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Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers, and welcome back to our new series covering RIVAL Fantasy Bingo picks for the NBA season! We will be covering how to play and the strategies to win.
Fantasy Bingo is a spin on the classic game Bingo but the goal is to match achievements, not numbers. You will build a DFS lineup for the weekly games to unlock the achievements and fill in those squares. You can win by getting five in a row, all four corners, or an entire card blackout.
The prize pool for the weekly slate is distributed among all of the winning cards. They are broken down in two ways. 56% of the prize pool to cards that have five in a row -- vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. 44% of the prize pool is for cards that just cover the four corners. Also, the prize pool gets larger as more bingo cards are entered. You can have up to 100 max cards all with different lineups created. Check here for the updated rules and scoring.
RIVAL Fantasy Bingo Strategy
When it comes to Fantasy Bingo and NBA, the strategy will be different than the NFL strategy. Stacking would go out the window unless the slate is two to three games. Targeting high usage players though is the same. Players who can fill multiple categories on the stat sheet like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Ben Simmons (surprisingly). On top of that, if players are averaging double-doubles or triple-doubles at a good rate, you'll want to get a piece of that pie as the Bingo Cards may call for it.
Targeting defensive players who are logging more than two blocks or steals per game will be needed also. Those appear at a consistent rate on the Bingo Cards. Players like Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid excel at blocks and are averaging more than two per game. For steals, players like Marcus Smart, Donovan Mitchell, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are already recording 2.5 steals per game.
Filling every single category of the stat sheet will be needed as you construct your lineups. Spreading it out between key offensive and defensive players as there is no salary cap for you to be restricted by. Look for games with high totals, teams that play at a fast pace, and players that may get boosts from teammates ruled out due to injuries. You can make your lineups throughout the night but waiting for injury news to rule in will be your best route to go before the first game tips off.
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RIVAL Fantasy Bingo Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Indiana Pacers
We are running it back with Giannis Antetokounmpo versus the Indiana Pacers once again. With a total of 258.5 points, you do not want to miss out on having players in this game and Antetokounmpo is one of them. In the last game versus the Pacers, he put up a double-double with 37 points and 10 rebounds. He also added on two blocks, which we know pops up on the Fantasy Bingo squares.
The Greek Freak remains with a high usage rate of 33.2% while averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game within an average of 35 minutes of court time. Indiana continues to be at the bottom of the pack when it comes to defending opposing forwards. They allow them to average 25.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Giving up the double-double is key to target when it comes to building lineups.
Tyrese Haliburton at Milwaukee Bucks
During the In-Season Tournament, Tyrese Haliburton almost put up a triple-double versus Milwaukee. He went off and recorded 27 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds. He continued his double-double streak, recording eight in his last 10 games. He has a usage rate of 26.1% on the season, which has been the highest of his career so far. He averages 34.4 minutes per game and averages 12 assists. Haliburton is one of the key players when it comes to assists in the league and making sure he's in the lineup for Bingo is crucial.
Knowing the point total for this game and mixed with Milwaukee's defense, they allow opposing guards to find success. They give up on average 27.8 points, eight assists, and six rebounds per game. Mix that with the pace of the Indiana Pacers, who average 108 possessions per game, continuing to play faster every game and making it harder for opposing teams to match.
Scottie Barnes vs. Atlanta Hawks
Scottie Barnes is in a pretty good position to hit his ceiling due to the pace of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks average 106 possessions per game while Toronto sits at 102.7. A great pace-up spot. On top of that, they also allow opposing forwards to average 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. With that, Barnes is holding a usage rate of 24% and his consistent play has opened up more opportunities for him to fill his stat sheet.
While he isn't as big of a double-double machine as Antetokounmpo and Haliburton, he flirts with them. He has put up two double-doubles in his past five games with one close miss versus the New York Knicks. Barnes also provides defensive starts as he has had at least one steal or block in his last 10 games. Only one of those 10 games was just one block while the rest were multiple steals and/or blocks.
Julius Randle at Utah Jazz
When talking about a perfect spot, Julius Randle is going to pop up when he faces the Utah Jazz. They are currently last in defending opposing forwards, allowing them to average 27.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Randle is another player who is barely missing out on averaging a double-double as he is averaging 22 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He has a usage rate of 28.6% so far this season and is averaging 35 minutes per game.
What makes this even better is that the New York Knicks will be in a huge pace-up spot. They currently average the fewest possessions per game with 99.7 while the Utah Jazz average 104.1. This will give more opportunities to Randle to secure a double-double and even rack up some major points this game.
RIVAL Fantasy Bingo Lineup
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