Basketball is back! Even if you have never tried Daily Fantasy Sports, it’s worth entering the NBA $100K PICK AND ROLL tonight at DraftKings. There are also ways to qualify tonight for Wednesday’s NBA $400K CROSSOVER and its $100,000 first prize.
Bad luck for the Spurs — Kawhi Leonard’s lingering eye infection — has boosted his teammates’ value for all Tuesday contests, including the big one.
NBA $100K PICK AND ROLL
2,000 out of of 9,500 teams will share a hundred grand. First place wins $10,000 cash. The entry fee is $12 for this event, but DK offers many other games for every budget: free, 25 cents, $1, $2, $5 and right up to $5,300.
Rules are simple. There’s 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
- Triple-Double = +3PTs
Trying to predict a Gregg Popovich rotation is one of the biggest challenges in any form of fantasy hoops, but tonight he doesn’t have many options. Here’s my “stacked” Spurs lineup:
PG Tony Parker $6,400
SG Danny Green $4,500
SF Trevor Ariza $6,200
PF Tim Duncan $7,600
C Dwight Howard $8,800
G Marco Belinelli $4,200
F Boris Diaw $4,400
UT Kobe Bryant $7,800
Apologies to Manu Ginobili $4800; the other six fit perfectly with Howard and Bryant. Tiago Splitter (calf) is out, so avoid him too, with Diaw the likely beneficiary.
Stacking is using five, six or the maximum seven players from one team. If you expect the Rockets to run the Lakers out of their own gym, James Harden $10200 and Dwight Howard $8800 are not overpriced, and the affordable supporting cast of Terrence Jones $6300, Trevor Ariza $6200 and Patrick Beverley $5100 leaves $13400 to fill three spots. Throw in Donatas Motejiunas $4000 and you have $9400 left (hello, stud of your choice) for a legal lineup.
If you think Kobe & Co. will keep it close despite their lack of depth, you can stack Lakers. Mamba, Carlos Boozer $7000, Wesley Johnson $4000 and Jeremy Lin $6400 could play the whole game. Ed Davis $3900 is a bargain and rookie Jordan Clarkson $3000 might surprise. Be wary of Jordan Hill $5900 with a sore neck vs. Howard. Julius Randle $4800 is not a must at that price. Yet.
None of the above is my “main” lineup, entered across several leagues. They are savers for a larger investment that keys on Kobe, Howard, Parker, Anthony Davis $9500 and Evan Fournier $3000, mixing in various 3-man combinations at the other spots.
Don’t forget to enter other Tuesday contests, like $400K Crossover SUPERSat opportunities to qualify for tomorrow’s massive tournament; click through for details.
NBA $400K CROSSOVER
Yes, t
hat’s a $400,000 guaranteed prize pool and first place wins $100,000 cash! A total of 3,475 teams (out of 16,800) will win cash. There are 12 games on the calendar, making for countless more player combinations, but anyone can win.
The $27 entry fee is far beyond my usual ($1-5) budget, so I’m in multiple SuperSats tonight, trying to earn a Crossover ticket or two.
You can enter for both nights right now — and should, before contests fill — then make unlimited lineup changes until the deadline, which is 8:00 ET tonight and will be 7:00 ET on Wednesday.
Experienced Roto or H2H fantasy owners who already keep close tabs on NBA injuries, illnesses and roster moves will thrive in DFS, where last-minute changes can pay off. It’s easy to make a fast substitution at DraftKings with a Global Player Swap on the My Lineups page.
If you’re not 100% convinced but curious, it costs nothing to open an account, explore for yourself and enter free contests. See you there; my user name is SheridanHoopsFantasy. Good luck tonight!
My opinions are free — worth every penny — and are offered only to help you with your own selections. Obviously no guarantees are implied; playing my hand face up because it’s my job.
In tomorrow’s Spin, in addition to Crossover picks, we’ll again explore how bad breaks in the real NBA, like the Pacers being decimated by injuries, can be used to your advantage.
The Fantasy Spin offers DFS advice every day. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy.