The $1M Return To The Court is a one-night fantasy points league. If you already have a DraftKings account, it’s well worth 20 bucks to take a shot at a hundred grand, especially with another $900,000 in guaranteed consolation prizes. There’s a maximum of 57,250 teams and 11,900 cash prizes. In other words, the top 20% will at least double their investment.
Last night I overestimated Anthony Davis and underestimated the Magic, who are playing some exciting ball for Scott Skiles. They are only 1-3 but the losses were extremely close, against excellent teams. It’s still early and we’re still learning.
On a 10-game slate, the brand new DFS “season” has the Clippers at Golden State in a matchup of unbeatens: Stephen Curry $10100 vs. Chris Paul $9400, Draymond Green $7100 trying to slow down Blake Griffin $9600. It’s too bad that Andrew Bogut $4900 (concussion) is not 100% — Festus Ezeli $4100 is in big trouble against DeAndre Jordan $7800.
Plays of the Day
If you’re new to daily fantasy and/or don’t want to spend $20, the $300K Sharpshooter is just a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 24,920 finishers from up to 115,000 teams. First place wins $20,000. Enter before it fills; even after the 7:00 ET deadline you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
We nailed the Raptors pick — Kyle Lowry $7900, Jonas Valanciunas $6200 and Luis Scola $3300 were all profitable — but are fading them tonight, as Kevin Durant $9500, Russell Westbrook $10500 and the Thunder are back at home with a day of rest. The second unit led by D.J. Augustin $3200 and Enes Kanter $5600 should not be ignored.
James Harden $10000 and the Rockets finally showed up on Monday to beat OKC and should keep it going against Orlando. Ty Lawson $6100 has his best game yet and Dwight Howard $6900 is always a factor when he chooses to play.
24 hours after losing at home without DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento must visit Phoenix. Boogie (Achilles) will be out again, to the benefit of Markieff Morris $6200. The Suns’ backcourt combo of Eric Bledsoe $7700 and Brandon Knight $6700 should dominate.
Almost every position is overloaded with talent. Unfortunately, we can’t squeeze five superstars, or even four, into a $50K salary cap. Going with three is an extreme stars-and-scrubs approach that requires some excellent bargain picks to pay off.
At PG it’s Curry, Westbrook and Damian Lillard $9000 at the top end, Bledsoe or Lawson in the middle and potential bargains include Jerryd Bayless $3800, Matthew Dellavedova $3800 and Jerian Grant $3600.
Harden is in his own tier at SG and playable if you scrimp a little at PG. Knight or Khris Middleton $5600 would be a lot more affordable and sophomore Nik Stauskas $3500 is the starter for the 76ers. “Sauce Castillo” is still getting into game shape after missing some time with a sore back.
By committing to Curry, we simply can’t afford Durant or LeBron James $9900 at SF, but Kawhi Leonard $7800 is a great alternative. I also expect Tobias Harris $6400 to be much better than last night against AD, because the Rockets’ PF are nursing injuries. The entire Jazz team seems underrated; Rodney Hood $4600 has been excellent.
Griffin, Kevin Love $7600 and Serge Ibaka $6400 are all strong at PF. I know the Celtics have five big men, so it’s guesswork who plays, but Amir Johnson $3700 got 28 minutes last game and costs $1000 less tonight.
We offer the Short List and sample lineup early in the day as food for thought. Breaking news can prompt wholesale changes before the deadline, and there’s a decent chance I’ll re-think my PF and F selections. Tobias and Amir can be replaced by Thaddeus Young $5600 and Hood, or Ibaka and T.J. Warren $3500, among many possible pairings.
Start with up to 50 Beginner contests if you haven’t played daily NBA at DraftKings before. See you on the leaderboard.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10100 | Ty Lawson $6100 | Jerryd Bayless $3800 |
| SG | James Harden $10000 | Brandon Knight $6700 | Nik Stauskas $3500 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $7800 | Tobias Harris $6400 | Rodney Hood $4600 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9600 | Kevin Love $7600 | Amir Johnson $3700 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $7800 | Dwight Howard $6900 | Festus Ezeli $4100 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.