We are getting to the point in the NBA season where a lot of teams are already locked into there positions for the playoffs. As a result, it will be more difficult to find superstars who are playing close to 40 minutes. Furthermore, teams are beginning to rest some guys for the playoffs, and we are going to have a lot of value from all the absences. DFS is quite strange for this final stretch of season, as we can expect to see some strange rotations. We also get a lot of smaller names get what we call “auditions” where they are getting a ton of opportunity in an irrelevant game. We have a ton of salary on this slate, and the way we look at our salary is beginning to change. We only have a few slates until the playoffs, and we can expect some strong developments for all of them. For this slate, we are still waiting on a ton of injury news.
Here’s a stars and scrubs lineup For DFS Basketball 5/14/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | R. Westbrook | $12,800 | |
| Shooting Guard | J. Poole | $4,100 | |
| Small Forward | N. Batum | $3,600 | |
| Power Forward | K. Olynyk | $8,200 | |
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | – | $10,800 | |
| Utility |
We mentioned in our introduction that a big challenge as we approach the end of the season is finding studs who are still playing full minutes loads. Russell Westbrook is still driving at full speed right now, as the Wizards are still fighting for better seeding during the play-in games. Ironically, Westbrook is way too cheap at $12,800 tonight, as he has been scoring between 70 and 90 FPTS most games over the past week or two. Bradley Beal has been out which gives Westbrook a solid boost within his usage and assist rate. Westbrook is truly in a league of his own in terms of DFS production and we are willing to pay for it.
One huge piece of news we are waiting on for tonight is the availability of Steph Curry and the other Golden state studs. The Warriors are rocking a lot of questionable tags right now and will be a priority tonight if a bunch of the players end up out. Jordan Poole at only $4,100 is a lock if Curry ends up out. Poole is already cheap for his production, as we saw him soar past 26 FPTS with everyone healthy last game. With Curry out, we have seen Poole absolutely dominate all season. Last time Curry was out for an extended period, we saw Poole’s price rise over $7,000. He is way too cheap if Curry ends up sidelined here, and we can look to the Warriors for more value as well.
As of now Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both listed as “uncertain” for tonight’s game. We have no idea what this means but it is likely one or both forwards are rested here. If both of Leonard and George are in, we have no interest on the Clippers for this slate. However, if the studs are out we have a lot of value here. Nicolas Batum at $3,600 is a no-brainer if the stud forwards are out, as we have seen him play huge run when Leonard or George was out in the past. Batum has been solid the past few games, and we expect a massive boost her for him tonight. Batum is a great value play if Leonard or George are out tonight, but we have better sources of value if both the studs are in.
For this slate we have a ton of strong budget plays. What is more difficult is finding studs who we think are in for a big game. One guy we are still paying up for is Kelly Olynyk, who has been priced all the way to $8,200. This is a hefty tag for Olynyk, but it is certainly warranted given his recent production. Olynyk has been fantastic with all the injuries for the Rockets, scoring well over 40 FPTS in each of his past five games. Olynyk has showed upside north of 63 FPTS, and we expect a nice opportunity for him tonight.
Now what do you get if you sign up now?
• A few big men who could be in for huge audition opportunities
• A superstar with sky high upside
• Get 7-days for free and all-access for all sports for $99 per year after
Cameron Oliver – C ($3,200 DK) The rookie Oliver was just signed to a ten-day contract, and then extended for the rest of the season. He has played two games so far for the Rockets, scoring 22.25 and 25.5 FPTS, respectively. He has been seeing solid run and we expect the minutes to trend up as the Rockets spend there last few games experimenting. We expect the Oliver audition to continue tonight, and he is too cheap at only $3,200. Oliver has some great upside here, and we are going to need to some smash value plays on this slate.
Saben Lee – G ($4,000 DK) The Detroit Pistons are either going to have eight or nine active players for tonight. We have some great value from Detroit, and we are happy getting to the guys who are not too expensive. Lee saw a massive opportunity last time around with so few guards available for the Pistons, and we saw him score 39 FPTS. Lee has a ton of upside here again, and we are happy getting on e of the shot creators for Detroit.
Luka Doncic – F ($10,800 DK) We mentioned that we need to find some good studs here. One thing really appealing about Doncic is that he can fit at the forward spot, as we have a lot of value at the center and guard positions. Doncic went for 56 FPTS last time around and his usage was as high as ever. We are betting on a big raw FTPS night from Doncic here, and he allows us to play a ton of value around him with the position.
Jahlil Okafor – Util ($3,200 DK) Okafor is not a name we have seen in a core lineup for a long time. However, the Pistons are missing both of there go to centers tonight. Detroit is going to have to dig deep here and whoever gets the start at center looks great. We expect that to be Okafor here, and he could be in for some nice value. Okafor could play some massive floor time if he gets the start, and most centers can find a way to be productive in fantasy.
Here’s a stars and scrubs lineup For DFS Basketball 5/14/21 (using FanDuel Values)
| Point Guard | R. Westbrook | $12,500 | |
| Point Guard | L. Doncic | $10,100 | |
| Shooting Guard | B. Hield | $7,000 | |
| Shooting Guard | K. Thomas | $5,800 | |
| Small Forward | N. Batum | $4,300 | |
| Small Forward | M. Porter | $7,600 | |
| Power Forward | C. Oliver | $3,500 | |
| Power Forward | J. Tate | $5,500 | |
| Center | J. Okafor | $3,600 |
Buddy Hield – SG (7,000 FD) The Kings remain gutted for tonight, and we expect to see some nice opportunities for guys like Hield. Hield has been solid lately, and he has seen some massive shooting opportunities. Hield is no longer in the $8,000 range, so we can roster him without sacrificing as much upside elsewhere.
Khyri Thomas – SG (5,800 FD) Thomas is still a great play on both sites tonight, despite his rising price tag. We have seen Thomas consistently play a huge role for the Rockets since they got hit by injuries. He has a ton of upside again tonight, as he is taking a lot of shots every game. If Thomas can put together a good shooting night. His potential is fantastic.
Michael Porter – SF (7,600 FD) We just got the news that the Nuggets are resting a few guys for tonight. Combined with the guards that were already out, Denver is starting to look very gutted. Porter could be in for a huge opportunity, and he has been on fire lately. We have seen Porter a lot more expensive than this recently, and we are happy getting to him as his price falls.
Jae’Sean Tate – SF (5,500 FD) The Rockets have a ton of injuries again tonight, and Tate is a lot cheaper than he was a few slates ago. Tate will start tonight, and we expect him to be in for some solid run here. Tate has great upside, and we are happy getting to him at this price point.
Good luck tonight. A lot of value just opened for Denver, and we now have some nice targets there such as Austin Rivers.
Go win your lineup and tell us how you did. Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that.
