There are three superstars in action tonight with five-digit salaries at DraftKings. Two of them will be on the same court. Anthony Davis $11400 leads the Pelicans into Sacramento for a must-win against a weak defensive club riddled by injuries. DeMarcus Cousins $10000 is a one-man offense until Rudy Gay (concussion) returns. His 85.3 FPTS against Houston (24 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST, 6 BLK, 3 STL) also came in a losing cause.
The most expensive DFS stud of all, Russell Westbrook $12500 has a tough matchup with Mike Conley $6100 in Memphis. Because that game might not be high-scoring, we’re going to build today’s sample lineup around Boogie and the Brow.
Still not playing at DK? They match your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash, plus you get plus you get a FREE entry in the $125K Sharpshooter Championship — the top score earns $10,000 and 9,625 of 47,900 teams win cash. Or redeem your FREE entry in the $100K Crossover, normally a $27 buy-in. That contest has 840 cash prizes ($15,000 for first) and a maximum 4,225 teams.
Even if you can’t afford Westbrook, there are other “live” PG worth the money, with John Wall $9000 at home against the Knicks a particularly good situation. Damian Lillard $7800 or Tyreke Evans $7600 could take advantage of soft opposition. There’s no real standout at the lower end of the pay scale, though Ray McCallum $4500 or Norris Cole $4000 might pay their way.
It’s a tossup between Jimmy Butler $8000 and DeMar DeRozan $8000 at SG, with more affordable options like Bradley Beal $6000, Gerald Henderson $5700 or Arron Afflalo $4300 worth considering. At an ultra-cheap price, O.J. Mayo $3200 played 27 minutes on Wednesday and may be over a hamstring issue.
At SF, Kawhi Leonard $7900 is hard to beat at that salary and Andrew Wiggins $6800 has a great matchup. More affordable SF include Jeff Green $5600, Omri Casspi $4000 (who will start again for the Kings) and Otto Porter $3600, if Paul Pierce $4500 (rest) takes another night off.
LaMarcus Aldridge $9000 and Pau Gasol $8200 are excellent alternatives to Davis, who might defer to his teammates. In the midrange, David West $5800 is decent value and Ryan Anderson $4600 looked sharp in 21 minutes after missing several weeks with a knee injury.
For those betting against DMC, Brook Lopez $8200 or Marc Gasol $7200 are the safest options but Nikola Vucevic $7600 could torch Justin Hamilton $4800. Because Al Jefferson $6500 is playing with a sore knee, Bismack Biyombo $3400 is getting more minutes lately.
This is a stars-and-scrubs approach, hoping that Davis and Cousins both put on a show while staying healthy and free of foul trouble. There are many other paths to success.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | R. Westbrook $12500 | Tyreke Evans $7600 | Norris Cole $4000 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8000 | Bradley Beal $6000 | Arron Afflalo $4300 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $7900 | Andrew Wiggins $6800 | Omri Casspi $4000 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $11400 | Pau Gasol $8200 | Ryan Anderson $4600 |
| C | D. Cousins $10000 | Nikola Vucevic $7600 | B. Biyombo $3400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates..