Ja Morant leaving with a foot injury was crushing last night, but first and foremost his health is the concern. The good news though is that we have another slate today to pick right back up where we left off.
Tonight is a robust slate with 10 games, meaning 20 teams, to choose from. We aren’t short on options and we don’t necessarily have to worry about ownership as much as diversification will naturally occur. DFS players will be naturally drawn to the stars and the highest scoring games (Chicago at Washington and Denver at Sacramento are two that stand out. But you don’t need me to tell you that Nikola Jokic ($10,200 DK, $10,300 FD) warrants a lineup spot on the heels of a 19 point, 12 rebound, and 18 assist performance against Houston. The trick is figuring out how to fit him into your lineup as at this point we are running out of words to describe his performances.
For those who have yet to subscribe, what are you waiting for? Until then you will get one free pick to whet your appetite. If you are going judge De’Aaron Fox ($7,600 DK, $7,900 FD) based on his last performance against the Suns (12 points and four assists) then you might think I’m crazy. Alright, that is still a plausible theory. The night prior though Fox had a complete performance with 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Turnovers will be a concern with Fox but the point guard is the leader of Sacramento’s offense and is in a good situation facing Denver as they play back-to-back nights in what shapes up to be a high scoring game. The usage will be there and the pace will be high.
Subscribers can now expect us to continue digging into today’s slate. Where will we find tonight’s bargains? So, keep on going and take a look at what we have to offer. This is just the beginning though. For a one-time fee of $99 per year we have all sports covered here including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, and League of Legends. We know how profitable these picks can be so you can even try it out for one month for free.
If I find something I like, I have no problem sticking with it. Despite losing to Utah last night Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($8,100 DK, $8,000 FD) once again filled the stat sheet with 23 points and seven assists. There is no doubt who the Thunder offense runs through and the hope is for the guard’s continued emergence. I promise I’m not trying to replicate yesterday’s write-up but through two games we are seeing some true potential out of Oklahoma City’s backcourt. Lu Dort ($4,600 DK, $5,100 FD) led the Thunder with 26 points last night and an even better sign was his nine of 11 shooting from the field. Defense was never a question for Dort and that will get him in the lineup but he is now showing the offense to match.
It’s hard to miss Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,800 DK, $11,000 FD) at the top of tonight’s list with 25.7 points per game to start the season along with 13 rebounds in each of his three games. If he fits into your lineup it’s hard to find fault with Antetokounmpo but I’m going in a different direction tonight.
Over the past few seasons we became accustomed to seeing Russell Westbrook ($9,700 DK, $10,600 FD) in the same pricing neighborhood so while the difference may be small, it is situation to capitalize on. Westbrook enters tonight’s game with a triple-double in each of his two games to start the season averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 13.5 assists per game. Those are obviously lofty levels to maintain but we can also expect more offense to follow.
Through the first three games of the season we have seen Domantas Sabonis ($8,600 DK, $8,900 FD) produce the well-rounded lines that DFS owners like to see including double digit rebounds each night while also adding 21 assists. We know that Sabonis can score, averaging 24.3 points per game, but it’s nice to see him to contribute in other areas as well in case his shot may not be falling on any particular night. But based on his talent and role in the Pacers’ offense that is not a big concern for me.
After flirting with a triple-double to start the season (17 points along with nine rebounds and nine assists) and then following that up with a 25-point, seven rebound performance we saw the best ofJulius Randle ($8,200 DK, $7,700 FD) on Sunday as New York surprised the Bucks. Randle scored 29 points while pulling down 14 assists but more importantly he served as a facilitator in New York’s offense with seven assists. It is clear that the Knicks will lean heavily on Randle this season and he also appears to be up to the task.
We know that Tyler Herro ($5,700 DK, $4,500 FD) can score. Herro has played 32 minutes in each of Miami’s first two games as part of their starting lineup but the production hasn’t exactly followed with 13 points followed by 11 points. The shot attempts are there, 24 through the first two games, but Herro has simply yet to connect. His price has already adjusted itself somewhat and he is too good of an offensive player to stay cold.
It is clear that things are not operating smoothly in Golden State to begin that season. Kelly Oubre($5,700 DK, $5,600 FD) has not escaped the struggles but after making large gains over the past two seasons he has become a proven scorer with a clear role with the Warriors. Oubre is only averaging 5.7 points per game through his first three contests but he has chipped in with 7.7 rebounds and two steals per game which has helped maintain some value for him. Things could potentially turn around for Oubre tonight against the Pistons who are playing for the second straight night and he is worth a look.
In the first two games of the season things couldn’t have gone much worse for Elfrid Payton($5,500 DK, $4,800 FD) as he managed just a combined seven points and four assists in 40 minutes of play. While not elite, Payton is still better than that and he turned things around in a big way with 27 points and seven assists against Milwaukee on Sunday. Now we can’t expect 27 points every night, but 10-15 points per game with a few rebounds and those seven assists is a very plausible expectation. The fact that New York doesn’t really have much else at the point guard position also helps Payton’s cause.
It has been a slow start to Killian Hayes’ ($4,300 DK, $3,800 FD) career but he is averaging 23 minutes a game and the Pistons are committed to seeing what the rookie is capable of. Granted Derrick Rose was resting last night but Hayes stepped up with a 10-point, eight assist performance in 29 minutes of play. His playing time will likely be reduced by a few minutes tonight but at the price he is a solid option to balance out your roster.
When we search for value plays, aside from capitalizing on injury replacements, we want to look for a consistent role. This is true even it means the player in question plays just 20 to 25 minutes a game as their value in a floor. One example of this is Daniel Theis ($4,500 DK, $3,900 FD) who is averaging 21 minutes per game. An average of 5.3 points, four rebounds, and two assists per game isn’t much, but that doesn’t mean he won’t offer a positive return on investment at that price in Boston’s projected starting lineup.
