If for some reason you still haven’t tried daily fantasy sports, there’s no better time than tonight. Make your first deposit at DraftKings — as little as $5 — and you’ll get a FREE entry into the $375K Tipoff Special, which has $350,000 in guaranteed prize money. That’s $300K in consolation prizes in addition to $50K for the top score; I’d be thrilled to win $500 for 30th place.
Tuesday’s four-game NBA slate means a relatively small player pool, and it’s tempting to stack the Kings. Rajon Rondo (suspension) is out, making Darren Collison $4900 a logical selection. DeMarcus Cousins $10200 will be heavily used, Rudy Gay $6900 should bounce back from one off-night and Omri Casspi $5600 has become a favorite of coach George Karl. We don’t care who wins; we want it to be wide-open and high-scoring.
The Rockets had six players reach double figures last night and lost. James Harden $10800 was very good, just not spectacular. Clint Capela $5500 (illness) was out and Terrence Jones $4900 (eye) left early, so Donatas Motiejunas $3400 played a season-high 22 minutes and could be prominent again tonight. Although Dwight Howard $7200 is now cleared for back-to-backs, he may play shorter stints, especially in the second game.
Plays of the Day
The $375K Tipoff Special is a mere $3 buy-in (FREE with your first deposit) where the top 29,140 finishers (from up to 143,750 teams) win cash. First place is worth $50,000. Contests close at 7:30 EST but enter early, before they fill — you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
Sixth man Will Barton $6200 again led the Nuggets (23 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL) and Joffrey Lauvergne $4200 double-doubled, but the revelation was Gary Harris $4100, who dropped a career-high 21 and has played 40+ minutes in both starts after missing two weeks with a concussion. Jameer Nelson $4500 missed nine of 13 shots but paid his way (10 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB) and remains the starting PG while Emanuel Mudiay (ankle) is out.
On Friday, Denver beat Minnesota by three in overtime, so revenge will be on the T-Wolves’ minds. Kevin Martin $4700 has been their hottest scorer; Zach LaVine $5400 got extra run in Sunday’s road loss when Ricky Rubio $7000 did not play well. Karl-Anthony Towns $7300 also received a quick hook in that one; both should bounce back at home.
Fresh off ending the Warriors’ historic win streak, Milwaukee visits the Lakers. Greg Monroe $7100 is a strong play against Roy Hibbert $4400 and Jabari Parker $5100 is slowly being unleashed. Giannis Antetokounmpo $6800 triple-doubled (the first of many) and both PG were sharp — O.J. Mayo $5700 now starts, with Michael Carter-Williams $5800 getting about 30 minutes off the bench.
L.A. is finally back home after an eight-game road trip. The farewell tour of Kobe Bryant $6000 is the main story of a disastrous season; the Mamba and rookie D’Angelo Russell $5300 are at least playable. No idea why Julius Randle $5900 isn’t starting ahead of Larry Nance Jr. $3300 (with Brandon Bass $3500 getting a DNP-CD) unless it’s deliberate tanking.
LeBron James $10000 and the Cavaliers have enjoyed three rest days since destroying the Magic in Orlando by 35 points. Iman Shumpert $3700 (wrist) was excellent in his season bow — 14 PTS in 25 MIN — and Timofey Mozgov $3500 emerged from a long slump. Garbage time came very early, so Kevin Love $8000 was barely needed, scoring just 8 points in 28 minutes, but he still grabbed 13 rebounds and dropped six dimes. J.R. Smith $5300 (illness) should return, but his role is in flux as the Cavs get healthier.
Boston’s guards will give Cleveland some trouble; Isaiah Thomas $7700 and Avery Bradley $5900 are consistent and affordable. Kelly Olynyk $4400 has become an important man off the bench as the Celtics have more quantity than quality up front. Jared Sullinger $6100 has cooled off, while Amir Johnson $4700 and Jae Crowder $5700 will have their hands full trying to slow down King James. Especially if they are trailing, Olynyk and Evan Turner $4900 should both have green lights.
When you do this every day, some sample lineups seem better than others. Keying on both DMC and LBJ, I’m surprised at the quality of the supporting cast available. Unless there’s breaking news that affects player values, I’ll be entering this one in multiple contests.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Isaiah Thomas $7700 | Darren Collison $4900 | Jameer Nelson $4500 |
| SG | James Harden $10800 | Kevin Martin $4700 | Gary Harris $4100 |
| SF | LeBron James $10000 | Rudy Gay $6900 | Omri Casspi $5600 |
| PF | DeMarcus Cousins $10200 | Kevin Love $8000 | D. Motiejunas $3400 |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns $7300 | Greg Monroe $7100 | Joffrey Lauvergne $4200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.