To my astonishment, Stephen Curry missed all seven 3-point attempts and the Warriors lost at home. In daily fantasy play, it’s hard to recover from getting your key game (and most expensive player) entirely wrong.
A few DFS outcomes become familiar between big paydays. One is “close but no cigar,” a frustrating finish just out of the money. Another is “could have been better,” when you cash (a little) despite a mistake or two. Then there’s “turn the page,” when you didn’t come close — bad picks and/or bad luck — like Tuesday.
Fortunately, tonight’s a clean slate. Let’s construct a lineup by position. DraftKings eligibility is not as flexible as Yahoo or ESPN in traditional fantasy. The challenge is to get as much firepower as possible, tonight only, without exceeding the $50K salary cap.
Plays of the Day
If you haven’t joined DK yet, click for a FREE entry (worth $2) to win as much as $5,000 in tonight’s $30K Layup, where 4,000 of 17,250 teams earn cash. DK will also match your initial deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus money that gets added to your account as you play. For veterans with a bigger budget, here’s the $100K Crossover — $27 to enter, 4200 teams, top 840 paid. First place earns $15,000 and it’s a possible overlay, where the payouts are guaranteed even if it doesn’t fill.
Against the defenseless Lakers, who lost in Memphis last night, Anthony Davis $11200 is worth his astronomical salary. If we use him at PF, we must compromise at other positions.
James Harden $10300 stands out at SG, but if you start with him and Davis, there’s only $28500 for six positions, an average of $4750. For a lot less dough, consider Kyle Korver $5600 or Evan Fournier $4900, who was terrific in Toronto last night.
At C, either Chris Bosh $8700 or Dwight Howard $8500 is the top choice, but Al Horford $7100 is more affordable and Kelly Olynyk $5400 is my inexpensive hunch play against the exhausted, undermanned Thunder. Best bang for the buck could be Lavoy Allen $4300, who qualifies at C and may be taking over as the #1 PF for the Pacers.
John Wall $9200 is the top-priced PG for a reason, but Jrue Holiday $7400 has a great matchup and Isaiah Canaan $3600 is starting for the Rockets.
At SF, Carmelo Anthony $8600 seems risky compared to Gordon Hayward $8000. Though it’s a back-to-back on the road, Tobias Harris $6800 notchedd 52.25 DK points on Tuesday. Extreme bargain hunters might consider Donatas Motiejunas $3400, whose latest was by far his best of the young season.
As you can see, using the two best players on the board leads to lot of risk elsewhere. This is more of a tournament-style lineup. In a 50-50 or H2H I’d trade in Harden, Canaan and Motiejunas for three safer guys in the $5-6K range. Many of you may try to “beat” Davis at that price, opting for a balanced roster where all eight players contribute more equally. There are many ways to win.
In contests where multiple entries are permitted, it’s not bad strategy. Sometimes the lineup you liked least pays off, and sometimes all of your teams finish in the money for cash prizes. Good luck tonight!
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season.
Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.