Huge money is up for grabs this evening at DraftKings, with five contests carrying a prize pool of $100,000 or more. There are a dozen games on the final full night of the NBA before the all-star break. All 12 are in play at 7:00 Eastern, but DK also offers Turbo contests at 8:00 that span six games and Late leagues that cover only the two west coast tilts, your last chance for hoops DFS until February 19. Carmelo Anthony $8600 (knee) seems highly doubtful, and a lengthy list of officially ‘questionable’ players includes Anthony Davis $10700 (shoulder), Monta Ellis $7300 (knee), Darren Collison $6300 (hip) and Tobias Harris $6300 (knee). Already ruled out are Dwyane Wade, Tyson Chandler, Ryan Anderson, Bradley Beal and many with more significant injuries — Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Jrue Holiday, Rajon Rondo are among the bigger names on the shelf. Don’t wait until the last minute to enter, as the most lucrative events fill early. You can make unlimited lineup changes until the deadline, adjusting your rosters to breaking news. It’s even possible to swap players after a contest “closes” — as long as their games haven’t begun.
Plays of the Day
New to DK? They match your initial deposit 100% ($5 to $600) with bonus funds, converted to cash as you play, plus you get a FREE entry for the $10K Layup — the top score earns $600 and 1,150 of 5,750 teams receive cash prizes. Or try the $10K Crossover, with a $1,500 first prize. 114 of only 568 teams will cash. That $20 buy-in is also FREE to new depositors willing to spend more to win more.
The Fantasy Basketball World Championship has a million dollar first prize, to be awarded March 23. There are only 40 seats in the Final; finish first in a Qualifier to win a spot, including a 5-day VIP trip to Las Vegas (worth $55,000) plus a minimum of $7,000 in cash!
There are some fantastic promotions this evening. Another Satellite to win a seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event has a $27 buy-in and a top prize worth $11,500 — beat 629 other teams and you are off to Vegas! The $250K Thunderdome pays $100,000 to the top score and is limited to 50 high-rollers who pay $5300 each to play. For a mere $333, you can win up to $30,000 in the $200K Money Ball, and for a $33 ante, the $150K Bird has a $20,000 first prize. Just three bucks gets you into the $100K Sharpshooter for a shot at ten grand. All payouts are guaranteed, even if the events don’t fill.
John Wall $9000 (ankle) won’t be 100% but says he’ll give it a go in Toronto. Unless it’s a game of that magnitude, teams will generally play it safe with guys who can benefit from this extended rest. Be extra vigilant for late scratches.
LeBron James $10300 has a sore wrist and tweaked his ankle on Sunday. He’s expected to play, but don’t be surprised if he defers to Kyrie Irving $8200 and Kevin Love $8200 again.
Kevin Durant $10300 and Russell Westbrook $10800 were both stifled by the Grizzlies’ D on January 31 and would like to make amends tonight. That loss was in Memphis and KD was not 100% with a toe injury, so we expect a higher score than 85-74, though not a shootout.
James Harden $10300 was incredible in Phoenix — 40 PTS, 12 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL — but played 43 minutes and this will be his third game in four nights. Chris Paul $9600 and DeAndre Jordan $7800 are trying to keep the Clippers from sinking until Blake returns. 
The safest choices among the high-salaried stars might be Damian Lillard $8700 and LaMarcus Aldridge $9600, at home off two rest days against the tired, undermanned Lakers.
We told you DeMarcus Cousins $10500 would be held in check last night by the Bulls; he can destroy the smaller Milwaukee frontcourt — if he isn’t too tired, or too frustrated by the ongoing shenanigans of the Sacramento front office. All the Kings might go through the motions tonight, making a few Bucks value plays. Brandon Knight $7400 and Giannis Antetokounmpo $7000 are on a roll and Jared Dudley $4000 hit five 3-pointers on Monday.
Especially if Draymond Green $7300 (ankle) sits out, there could be a track meet in Minneapolis. Stephen Curry $10300 and Klay Thompson $7900 might have to outscore the finally-healthy Timberwolves, who suddenly have a lot of offensive weapons and Ricky Rubio $5500 to feed them. Shabazz Muhammad $3400 showed zero rust (18 PTS, 8 REB) in 23 minutes off the bench after missing a month.
At first glance, Atlanta at Boston is a mismatch, but it’s the third road game in four nights for the Hawks, so they won’t try to set any scoring records, just to win.
Once you have narrowed down which stars to use, you’ll need some scrubs. Charlie Villanueva $3800 led the Mavs in scoring after the injuries to Ellis and Chandler, James Johnson $3600 had a game-high 20 as he joined the Raptors’ starting unit, Evan Fournier $3200 filled in capably last game for Harris and several Knicks are worth considering when Melo is out. Tim Hardaway Jr. $4000, Lance Thomas $3200 and Langston Galloway $5400 will get more touches and shots.
There are literally millions of possible 8-man lineups and thousands that make perfect sense. Though one of the more difficult daily puzzles of the season, it’s well worth taking your best shot at the huge guaranteed prize pools — good luck!
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10300 | Damian Lillard $8700 | Mario Chalmers $4600 |
| SG | James Harden $10300 | Klay Thompson $7900 | Evan Fournier $3200 |
| SF | LeBron James $10300 | Gordon Hayward $8200 | James Johnson $3600 |
| PF | L. Aldridge $9600 | Kevin Love $8200 | C. Villanueva $3800 |
| C | D. Cousins $10500 | Nikola Vucevic $8300 | J. Valanciunas $5000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.