RADIO
Matchups matter, and the Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the league. Boston is also playing their third game in four nights which comes on the second-half of a back-to-back. They're 2-4 this season with no rest. (Although, they did wax the Pacers last night enabling them to rest their starters for the entire fourth quarter. I believe I saw Jayson Tatum out there for a few quick minutes, but nothing too strenuous.) The Spurs and Pistons also find themselves playing their second game in as many nights and third game over the last four. Detroit has gone 2-2 with no rest this season, but they'll be facing a Kings team which has gone 14-7 on one day's rest and 11-9 following a loss; the Pistons are also 6-12 on the road. The Spurs, yeah, they're 1-6 in games played on the second-half of a back-to-back this season.
What? You thought this was about DraftKings? Nah, it's really about the betting trends which serve as a guide to help you beat the bookie.
Ok, it's not. It's about DraftKings. But, dominant DFS lineups and Vegas odds have somewhat of a synonymous relationship. There's also that slightly important part about having as many good at playing basketball guys as possible in your lineup. Let's see if we can merge the two with a look at some mid-to-lower-priced options from tonight's four-game slate. Hopefully, providing you the essential lineup fillers needed to optimize your DraftKings lineup since I find no value in detailing the ways in which Paul George is good at playing basketball.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Justise Winslow - PG/SF, vs. BOS ($5,900)
You ever see someone doing some really dope yoga pose, or something really bendy that doesn't seem humanly possible, and think, "Man, I wish my body could do that?" Yeah, me neither. But, Justise Winslow is kinda like the NBA version of yoga instructor.
For starters, he's flexible. I imagine that holds weight in the literal sense, but the point guard/small forward classification enables him to be used in nearly every spot in the lineup. Secondly, he's versatile. Versatility is kinda the same thing as flexibility, but when applied to his ability to fill up the box score in a variety of ways -- like a yoga instructor utilizes breathing techniques, stretching, core strength and whatever else necessary to find success in their craft -- it takes on a more heterogeneous meaning. I guess that could've been balance, though, as he's averaged 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals over his last eight games. There really isn't a third thing, but his rebounding ability gets a boost with the Heat and Celtics holding their opponents to the second and third-lowest field goal percentages and there are also those words I typed in the intro about the Cs potentially tired legs.
Dennis Schroder - PG/SG, at SA ($4,800)
Trusting Schroder makes no sense. He's averaged just 9 points over his last five games, he's been dealing with a quad injury, and he's shooting just 41-percent from the field on the season. All of which is exactly why trusting Schroder kinda makes perfect sense.
His salary has dropped below $5,000, the impending return of Alex Abrines combined with his recent play have him positioned to bounce back, a matchup with this Spurs team which has been surprisingly not good on the defensive side of the ball provides a solid opportunity for him to break out of his slump, he's still third on the team in usage over their last five games -- despite the poor play -- and he's the only real scoring threat off the Thunder bench with his 13 shot attempts per game making him somewhat of a poor man's Lou Williams. The risk is scary, but scared money don't make none.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Bogdan Bogdanovic - SG/SF, vs. DET ($6,200)
Watching this Kings team play basketball is a guilty pleasure I'm not too prideful to admit. Something about the combination of trying to figure out whether Willie Cauley-Stein has tattoos on his cheeks or was the unfortunate recipient of two perfectly symmetrical scratches, De'Aaron Fox's speed, and Bogdan Bogdanovic's parents having creativity levels near zero, just makes my brain tell my fingers to select the Kings on League Pass at nearly every opportunity. It also helps that they're fun to watch, normally occupy the late time slot, and have guys like Bogdanovic who can light up the boards. The latter of which is a given - he's scored less than 10 in just four games all season.
As a whole, the Pistons aren't terrible defensively. But, on the individual level, Reggie Bullock -- who he'll likely see a lot of -- kinda is. Regardless, the Pistons are one of the worst shooting teams in the league which should lead to the usual rebounding/transition opportunities, and Bogdanovic does enough in the rebound and assist columns to provide a reasonable floor with plenty of upside.
Josh Richardson - SG/SF, vs BOS ($5,800)
It's easy to write Josh Richardson off as a scorer who just shoots a bunch of threes and doesn't contribute much else for this Heat team. Sure, his scoring numbers have seen a drastic jump this season. And sure, he's a scorer who shoots a bunch of threes. But, he's no Eric Gordon.
Richardson is having a career year in both the rebounding and assist categories, and while that's not saying much considering the numbers he put up over his first three seasons, the consistency is more than enough to provide value given his salary. He's pulled down at least three boards in nine of his last 14 games while dishing out at least four dimes in 10 of those 14. And the occasional steal/block provide an added bonus to the aforementioned bonus of him knocking down a bunch of threes. Plus, a matchup with Boston suggests he may not be overly owned, which is always welcomed on a light slate.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Pau Gasol - C, vs. OKC ($3,100)
Gasol returned to the Spurs lineup on New Years Eve, and his debut saw him play an astounding five minutes. He sat out the Spurs next two games only to return with vengeance Monday night... He played nine minutes. That said, the fact that he played 20 minutes last night in Memphis is beyond concerning. Gregg Popovich rests his guys, notoriously, and a 38-year old Gasol, who missed nearly two months with a stress fracture in his right foot, seems somewhat likely to be limited. At the very least.
Nonetheless, he provided seven points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs last night, and Rudy Gay's absence (he's really out this time) opens the door for someone to pick up minutes. That person may very well be Davis Bertans, but keep an eye on Twitter and the injury updates as Gasol could be a winning lottery ticket if he's able to find success on the glass against a the Thunder bench which is devoid options capable of keeping him off said glass.
