As expected, it was impossible to run up a huge score at DraftKings on Tuesday. Congratulations to “Syracuse Slappers” on winning $50,000 for three bucks, with only 311.5 FPTS, which is rarely good enough for top spot.
His lineup (with tonight’s prices if they are back in action) included Kyle Lowry, Kobe Bryant $6400, Matt Barnes $5700, Dirk Nowitzki $6400, Hassan Whiteside, Will Barton $6800, Zach Randolph $5900 & Nikola Jokic $4000. From that 4-game slate with no $10,000 salaries, we switch to the other extreme: 13 NBA games tonight feature seven of those very expensive superstars.
The 26-1 Warriors are at home with four full days of rest. Stephen Curry $10700, Draymond Green $9000 and Klay Thompson $7200 are simply too good for the Jazz. Any or all of them could justify their cost.
James Harden $10600 and Dwight Howard $7000 are playing better together as the Rockets have won three straight. Don’t underestimate Orlando; Nikola Vucevic $7300 and Tobias Harris $6500 are solid value. Evan Fournier $4700 just had two strong games in 24 hours to bust out of a slump.
Plays of the Day
The $300K Sharpshooter is only a $3 buy-in (FREE with your initial deposit at DK) where the top 23,535 finishers (from up to 115,000 teams) win cash. First place is worth $20,000. Enter early; you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins to take advantage of breaking news.
Contests spanning the full slate close at 7:00 EST and offer the largest payouts. There are additional offerings with smaller player pools: look for Turbo (4 games; 8:00) Late (3 games; 9:00) and Later (2 games; 10:30) in the Lobby.
Russell Westbrook $10400 and Kevin Durant $10200 can torch the Lakers, but how long will they need to play? We touted Enes Kanter $4200 (19 PTS, 14 REB) when these teams met in OKC on Saturday and the Thunder won by 40; this rematch may be slightly more competitive although we hesitate to use Kobe in a back-to-back.
An awful five-game road trip for the Blazers mercifully concludes in New Orleans. Damian Lillard (foot) is out and C.J. McCollum $6900 (ankle) is questionable, so Tim Frazier $3600 might play all 48 minutes again and Allen Crabbe $4400 could be the #1 option. Anthony Davis $10300 battled an illness during Sunday’s game but won’t have to be 100% recovered, as Tyreke Evans $7700 and Jrue Holiday $5600 have been playing very well.
That first game back for Kyrie Irving $6600 means nothing, as the Cavaliers toyed with Philly. LeBron James $10100 will get his, but Kevin Love $7900 and Matthew Dellavedova $4800 figure to lose value. With Iman Shumpert $3700 also in the mix, the Cleveland rotation has become deeper and harder to predict. If Carmelo Anthony $8200 (ankle) can’t go, Arron Afflalo $5000 and Lance Thomas $3900 should get extra touches.
Although Paul George $8900 is long overdue for a big game, he may be drained from playing through an illness. Jordan Hill $5100 has the most fantasy upside among the Pacers big men. While I can’t predict the Kings will win, DeMarcus Cousins $10000 is always difficult to defend.
In a road back-to-back for the lowly 76ers, we are looking carefully at the Bucks. Khris Middleton $5900 and former Sixer Michael Carter-Williams $6400 are hot. Jason Kidd (hip surgery) will not be on the sidelines, with assistant Joe Prunty filling in. Maybe John Henson $3900 will be freed.
There are some good prices on the Celtics as they visit Charlotte. Isaiah Thomas $7700 is a fine alternative to Curry and Westbrook. Jae Crowder $5800 has double-doubled in two straight. With Jared Sullinger $5800 (back) and Amir Johnson $4400 (foot) both questionable, Kelly Olynyk $4600 could have another big night.
Dallas not only lost the game in Toronto, Deron Williams $6300 (hamstring) sounds highly doubtful. You could speculate on Raymond Felton $5400 or J.J. Barea $3600 but I prefer the Nets, especially Brook Lopez $6900 and Thaddeus Young $6800.
As you can see by the sample lineup and short list, I’m avoiding all the costliest players to strive for balance. That decision is driven by a scarcity of ultra-cheap guys with realistic upside. Frazier is my only player under $5000, so while the ceiling may be a bit low, the floor is reasonably high with this approach. Stars-and-scrubs works best when you have a “live” extreme bargain (or two) alongside the high-ticket items.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10700 | Jrue Holiday $5600 | Tim Frazier $3600 |
| SG | James Harden $10600 | Tyreke Evans $7700 | Khris Middleton $5900 |
| SF | LeBron James $10100 | Jae Crowder $5800 | Lance Thomas $3900 |
| PF | D. Cousins $10000 | Draymond Green $9000 | Jordan Hill $5100 |
| C | Nikola Vucevic $7300 | Brook Lopez $6900 | Kelly Olynyk $4600 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.