Welcome back to the Stack! Today is a very odd day for MLB DFS. Not only are there day games on a Wednesday, but the day games have all of the studs and two of the top offenses. Fitting it all in is going to be hard (that’s what she said). Thor, Severino, Kluber, and […]
Get your alcohol, cocaine and maybe even a little weed ready because it’s time for Monday’s MLB evening slate of action. Why do you need the recreational drugs? Go look at the pricing and pitchers available to you on DraftKings. I completely understand if you wanted to wave the white flag and wait for Tuesday’s […]
It’s good to have America’s Pastime back in full force! Our inaugural edition of The Stack got off to a solid start, though letting Matt Davidson fall through the cracks irks me. But the White Sox were certainly the play against southpaw Danny Duffy. My boy Giancarlo came through in a huge way against a […]
It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!!!! Opening Day. FINALLY! No more lousy March NBA roster construction. Instead we get day and night baseball all day, which should really be a national holiday. I don’t get to partake in sitting at home on my couch and being a baseball zombie (I actually have a job I […]
Happy Hump Day everyone! It’s a small 7-game slate for tonight’s NBA action. There are some juicy games on tap for tonight, so I won’t hold you up for very long and let you get after the digestion of today’s information. A reminder that the statistics and projections below come from the following sources: Rotogrinders […]
I hope that Monday was a definitive statement for the Cavaliers to give Larry Nance a full-time gig.
He made it very clear he can hang with the best and did plenty of damage against Andre Drummond at the center position.
The Cavs should find a way to make sure he gets minutes when Love and Thompson are both healthy. Nance could be a starting center for the Cavs and they just so much better with him on the floor, too.
Anyway, tonight’s another night of NBA DFS, but honestly, I think trying to figure out which teams are going to play hard and which ones are going to fail to show up is getting quite ridiculous. The Celtics sat out Kyrie last night and they were up by 20 points in the first quarter. They didn’t even have to try at that point. I really do think this a time to really scale back play in NBA DFS. Wait for the playoffs and gear up for MLB.
Tonight is at least a better slate to put down some money. We have some revenge narratives, some insanely high totals, but also a lot of junk. Below are a couple of links you can visit and check out if you wish, but it is where I get the information presented to you below. The usage rates and fantasy points per minute next to each player (i.e. LeBron James, 35%, 1.51) come from the CourtIQ tool on Rotogrinders. The percentages and FPP for starters comes from those 5 guys playing on the court together. The rest are from a broad usage and FPP perspective with injuries taken into account.
Good luck!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 215.5 | -1.5 | 5 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 12 |
Injury News
Out: Michael Carter-Williams
Philadelphia 76ers
Projected Starters
PG – Ben Simmons – 21.8%, 1.23
SG – J.J. Redick – 18.7%, 0.75
SF – Robert Covington – 15.2%, 0.75
PF – Dario Saric – 18.7%, 0.85
C – Joel Embiid – 32.2%, 1.37
Bench
SG/SF – Marco Belinelli – 19.7%, 0.58
SF/PF – Ersan Ilyasova – 21.6%, 0.87
Charlotte Hornets
Projected Starters
PG – Kemba Walker – 29.5%, 1.05
SG – Nicolas Batum – 19.3%, 0.88
SF – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 18.4%, 0.76
PF – Marvin Williams – 15.6%, 0.72
C – Dwight Howard – 24.8%, 1.20
Bench Players
PF/C – Frank Kaminsky – 21.3%, 0.87
SG/SF – Jeremy Lamb – 21.7%, 0.90
Must Plays – Ben Simmons
Bubble Plays – Joel Embiid, Dwight Howard, Nicolas Batum, Kemba Walker, Dario Saric, Ersan Ilyasova
Value Plays – Robert Covington
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Miami Heat | 27 | ||
| Washington Wizards | 204 | -5 | 15 |
Injury News
Questionable: Wayne Ellington, Kelly Oubre, Jr.
Miami Heat
Projected Starters
PG – Goran Dragic – 29.7%, 1.23
SG – Tyler Johnson – 22.9%, 0.95
SF – Josh Richardson – 15.3%, 0.73
PF – Justise Winslow – 13%, 0.63
C – Hassan Whiteside – 23.6%, 1.31
Bench Players
PG/SG – Dwayne Wade – 36.9%, 1.20
PF/C – Kelly Olynyk – 21.3%, 0.99
PF/C – Bam Adebayo – 12.7%, 0.83
SF/PF – James Johnson – 18.1%, 0.88
Washington Wizards
Projected Starters
PG – Tomas Satoransky – 14.5%, 0.92
SG – Bradley Beal – 28.3%, 1.00
SF – Otto Porter, Jr. – 23.8%, 1.03
PF – Markieff Morris – 20.2%, 0.98
C – Marcin Gortat – 18.7%, 0.99
Bench Players
SF/PF – Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 23.1%, 0.83
Must Plays – None
Bubble Plays – Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Tomas Satoransky, Dwayne Wade, Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson
Value Plays – Justise Winslow
March madness is here!
We are coming to the final countdown of the NBA regular season, or at least our own coverage of the NBA season, while MLB starts to slowly creep our way.
Opening Day is March 29! That’s awesome.
But until that time, we still have NBA to cover you down the stretch of the season.
As you have know, the NBA Value Index has been renovated a couple of times this season. Some of the modifications were personal reasons, some were time-related reasons, some reasons were because it was difficult to truly feel comfortable with but not knowing who was actually going to play the next day, and here we are.
The format won’t change before we end NBA coverage, but please be on the look out for some type of version of this for the MLB season. What my content will look like is still up in the air, but if you have any suggestions, ideas, etc., please feel free to hit me up here or on Twitter @hotdogdailyDFS.
As a reminder, all information below is used from the following sites and arranged for you:
The suggestions of plays is my own, derived from Vegas odds, usage rates, fantasy points per minute, pricing, DvP, pace and the rest because I either can or can’t ever get certain players correct.
Lastly, the numbers you see next to the players listed is their usage rates and fantasy points per minute (i.e. LeBron James, 38%, 1.51). Projected starters have these numbers calculated using the above Rotogrinders tool for when all 5 guys are starting (unless there is very little time played between the starters like Cleveland’s projected starters tonight). The rest are calculated with the team as a whole, minus injured players.
All players listed below are someone you can at least consider tonight. If they aren’t on this list, unless there is some worthy breaking news, I am not recommending you touch them at all.
Good luck!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Detroit Pistons | 21 | ||
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 218.5 | -7 | 14 |
Injury News
Out: Jeff Green, Tristan Thompson
Detroit Pistons
Projected Starters
PG – Ish Smith – 21.1%, 0.93
SG – Reggie Bullock – 18.1%, 0.77
SF – Stanley Johnson – 17.3%, 0.63
PF – Blake Griffin – 27.9%, 1.04
C – Andrew Drummond – 20.1%, 1.31
Bench Players
PG – Dwight Buycks – 28.2%, 0.96
SG/SF – James Ennis III – 19.1%, 0.79
Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected Starters
PG – George Hill – 15%, 0.90
SG – J.R. Smith – 16.9%, 0.70
SF – Cedi Osman – 20.4%, 1.17
PF – LeBron James – 32.7%, 1.56
C – Larry Nance – 13.9%, 1.02
Bench Players
SG/SF – Rodney Hood – 16.9%, 0.68
PG/SG – Jordan Clarkson – 25.7%, 1.27
Must Plays – Andre Drummond, LeBron James
Bubble Plays – Blake Griffin, Ish Smith, Jordan Clarkson
Value Plays: Larry Nance, George Hill, Rodney Hood
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| MIlwaukee Bucks | 24 | ||
| Indiana Pacers | 208.5 | -2.5 | 20 |
Injury News
Questionable: Matthew Dellavedova
Milwaukee Bucks
Projected Starters
PG – Eric Bledsoe – 25.9%, 1.07
SG – Tony Snell – 10.4%, 0.49
SF – Khris Middleton – 21.8%, 0.85
PF – Giannis Antetokounmpo – 32%, 1.37
C – John Henson – 14.2%, 0.82
Bench Players
SF/PF – Jabari Parker – 24.3%, 0.94
Indiana Pacers
Projected Starters
PG – Cory Joseph – 13.4%, 0.63
SG – Victor Oladipo – 35.5%, 1.52
SF – Bojan Bogdanovic – 17%, 0.68
PF – Thaddeus Young – 19.2%, 0.87
C – Myles Turner – 19.5%, 1.21
Bench Players
SG/SF – Lance Stephenson – 22.8%, 0.93
PF/C – Domantas Sabonis – 23.9%, 1.07
Must Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bubble Plays – Domantas Sabonis, Victor Oladipo, Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner
Value Plays – Lance Stephenson, Jabari Parker
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Phoenix Suns | 3 | ||
| Miami Heat | 216.5 | -10 | 28 |
Injury News
Questionable – Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Bam Adebayo, Tyson Chandler (sits on back-to-backs usually)
Phoenix Suns
Projected Starters
PG – Elfrid Payton – 23.6%, 1.15
SG – Devin Booker – 38.3%, 1.58
SF – T.J. Warren – 26.5%, 0.71
PF – Dragan Bender – 6.2%, 0.74
C – Alex Len – 10%, 1.10
Bench Players
SG/SF – Josh Jackson – 25.5%, 0.91
Miami Heat
Projected Starters
PG – Goran Dragic – 29.7%, 1.23
SG – Tyler Johnson – 22.9%, 0.95
SF – Josh Richardson – 15.3%, 0.73
PF – Justise Winslow – 13%, 0.63
C – Hassan Whiteside – 23.6%, 1.31
Bench Players
PG/SG – Dwayne Wade – 32.2%, 1.06
SG/SF – Wayne Ellington – 18.9%, 0.71
SF/PF – James Johnson – 20.7%, 0.92
PF/C – Kelly Olynyk – 24.1%, 1.04
PF/C – Bam Adebayo – 16.3%, 0.95
Must Plays – Hassan Whiteside, Elfrid Payton, Goran Dragic
Bubble Plays – Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, James Johnson
Value Plays: Justise Winslow, Dragan Bender
Welcome back everyone!
We have another large slate for tonight, 9 games to be exact.
And just so you know moving forward, if Paul Millsap plays, Nikola Jokic suffers greatly.
And Millsap had to return last night, and if you rostered him like I mistakenly did, everywhere, then you know how frustrated I am.
But with no late swap, that’s the risk you take, though I wasn’t really certain that Millsap would return. Mother…
Back to the grind tonight though, so check out the stats and content below. Usage rates and fantasy points per minute are displayed like so – Giannis Antetokounmpo – 32% (usage rate), 1.32 (fantasy points per minute)
Here’s the links to the sources for Projected Starting Lineups, Usage Rates and Fantasy Points Per Minute:
NBA Usage Rates and Fantasy Points Per Minute
Good luck and thanks for checking us out!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 24 | ||
| Detroit Pistons | 208 | -2 | 21 |
Injury News
None, but it’s a back-to-back so look for possibility of Jabari Parker resting.
Milwaukee Bucks
Projected Starters
PG – Eric Bledsoe – 26%, 1.08
SG – Tony Snell – 10.2%, 0.42
SF – Khris Middleton – 21.3%, 0.86
PF – Giannis Antetokounmpo – 32%, 1.38
C – John Henson – 14.6%, 0.88
Bench
SF/PF – Jabari Parker – 24.3%, 0.86
SG/SF – Sterling Brown – 11.6%, 0.63
Detroit Pistons
Projected Starters
PG – Ish Smith – 21.8%, 0.95
SG – Reggie Bullock – 17.7%, 0.75
SF – Stanley Johnson – 16.6%, 0.60
PF – Blake Griffin – 28%, 1.04
C – Andre Drummond – 20%, 1.33
Bench
SF/PF – Anthony Tolliver – 15.7%, 0.74
Must Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond
Bubble Plays – Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton
Value Plays – Ish Smith
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Toronto Raptors | 220.5 | -9 | 9 |
| Orlando Magic | 8 |
Injury News
Questionable – Aaron Gordon
Toronto Raptors
Projected Starters
PG – Kyle Lowry – 21.5%, 1.08
SG – DeMar DeRozan – 27.5%, 1.08
SF – OG Anunoby – 12.7%, 0.56
PF – Serge Ibaka – 20.5%, 0.85
C – Jonas Valanciunas – 23.2%, 1.17
Bench
PG/SG – Fred VanVleet – 20.4%, 0.94
PG/SG – Delon Wright – 18.2%, 0.90
SF/PF – Pascal Siakam – 16.7%, 0.89
PF/C – Jakob Poeltl – 15.3%, 0.90
Orlando Magic
Projected Starters
PG – D.J. Augustin – 15%, 0.84
SG – Evan Fournier – 21.4%, 1.06
SF – Jonathon Simmons – 14.8%, 0.64
PF – Aaron Gordon – 28.2%, 1.06
C – Nikola Vucevic – 22.1%, 1.14
Bench
SF/PF – Mario Hezonja – 21.8%, 0.92
Must Plays: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Vucevic
Bubble Plays: DeMar DeRozan, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier
Value Plays: D.J. Augustin, Mario Hezonja (if Gordon sits, bubble play otherwise)
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Indiana Pacers | 212 | -4.5 | 20 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 13 |
Injury News
Questionable: Malcolm Delaney
Indiana Pacers
Projected Starters
PG – Cory Joseph – 12.6%, 0.59
SG – Victor Oladipo – 36.7%, 1.60
SF – Bojan Bogdanovic – 15.9%, 0.70
PF – Thaddeus Young – 19%, 0.87
C – Myles Turner – 20.4%, 1.28
Bench
SG/SF – Lance Stephenson – 22.3%, 0.92
SG/SF – Glenn Robinson III – 16.7%, 0.65
PF/C – Domantas Sabonis – 24.4%, 1.07
Atlanta Hawks
Projected Starters
PG – Dennis Schroder – 24%, 0.98
SG – Kent Bazemore – 21.7%, 1.10
SF – Taurean Prince – 23.5%, 0.68
PF – John Collins – 16.7%, 0.97
C – Dwayne Dedmon – 16.8%, 0.87
Bench
PG/SG – Tyler Dorsey – 20.7%, 0.74
PF/C – Mike Muscala – 13.6%, 0.77
Must Plays – Victor Oladipo, John Collins
Bubble Plays – Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Dwayne Dedmon, Myles Turner, Cory Joseph
Value Plays – Mike Muscala
Another day another dollar, right?
Hope you enjoyed the change in information of the Index yesterday. We will keep that going until we ramp up for baseball season (soon!).
For those of you who might be new, I’ve said this year that trying to write up picks for NBA a night before has been really difficult this year with all of the injury and late-scratch news. Not having late-swap has made that even more of a challenge.
Providing options for baseball will be much easier, but I would like to incorporate matchup breakdowns and stats there, too. If you have anything you would like to see for baseball, please shoot me a message in the comments or on Twitter (old or new account if you wish @hotdogdailyDFS).
As for tonight, we have a solid 6-game slate to digest. We are starting to see younger players getting more run after the all-star break and that trend should continue the rest of the year. The biggest issue in NBA DFS moving forward is knowing whether or not a tanking team will show up.
A reminder that the information below will contain, pace of play, Vegas odds and lines, projected starters, player usage and fantasy points per minute – i.e. LeBron James, 38% (usage), 1.51 (fantasy points per minute).
My sources for projected starters, usage and fantasy points per minute can be found on the following sites, for free:
Let’s get after it!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Brooklyn Nets | 7 | ||
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 221 | -11.5 | 14 |
Injury News
None
Brooklyn Nets
Projected Starters
PG – Spencer Dinwiddie – 22.8%, 1.04
SG – D’Angelo Russell – 35.5%, 1.29
SF – DeMarre Carroll – 21.3%, 0.93
PF – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – 23.9%, 1.01
C – Jarrett Allen – 17.5%, 0.93
Bench
SG/SF – Caris LeVert – 23%, 0.95
SG/SF – Allen Crabbe – 19.9%, 0.77
SF/PF – Dante Cunningham – 17.2%, 1.10
Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected Starters
PG – George Hill – 21.4%, 0.54
SG – J.R. Smith – 21.6%, 0.83
SF – Cedi Osman – 16.7%, 0.41
PF – LeBron James – 36.2%, 1.56
C – Tristan Thompson – 12.6%, 0.89
Bench
PG/SG – Jordan Clarkson – 28.8%, 1.02
SG/SF – Rodney Hood – 17.2%, 0.77
PF/C – Larry Nance, Jr. – 16.4%, 1.21
Must Plays – LeBron James
Bubble Plays – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jordan Clarkson, George Hill, Larry Nance, Rodney Hood
Value Plays – Jarrett Allen
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Chicago Bulls | 12 | ||
| Charlotte Hornets | 216.5 | -10 | 11 |
Injury News
Questionable: Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls
Projected Starters
PG – Kris Dunn – 25.4%, 0.93
SG – Zach LaVine – 29.4%, 0.91
SF – David Nwaba – 19%, 1.03
PF – Lauri Markkanen – 12.6%, 0.43
C – Cristiano Felicio – 16.7%, 0.65
Bench
SG/SF – Justin Holiday – 18.6%, 0.78
PF/C – Bobby Portis – 27.3%, 1.14
SG/SF – Denzel Valentine – 18.1%, 0.85
Charlotte Hornets
Projected Starters
PG – Kemba Walker – 29.3%, 1.09
SG – Nicolas Batum – 19.3%, 0.83
SF – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 18.3%, 0.77
PF – Marvin Williams – 15.7%, 0.74
C – Dwight Howard – 24.8%, 1.22
Bench
PF/C – Frank Kaminsky – 22.5%, 0.85
PF/C – Cody Zeller – 16.3%, 0.88
SG/SF – Jeremy Lamb – 24.7%, 0.98
Must Plays – Dwight Howard
Bubble Plays – Nicolas Batum, Kemba Walker, Frank Kaminsky, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis
Value Plays: Jeremy Lamb
I swear I had every intention of providing you with a Value Index when the NBA returned last week, but it just didn’t happen.
But we are back now and ready to tackle the rest of the NBA season (though secretly I am so ready for baseball to be here).
Before we get to the meat and potatoes, let me say that it’s been a long, rough past few weeks in my household. Couple that with my work conference, it’s been difficult to find time for the Value Index. So for our subscribers, thanks for your understanding and patience.
I am changing the format of the Index for the rest of the year. Writing is fun and all, but sometimes having information crowdsourced into one location is more efficient for DFS. Plus, time constraints at home of late and in the foreseeable future, limit my ability to spend the time I want into researching AND dissecting research.
So instead of long, wordy narratives, I will give you projected starters, injury news, Vegas odds and bench players to note. Each projected starting player will have usage percentages next to them based on those five players starting. Accompanying that data will be player usage and fantasy points per minute (i.e 30.8%, 1.10 FPP). Bench players will have usage percentages based on overall roles on their teams, minus injured players. I may add a few more key bits of information, but for now will keep it to this.
Lastly, I will see provide must plays, bubble plays and value plays as I have been doing.
I think this is simple, efficient and to the point. And taking some of the research process out of your hands.
The following are the sources I will be using for research and information.
Rotowire Projected Starting Lineups
Let’s go!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| LA Lakers | 223.5 | -1.5 | 1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 14 |
Injury News
Questionable: Lonzo Ball
Los Angeles Lakers
Projected Starters
PG – Lonzo Ball – 15.4%, 1.09
SG – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 13.5%, 0.57
SF – Brandon Ingram – 27.8%, 1.32
PF – Julius Randle – 22.2%, 0.97
C – Brook Lopez – 21.6%, 1.03
Bench
PG/SG – Josh Hart – 13%, 0.69
SF/PF – Kyle Kuzma – 24.2%, 0.93
PG/SG – Isaiah Thomas – 29.7%, 1.04
Atlanta Hawks
Projected Starters
PG – Dennis Schroder – 26.1%, 1.08
SG – Kent Bazemore – 19.9%, 0.97
SF – Taurean Prince – 20.9%, 0.59
PF – John Collins – 19.9%, 1.06
C – Dewayne Dedmon – 16.6%, 0.76
Bench
PF/C – Mike Muscala – 12.7%, 0.76
PG/SG – Tyler Dorsey – 20.7%, 0.78
Must Plays – Dennis Schroder, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram
Bubble Plays – Dwayne Dedmon, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Kent Bazemore
Value Plays – John Collins, Tyler Dorsey, Mike Muscala
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Memphis Grizzlies | X | X | 30 |
| Boston Celtics | X | X | 22 |
Injury News
Out: Tyreke Evans
Questionable: Aron Baynes
Memphis Grizzlies
Projected Starters
PG – Mario Chalmers – 20.4%, 0.77
SG – Andrew Harrison – 24.1%, 0.88
SF – Dillon Brooks – 18.9%, 0.63
PF – JaMychal Green – 19.1%, 0.87
C – Marc Gasol – 31.4%, 1.14
Bench
PF/C – Jarell Martin – 17.7%, 0.69
SF/PF – Chandler Parsons – 22.4%, 0.93
Boston Celtics
Projected Starters
PG – Kyrie Irving – 30.3%, 1.20
SG – Jaylen Brown – 21.7%, 0.79
SF – Jayson Tatum – 18.4%, 0.71
PF – Al Horford – 17.5%, 1.03
C – Aron Baynes – 15.7%, 0.79
Bench
PG/SG – Marcus Smart – 19.9%, 0.81
PG/SG – Terry Rozier – 20.8%, 0.92
PF/C – Daniel Theis – 16.4%, 0.96
SF/PF – Marcus Morris – 23.6%, 0.91
Must Plays: None
Bubble Plays: Marc Gasol, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford
Value Plays: Andrew Harrison, Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, JaMychal Green
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Chicago Bulls | 12 | ||
| Brooklyn Nets | 217.5 | -3.5 | 7 |
Injury News
Out: Justin Holiday, Robin Lopez
Chicago Bulls
Projected Starters
PG – Kris Dunn – 25.4%, 0.93
SG – Zach LaVine – 29.4%, 0.91
SF – David Nwaba – 19%, 1.03
PF – Lauri Markkanen – 12.6%, 0.43
C – Cristiano Felicio – 16.7%, 0.67
Bench
PF/C – Bobby Portis – 30.9%, 1.19
PG/SG – Cameron Payne – 21.7%, 1.12
SG/SF – Denzel Valentine – 18.9%, 0.74
Brooklyn Nets
Projected Starters
PG – Spencer Dinwiddie – 25.7%, 0.93
SG – Allen Crabbe – 18.8%, 0.61
SF – DeMarre Carroll – 21%, 0.85
PF – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – 25.9%, 0.59
C – Jarrett Allen – 11.6%, 0.67
Bench
PG/SG – D’Angelo Russell – 35.5%, 1.29
SG/SF – Caris LeVert – 23%, 0.95
SF/PF – Dante Cunningham – 17.2%, 1.10
Must Plays – D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie
Bubble Plays: RHJ, Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, Allen Crabbe, Caris LeVert
Value Plays: Jarrett Allen, David Nwaba
Hello out there!
It’s time for another Value Index for DFS NBA purposes and again we have a 6-game slate on tap for us tonight.
Only one more full slate of games before basketball takes a breather on its regular season and we have to find other avenues for playing daily fantasy sports.
I will take in a round of golf and a lap around Daytona this weekend, for fun, so I highly suggest doing the same to get your fix in.
But as for present day, let’s dive into tonight’s slate swiftly and quickly!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Miami Heat | 28 | ||
| Toronto Raptors | 206.5 | -7.5 | 10 |
Injury News
Out: Kelly Olynyk
Miami: Toronto is going to be a hard out for the Heat tonight on the road. The Raptors are one of the best teams under their home lights, so despite Miami’s defensive prowess, Toronto has the ability to put this game away in the 3rd quarter. But it also wouldn’t be surprising if Miami fought all the way to the end. But with that thought in mind, who do we like for DFS purposes? Toronto also is a great defensive team almost across the board…almost. Enter Hassan Whiteside, who can eat Jonas Valanciunas and the Raptors’ front court for breakfast. In on outing this year, Whiteside scored nearly 40 fantasy points, with a double-double, in less than 30 minutes. With no Kelly Olynyk tonight, Whiteside’s minutes should be more secure and he’s still priced like a guy who is seeing inconsistent minutes. The remaining Heat players really are more tournament options and maybe even just guys you toss in a game stack. James Johnson (revenge game), Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo should all play the minutes, but they are a tough sell in this matchup.
Toronto: I gave up on rostering Toronto players early on in the season. And only not rostering the ghost of Jonas has burned me less than a handful of times. DeMar DeRozan is always steady and more of a cash play than a tournament option. Kyle Lowry hasn’t been the consistent point guard we have liked this season. Serge Ibaka has had some nice runs, but his minutes are inconsistent. And then there’s all of the ancillary wing players – Normal Powell, C.J. Miles, OG Anunby, Pascal Siakam, etc. Through a dart at a dart board and hope you hit a bullseye. Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright? Again, darts.
Must Plays: Hassan Whiteside
Bubble Plays: Goran Dragic, Serge Ibaka, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry
Value Plays: None
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | X | X | 13 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | X | X | 18 |
Injury News
Questionable: Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony
Cleveland: This is the grand salami of the slate. And DFS will hinge around one player – and it’s not LeBron James. The new-look Cavs are 2-0 since trading their entire team away, so maybe things are looking up. This is a premium test for Cleveland 2.0, so with the all-star break looming, this team needs as much time to gel on the court as possible. So where do we go? Well, LeBron is a good start. Here’s how the team spread out the minutes in their first time together: George Hill – 21 minutes, Jordan Clarkson – 23 minutes, Larry Nance Jr. – 21 minutes, Rodney Hood – 19 minutes, Cedi Osman – 29 minutes, Jeff Green – 17 minutes, Kyle Korver – 16 minutes, J.R. Smith – 29 minutes, Tristan Thompson – 27 minutes. I imagine these minutes will change and fluctuate as the right set of starters is determined, so for now, I think this is about what you should expect the next few games. Luckily, many of these guys are cheap and you can feel comfortable taking a shot on one in a tournament.
Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook practiced Monday, a better sign that he might suit up against LeBron. But the ASB is nearing, and it would be no surprise to see the Thunder sit Westbrook. If he plays, you play him. If he doesn’t, you play Paul George and Raymond Felton (and yes, even Carmelo if he plays. He always gets up for games against LeBron). Steven Adams has locked in usage and minutes no matter who is or isn’t playing, a solid cash game play night in and night out.
Must Plays: LeBron James, Russell Westbrook (If active), Paul George (if Westbrook inactive)
Bubble Plays: Carmelo Anthony (if active), Steven Adams, any of the new Cavs.
Value Plays: None
Hello all! I am happy to return to DailyOverlay and get back to the DFS grind!
It’s been a crazy week and a half, not only for yours truly, but for the world of basketball (trade deadline specifically).
I was out of town for a conference for 5 days and then came home and ka-blam – illness.
So bear with me through the medicine fog as we tackle today’s 6-game slate.
Of course we have the all-star break looming in the association, so the Index will run through Wednesday of this week and get back to it when the NBA returns.
I hope your DFS adventures over the past week and a half have been profitable and with the Index returning, I hope I can add to the plus signs in your bankroll.
Enough of the chit chat, let’s dive in!
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| New Orleans | 4 | ||
| Detroit | 220 | -3 | 21 |
Injury News
None
New Orleans: Emeka Okafor??? That was a surprising signing, but OK. The Pelicans are struggling a bit without the presence of DeMarcus Cousins. Sure, Nikola Mirotic provides NO with a big body and scoring potential, but he and Okafor combined don’t sniff Boogie. Brow is the main option on this team post-Boogie. Yea, Rondo put up a 60-burger the other night, but let’s be real, he’s not going to shoot 11-for-16 much, nor are we sure if he will see 25 minutes regularly. Jrue Holiday is another offensive option that gets a boost with the new-look Pelicans. Detroit sent Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley packing, and since, their defense has taken a hit all around. This is a pace-down spot for the Pelicans, but the close spread and high total means all of aforementioned guys are in play and this game is absolutely stackable.
Detroit: Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond have become quite the 1-2 punch since joining forces. Now they both get to face the Pelicans who are top-10 in rebounds allowed to power forwards and centers. The Pelicans also are top-10 in points and assists allowed to centers, too. Reggie Bullock has really shined in an expanded role, but I have not really been on him lately and don’t know if I will hop on at this points. Ish Smith is the starting point guard and his minutes are locked in. However, he can be inconsistent at times and doesn’t put up a ton of fantasy points overall, so his price almost maxes out his upside with Griffin in Detroit. BUT, we know Rondo is a defensive liability (82nd out of 97 qualified point guards in DRPM).
Must Plays: Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond
Bubble Plays: Rajon Rondo, Ish Smith, Nikola Mirotic, Jrue Holiday
Value Plays: None
| O/U | Spread | Pace | |
| New York | 16 | ||
| Philadelphia | 209.5 | -11.5 | 5 |
Injury News
None
New York: If it wasn’t for one of the later games on this slate that I want to cross off completely, I would be crossing off New York from my list tonight. Michael Beasley gets a lead role with Porzingis out, but his price is really starting to climb. This is a tough test for the Knicks, on the road in full give-up mode, to take on Philly. Of course, if Embiid sits in this one, then my opinion of the Knicks will change, but for now, I am siding with the blowout potential here, Emmanuel Mudiay play almost 30 minutes in his debut, but can we trust those minutes and do you want to trust him and his lack of talent? Tim Hardaway hasn’t spiked in awhile. Courtney Lee isn’t viable and Enes Kanter may or may not get 25 minutes? Beasley is the only one that is locked in for minutes should this game stay close.
Philadelphia: Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are pretty obvious here, even in a potential blowout. The Knicks are top-10 in points allowed to centers and if Mudiay is going to get minutes at point guard, well, he’s the worst-rated defender at PG in the entire NBA. Yes, even worse than Isaiah Thomas. Anyway, that leaves us with J.J. Redick, Robert Covington and Dario Saric as starting options. All are viable, but not must plays. They are maxed out with their prices and upside, if you ask me. If Embiid is ruled out, then that would give them all a huge bump (mostly Saric) and thrust Richaun Holmes, Trevor Booker and Amir Johnson as possible value plays.
Must Plays: Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid
Bubble Plays: Michael Beasley, Dario Saric, J.J. Redick, Enes Kanter
Value Plays: None