Follow me on Twitter @SheridanFantasy for updates.