So how are you all liking DraftKings’ no late swap feature for NBA?
Yea, I hate it. Sure, there are people that love it and many who don’t.
Honestly, NBA is the one DFS sport I feel needs to always have a late-swap option.
No late-swap in NFL, no big deal. I think the games are close enough together that you would likely know who is in and out before noon. Not always, but most of the time. So there would only be 4-5 games you would have to worry about because you would know the noon games’ starters before lock.
MLB? No late swap would be perfectly ok. Sure, there are some late scratches, and as long as it wasn’t a pitcher, it’s not going to completely kill your lineup. A zero from your bats in MLB is by no means a lineup killer.
But the NBA is different. Game start times are a lot like baseball, but starting lineups are submitted sometimes just minutes before a game. It’s really not all that official and can change even right before tip. In baseball, lineup cards are submitted way in advance of the start of the game, so you have an idea of at least who is projected to start a game.
Because of the volatility in the NBA, I just think it benefits DraftKings to be a late-swap format. FanDuel and FantasyDraft are the other big guns in this business and neither offers late swap, and that’s fine. Sure, there is a late swap feature on DraftKings, but it’s garbage. The contests are small, the rake is high and they suck.
And if DraftKings isn’t going to offer big contests in the late swap function, then it needs to adapt a way to show projected starters much like in MLB, PGA, NHL and NASCAR. There’s nothing wrong with giving its users a one-stop place for starting lineups. Searching twitter, paying for the starters and relying on other outside sources takes time and isn’t always reliable. The NBA wants to support DFS also, so they also should join in and require coaches to submit lineups at least 30 minutes before tip.
Anyway, that’ s my rant for today, I imagine you have probably just skipped to the picks anyway, right?
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Let’s get on with the show!
George Hill – PG – Sacramento Kings – $5,100 – 5x = 25.5 FP
Analysis: In two competitive games this season, George Hill has played 30+ minutes. But the Kings got blown out in Denver and HIll put up a huge dud. But this is a bounce back spot for him and the Kings going up against the hapless suns who are so far allowing the most fantasy points per game to point guards. Lonzo Ball and Damian Lillard have shredded this disaster of a team already, so I expect Hill to be able to pay off his price tag easily. I don’t think the Kings are a world beater either, so hopefully the Suns can keep this close for at least 3 1/2 quarters.
Malcolm Delaney – PG/SG – Atlanta Hawks – $3,000 – 5x = 15 FP
Analysis: Malcolm Delaney is so unknown that there aren’t any gifs for him, so here’s one of Kent Bazemore, one of his teammates. This play is strictly based on the absence of Dennis Schroeder, who is not expected to play tonight against the MIami Heat. Delaney should step right in to this rebuilding roster and log as many minutes as he can handle. He’s the bare minimum price and opens up your lineup construction. He’s strictly a price point play.
