The NBA is all about superstars. Time and time again events have reinforced that it is a star driven league. When it comes to setting your DFS lineup the same is true. There are multiple ways to build a lineup, but tonight you have the three top players and everyone else. This is not to say that after James Harden ($11,000 DK, $11,200 FD), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,900 DK, $11,400 FD), Russell Westbrook ($10,200 DK, $10,700 FD) there is a substantial drop off, but it is notable.
Once you get past that tier there is still plenty of viable options as we have an 11-game slate and we aren’t lacking for choices. Building a lineup can take you in multiple directions and you can’t go wrong with Harden, Antetokounmpo, or Westbrook. Based on all of the options I’m not sure you can fit two of those players in, but tonight I am starting my lineup build with one of the above to capitalize on their 70-point upside.
For those who have yet to subscribe, what are you waiting for? Until then you will get one free pick to whet your appetite. The natural question now is who will be the first name I write down for my lineup. Harden is averaging 33 points and 10.8 assists per game while eclipsing the 30-point mark in his first three games of the season but he did struggle with his shot in his last game only scoring 21 points. Antetokounmpo on the other hand is working on a streak of three straight games with greater than 60 DFS points and that is the type of upside we are after he scored 43 points against Detroit in his last game. On Draft Kings you can even plug him in at center and while I wouldn’t object, my pick here is Westbrook. With a projected over/under of 231 there will be a lot of offense in Washington’s game against Philadelphia and the guard is averaging a triple-double through the first three games of the season (22.3 points, 10 rebounds, 10.7 assists per game). More importantly despite being in the same tier Westbrook gives you some cost savings without losing upside or production.
Subscribers can now expect us to continue digging into today’s slate. Where will we find tonight’s bargains below $6,000 and who is making their season debut tonight? 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.
Domantas Sabonis ($9,200 DK, $8,800 FD) doesn’t have the scoring upside others have but the forward is averaging 18 points per game while showing improved skill. Tonight against Houston we likely won’t see much defensive resistance as the current over/under of 225.5 seems to be on the lower side (if I were a betting man) but Sabonis also contributes 11.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
In the same game with the focus on Harden and others Malcolm Brogdan ($8,000 DK, $8,200 FD) could possibly slide under the radar. The point guard is working on two straight games of greater than 50 DFS points as his scoring has taken a step forward in filling the void created by T.J. Warren’s injury with 33 and 21 points respectively. Brogdan is also averaging 39 minutes a game while distributing seven assists and adding 4.4 rebounds and two steals per game as he has become a well-rounded performer.
With all of the above star power it is easy to forget about John Wall ($7,400 DK, $8,500 FD) who after getting off to a hot start in his first two games struggled on Monday scoring just 14 points with four rebounds and four assists. Previously, again just two games, Wall was averaging 25 points, five rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game which is attainable production moving forward.
After three straight double-doubles Nikola Vucevic ($8,700 DK, $8,700 FD) fell short in his last game but no one is going to complain about missing two rebounds as the center scored 23 points. Looking at the board Vucevic might not have the star power as others but he is highly involved in Orlando’s offense scoring 23 points per game while adding 9.8 rebounds with 3.6 assists.
I’m not sure it’s possible to talk about upside much more than we do here but in setting a GPP lineup it is all about the best-case scenario. However you still want a solid floor regardless of whether you play in GPP or cash games (especially for cash) and that comes from rebounds and assists. Zach LaVine ($8,300 DK, $8,100 FD) has been attracting attention with his offense as the guard put up 39 points two games ago and he is averaging 23.6 points per game but he is going to have some off nights. That came last night against Portland as despite playing 43 minutes LaVine scored just 18 points but thanks to his nine assists and four rebounds the night wasn’t a bust from a DFS perspective. I would look for a bounce back performance in a high scoring game against Sacramento.
It has been a slow start to the season for Devin Booker ($7,900 DK, $7,600 FD) but in his last three games the guard has appeared to find his scoring touch scoring 25, 22, and 25 points respectively. The Suns will always lean on Booker, but with 45 minutes of playing time in his last game that gave him ample time to fill the stat sheet with eight points and five rebounds. For Phoenix to do anything this season they will need Booker to score and he appears to be finding his groove in that department while finding his way sharing the backcourt with Chris Paul ($7,000 DK, $7,300 FD).
With four straight games of double-digit rebounds Clint Capela ($6,700 DK, $6,500 FD) is settling in just fine with the Hawks. Tonight he gets to face a Charlotte team that shouldn’t offer much in the way of resistance in the front court and he is also averaging 13.3 points in his last three games as he settles into Atlanta’s offense.
Talent was never an issue for Mitchell Robinson ($5,600 DK, $5,500 FD) but consistency and foul trouble was. So far this season Robinson has been making strides in both of those areas and he is filling the box score with 9.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. More importantly the center is averaging 30 minutes per game and on Saturday he scored 16 points against Indiana showing off some offensive ability.
While he is coming off the bench and having some issues adjusting to the NBA from an offensive perspective, LaMelo Ball ($6,000 DK, $6,900 FD) is averaging 30 minutes per game while being highly involved in Charlotte’s offense. Despite those struggles in his last four games Ball is still averaging 16 points while his playmaking skills are also on display with six assists per game. In his last game Ball filled the box score with a career best nine assists while also seven rebounds which makes him an interesting option at this price.
It’s all about taking advantage of your opportunity and that is just what Damyean Dotson ($4,200 DK, $3,500 FD) did on Monday scoring 16 points in 29 minutes as he was elevated into the starting lineup. It appears that is where Dotson will remain, at least for tonight but since he doesn’t contribute anything other than offense his value is tied to remaining in the starting lineup.
Patrick Williams ($4,300 DK, $4,300 FD) has found his way into the starting lineup and that means 25 to 28 minutes per game for the talented rookie. His offensive ability on display last night as he scored 14 points against the Bulls and there is always the potential for more based on the lack of scoring options on Chicago behind LaVine. We can throw some cold water on Williams based on his 3.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, but that is also built into his price. Upside and salary cap relief is what we are after here and Williams could deliver that tonight.
