Congratulations if you took home the $50,000 first prize in last night’s featured contest, or even shared in the other $350,000 in guaranteed payouts. My picks were off the mark but we all start even tonight. A six-game NBA slate gets under way at 7:00 Eastern; the headliner has Atlanta visiting the Warriors.
Stephen Curry $10900 (ankle) is questionable; he did return to Saturday’s game but skipped practice on Monday. Even if he suits up, Klay Thompson $7600 and Draymond Green $8600 figure to share the offensive load, Shaun Livingston $3500 could be a bargain and Andre Iguodala $4200 can also handle the ball. When these teams met eight days ago, Al Horford $7300 was the best Hawk in a 102-92 home defeat.
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The $200K Sharpshooter is only a $3 buy-in (FREE with your initial deposit at DraftKings) where the top 17,775 finishers (from up to 76,666 teams) win cash. First place earns $10,000. The deadline is 7:00 EST; enter early and make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
Damian Lillard $9600 has scored 30+ in seven of his last eight, C.J. McCollum $7400 is the #2 option and every other Blazer fills his role. Al-Farouq Aminu $4800 will try to slow down Carmelo Anthony $8500, but Mason Plumlee $4800 and Gerald Henderson $4000 are potential bargains. Arron Afflalo $4700 (knee) is questionable for the Knicks, so Langston Galloway $4300 may get extra run and Lance Thomas $3100 has upside at that low cost.
Brook Lopez $7500 was terrific last night and Thaddeus Young $6900 played well in a 10-point loss to the Clippers. Wayne Ellington (concussion) left in the third quarter, so Bojan Bogdanovic $4200 and Markel Brown $3500 will both play heavy minutes tonight. It’s the easiest possible road back-to-back — in the same building, against the Lakers. D’Angelo Russell $5600 is becoming a decent play and if Kobe Bryant $5700 (shoulder) returns, his legs will be fresh.
Though Orlando can score, defense is an ongoing problem. They’re a great opponent in DFS, and the Mavericks can take advantage. Chandler Parsons $6600, Dirk Nowitzki $6400, David Lee $4000 and Wesley Matthews $4600 are all affordable. For the Magic, Nikola Vucevic $7800, Victor Oladipo $7200 and Aaron Gordon $6800 are solid and if Evan Fournier $5900 (wrist) misses another game, “Super” Mario Hezonja $3500 will start again.
Ageless Pau Gasol $8700 triple-doubled (22 PTS, 16 REB, 14 AST, 3 BLK, 1 STL) as the “point center” on Saturday. Even if Derrick Rose $7000 (hamstring) returns, he’ll be feeding the big man against Hassan Whiteside $8200. Miami is more balanced with Joe Johnson $5500 joining Dwyane Wade $7100 and Goran Dragic $6500. They play small, with Luol Deng $6500 at PF, and Justice Winslow $4900 backing up both forward spots. Josh Richardson $3500 has earned that salary in three straight games. The Bulls have a few potential bargains too — E’Twaun Moore $5400, Bobby Portis $4800, Mike Dunleavy $4300 and Doug McDermott $4000 all reached double figures in Saturday’s loss.
Back home from a 4-2 road trip, the Hornets might run Phoenix out of the gym. Kemba Walker $7700, Nicolas Batum $6700 and Marvin Williams $5800 are all worth considering, but the Suns’ guards must play well enough to avoid garbage time. Mirza Teletovic $5600 and Alex Len $5200 are playable at those prices and Tyson Chandler $4700 has put together two decent games.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Damian Lillard $9600 | Kemba Walker $7700 | D’Angelo Russell $5600 |
| SG | Klay Thompson $7600 | Dwyane Wade $7100 | Bojan Bogdanovic $4200 |
| SF | Carmelo Anthony $8500 | Chandler Parsons $6600 | Mike Dunleavy $4300 |
| PF | Draymond Green $8600 | Marvin Williams $5800 | David Lee $4000 |
| C | Pau Gasol $8700 | Brook Lopez $7500 | Alex Len $5200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.