Congratulations to “rdog” on winning $100,000 last night at DraftKings with an impressive 348 points. “TwoGun” finished second and third (earning $60,000) and hit the leaderboard with several more lineups. 3,475 cash prizes were paid among the 11,741 entries, a huge overlay for everyone who entered. Chris Bosh was owned on just 5.6% of teams and produced 56.25 points; I regret using DeMarcus Cousins instead.
Tonight it’s back to normal with five NBA games. The Magic and Mavs are home with one day of rest and it’s the season-opener for the Clippers and Cavaliers, who many believe are destined to meet in the NBA Finals.
There may not be a $400K jackpot tonight but you can still check out DK for free. That link takes you to a $2 entry for the NBA $30K Layup, where you can pick your team, which will be free if you sign up. First prize is $5,000 cash. There are many more contests of various sizes and cost, including head-to-head leagues (vs. one opponent) and 50/50 games, where half the field wins. Even the free contests, which feature the same rules, are fun and challenging.
Russell Westbrook $9900, heroic in defeat last night, faces an even bigger challenge in Chris Paul $9300 and the Clippers in their season bow. Blake Griffin $10000, Jamal Crawford $5500, J.J. Redick $4600 and Spencer Hawes $4800 are strong plays.
The return of LeBron James $10500 is a very big deal in Cleveland and the world will be watching. Does that have any DFS value? My main concern is minutes. The Cavs are going to crush the poor Knicks and the starters might be done in the third quarter. Matthew Dellevedova $3000 and Tristan Thompson $5400, young guys on the second unit, may finish.
On Tuesday, Dirk Nowitzki $7200 and Monta Ellis $7700 performed as expected and Devin Harris $4600 was a surprise off the bench as the Mavs lost a heartbreaker. The Jazz will be a much easier opponent than the Spurs, so Chandler Parsons $6700 might bounce back from a 2-for-10 night and Tyson Chandler $5600 is consistent.
It’s only one game, but Andrew Wiggins $5500 and Anthony Bennett $3900 were used sparingly in Memphis. Ride the T-Wolves veterans, especially Thaddeus Young $6700 and Ricky Rubio $7400. Bargain hunting? Mo Williams $3200 was terrific last night in 26 minutes and Shabazz Muhammad $3000 came out of nowhere with 13 PTS, 7 REB. The Pistons looked tired; Greg Monroe is still suspended so Josh Smith $7500 is safe and D.J. Augustin $3500 is much a better play than Brandon Jennings $7100.
Tobias Harris $5800 and Nikola Vucevic $8000 stood out despite losing to New Orleans. Evan Fournier $4000 and rookie Aaron Gordon $3400 also impressed. The Wizards complete the Florida back-to-back with Nene, who is unfortunately missing from the DK pool, returning from a one-game suspension. Drew Gooden $3500 was a one-night wonder.
As always, the question is how to put all those possible pieces (and others you may like) into a productive lineup. The stars-and-scrubs approach says get as many of the best players as you can and fill in with extreme bargains.
Starting with CP3 and LBJ, Ellis and Vucevic are my top picks at two other positions and the other four spots can be mixed and matched with other similarly-sized (i.e., cheap) pieces.
Otto Porter Jr. $3000, Perry Jones III $3000 and Kyle Singler $3000 are all getting an opportunity to play, so there are a number of possibilities at the rock-bottom price. Steven Adams $3500 is starting for the Thunder.
Always check for the latest news of injuries, illnesses, suspensions and rotation shuffles. Jose Calderon $5700 did not play last night and remains iffy.
Another approach to lineup construction is to collect eight guys who should all perform well at reasonable salaries. This may be better suited to 50/50 and Head-to-Head contests than big tournaments, as it minimizes risk.
Tonight, I’m leaning toward this one, with several variations on the Util spot. Using two or three lineups in contests where multiple entries are permitted can really pay off, because it’s often
Good luck with all your teams; see you at DraftKings.
The Fantasy Spin offers DFS advice every day. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy.