As expected, breaking news has affected our preliminary lineup for DFS contests at DraftKings tonight. Sure enough, Gregg Popovich did not take Manu Ginobili or Tim Duncan (rest) to Denver, resting them for tomorrow’s home game.
All three of the Spurs we liked become even better daily plays. Kawhi Leonard $8400, Tony Parker $5300 and LaMarcus Aldridge $6800 will get more touches, with David West $3800 a bargain as a starter and Boris Diaw $3400 gaining value. If Danny Green $$4500 gets hot early, that’s an excellent price. Role players like Patty Mills $3600 could get extra run.
For the overmatched Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari $7000 is fresh off a 20-point, 18-rebound game, and with Kenneth Faried (ankle) out, Darrell Arthur $4000 and Nikola Jokic $4600 are inexpensive starters. If Joffrey Lauvergne $4200 (back) suits up, avoid all three big men.
Among 11 players with salaries above $9000, we keyed on James Harden $10100 in Thursday’s Spin and managed to fit in Blake Griffin $9100 at PF. I still like Blake, Chris Paul $8400 and DeAndre Jordan $7200 at home against Anthony Davis $10800 and his supporting cast, but am reconsidering Harden.
Every team is overconfident against the Sixers, who have lost their last three by five points or less. Robert Covington $5100 has been terrific — even when he shot 4-for-16, he had 14 REB, 6 STL and 2 BLK — and despite an after-hours altercation in Boston on Wednesday, rookie Jahlil Okafor $7000 is off to a great start. Isaiah Canaan $3900 and Hollis Thompson $3600 are both contributing. It’s worth pointing out that the Rockets, dysfunctional before the coaching change, have lost three straight.
Plays of the Day
Contests spanning all 12 games close at 7:00 ET. There are also Turbo pools, which close at 8:00 Eastern and cover just five games. The Turbo $30K Sharpshooter is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new DK depositors) that pays the top 2,302 finishers from up to 11,495 teams. First place wins $2,000. Enter now and make unlimited lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
It’s fun to speculate on whether the 0-16 Philadelphia 76ers will win a game before the 16-0 Golden State Warriors lose one. In a way, there’s more pressure on Stephen Curry $10900, Draymond Green $7500 and their teammates to be great every night, and much more incentive for each opponent to knock off the champions.
DeMarcus Cousins $10600 (back) left Monday’s game and sat out on Wednesday. If he does not suit up, Rudy Gay $7200 is an excellent price. While Rajon Rondo $9300 has surprised, there’s room for him and Darren Collison $4400 to co-exist. Kosta Koufos $4500 is also playable when DMC is out. For the T-wolves, Ricky Rubio $6900 (ankle) is questionable so Zach LaVine $4800 could be a bargain, and Gorgui Dieng $3700 has overachieved in three of his last four.
While Russell Westbrook $11000 doesn’t need extra motivation, he’s playing at home against former understudy Reggie Jackson $7200 for the first time since the trade. Westbrook also has Kevin Durant $9600 as a co-star, so a big win for OKC seems likely.
We didn’t mention the Bulls and Pacers yesterday. Paul George $10200 is having an MVP-type season, with a career-high 40 in Washington on Tuesday. He’s earned a higher salary than KD and LeBron James $9900 at the loaded SF position. George Hill $6000 returned sharp after missing ten days with an illness. Chicago relies on Jimmy Butler $8200, Pau Gasol $7100 and Derrick Rose $6000.
If you don’t pay up for Harden or Butler, it’s tempting to “punt” SG with Thompson — or Gerald Green $3300 if Luol Deng $4200 (hamstring) misses another game.
By the way, stacking the maximum six Spurs leaves $17600 for a Premium C and Util. Andre Drummond $9100 and CP3, Hassan Whiteside $8300 and Griffin, even Dwight Howard $7200 and Harden. I’ve entered worse lineups.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Russell Westbrook $11100 | Tony Parker $5300 | Isaiah Canaan $3900 |
| SG | James Harden $10100 | Jimmy Butler $8200 | Hollis Thompson $3600 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $8400 | Rudy Gay $7200 | Robert Covington $5100 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9100 | LaMarcus Aldridge $6800 | David West $3800 |
| C | Andre Drummond $9100 | Marcin Gortat $5400 | Gorgui Dieng $3700 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.