We have an eight-game NBA DFS slate tonight, and we have some important developments to discuss in terms of the league’s Covid policy. As of yesterday, the minimum number of days needed to sit out for asymptomatic Covid cases dropped down to six. This rule also applies retroactively, so anyone who is getting negative tests and has sat out six days will clear the protocols. Although some guys are still sidelined with conditioning issues, we will have a lot of players returning to action this week. We still have a ton of value on this slate, but some teams will have value stunted with some guys returning.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 12/28/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | R. Rubio | $6,400 | |
| Shooting Guard | M. Beasley | $5,400 | |
| Small Forward | |||
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
We just got the news that Darius Garland is out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is a huge deal as Garland has been doing everything for the already gutted Cavs. Ricky Rubio is an obvious choice with the Garland sidelined, as he is pretty much the only guard left on the team. He should have the ball in his hands a ton here, so we expect high usage and playmaking responsibilities, we have seen some crazy upside from Rubio earlier this season, as he has gone over 60 FPTS a few times. This is the perfect opportunity for him to show that upside, so we love getting to him at $6,400.
We really liked Malik Beasley last time out, as the Timberwolves big three of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards were all sidelined. We know all three of them remain out tonight, so we love Beasley at this $5,400 price tag. Beasley was slightly disappointing last game with 28.5 FPTS, but he shot the ball 18 times in 39 minutes. He has a ton of upside if he can shoot the ball a little bit better tonight, and at this reduced-price tag his floor is fantastic.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 12/28/21 (using DraftKings Values)
De’Aaron Fox was sidelined for a few weeks, which led to some epic performances from Tyrese Haliburton. However, as Fox continues to get his conditioning back he will do more for the Kings, and Haliburton will be doing less. Haliburton has been priced up to $8,900 from his great play, which is about $3,000 more than where he was before Fox was out. We expect Haliburton’s price to come back down, so this is the most expensive he is going to be.
Now, what do you get if you sign up now for $99?
• A star guard who has been on fire.
• A few budget options that look great near the minimum price.
• A stud forward who must do everything for his team here.
• Our thoughts on the questionable tags from Toronto.
Point Guard
Kemba Walker – PG ($6,900 DK) Walker may as well change his name to Walken at this point, as he has been the King of York since rejoining the Knicks rotation. Walker has played four games since he was brought back into the mix, and he has gone for 40 FPTS in every single one. He showed 70 FPT upside a few games ago, in a game where he put up 27 shot attempts. Walker is consistently playing 40 minutes and his usage is too high for this price point.
Shooting Guard
RJ Hampton – ($3,200 DK) The Orlando Magic have been devasted by injuries for a little while now and we do not have anyone coming back tonight. Hampton is one of the only guards left on this squad, so we expect he continues to see massive floor time. Hampton went for 29.8 FPTS in 31.4 minutes last game, so it is surprising he is so cheap again. At this price he is a very safe play, and there is upside he provides some fantastic value.
Jimmy Butler – ($9,300 DK) We saw Butler return to action last time out, playing 35 minutes. He started at the point guard with Kyle Lowry out for the Heat. He looked a touch off his first game, and we expect him to be in full shape tonight. With Lowry out, he should have to do a lot more playmaking and initiate most of the offense here. With a nice matchup against the Wizards, we could see a big game from Butler in this spot.
Jaden McDaniels – ($4,800 DK) McDaniels was solid last time out with 28.25 FPTS. He continued to play a key role for Minnesota, as he put up 14 attempts in 36 minutes. He is coming in at a great price tag here, as we expect him to hit value here handily with all this floor time. McDaniels went for over 40 FPTS a few games ago, so we know the upside we are looking for is there.
Nathan Knight – ($3,200 DK) Knight started and played 29 minutes last time out, and he crushed with 45.25 FPTS. He is way too cheap if the situation stays the same in Minnesota, and he will be a budget lock for us. However, we did get the news that Naz Reid cleared the health and safety protocols. That does not mean he will be available to play tonight, so we must wait on that news. If Reid ends up starting for Knight, we will probably look elsewhere for value.
General strategy
We have a lot of questionable tags right now, as guys who are cleared from protocols are likely questionable due to conditioning. We must start the conversation with the Toronto Raptors, who were the key source of value on the last slate they were in. Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., and Khem Birch are questionable here, and there is significantly less value if they all played. We just must keep track of this, as it is impossible to speculate. If all three ended up out, we would get to a ton of Yuta Watanabe, Svi Mykhailiuk, Tremont Waters, Chris Boucher, and D.J. Wilson. If Birch and Siakam both play, Boucher and Wilson likely will not find the minutes. Any of the guys we just mentioned look good if they remain in the starting unit. Good luck with this one and keep an eye on all this news.
