RADIO
I think people have the tendency to put too much weight on the impact of back-to-backs in the NBA. However, a bit of logic -- and data -- suggest the obvious... Despite being the greatest of the great, most physically gifted athletes the world has to offer whose entire lives are devoted to training and keeping their bodies in peak condition, intense physical competition against other large men on consecutive days (not to mention the travel) tends to have an impact on performance. These are humans after all.
That said, the league blessed us with 11 games last night meaning that 73-percent of the teams were in action; or 22 of the possible 30. Seeing how we have a six-game slate on tap tonight some quick mental math tells me that there are going to be a couple of teams with tired legs. Minnesota, Indiana, Golden State, Miami, Houston, and Utah proved my mental arithmetic correct as all six teams find themselves playing for the second night in a row. Now there's not really a point to any of this, I'm not suggesting you avoid players from these teams in your DraftKings lineups tonight, just seemed like information worth sharing. You're welcome.
Coming to us from the more meaningful news category, below you'll find a few of my favorite mid-to-low-priced players from tonight's DraftKings slate intended to help fill out your lineups around the higher-priced options (I see no value in explaining that Stephen Curry is very good at playing basketball). And hopefully, by reading these words you're able to build optimal DK lineups which win you hoards of cash and enable you to bask in the grandeur of the most lavish items this world has to offer.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Emmanuel Mudiay - PG, vs. CLE ($4,900)
As proud owners of the league's second-worst record, the only real constant for the Knicks this season has been Ls. A statement that can either be taken in the most literal sense, or honestly, any sense the mind can fathom (other than the fact they make millions of dollars to play a game). Hell, even Dennis Smith Jr. found a way to bring shame to the franchise... On their day off.
It's been a rough season to say the least. A rough lifetime for us Knicks fans too young to have witnessed the '70s. Maybe it's loyalty to the wretched fandom I was born into. Perhaps it's just a realization on them being a NBA team -- of the poorest of forms -- who will not, and has not, managed to find a way to be held scoreless. But, I can't seem to avoid having a piece of them in my DFS lineups. It's Mudiay who gets the nod tonight on the strength of the Cavs defense. Or, lack thereof.
Collin Sexton (116.5) and Jordan Clarkson (113.8) rank 244th and 233rd of a possible 251 guards in terms of defensive rating this season. Matthew Dellavedova and David Nwaba are solid defensively, I guess, but neither guy is scaring anyone. They're not exactly imposing on the interior, either. In fact, Cleveland averages the fewest blocks per game and sit 20th in points allowed in the paint. All told, Mudiay -- who leads the Knicks in usage rate in the three games since his return -- should be able to get to the cup at will en route to his fourth-straight 15-plus point performance, and as a result, it shouldn't take much contribution across the other categories for him to provide nice value.
D.J. Augustin - PG, vs. GS ($4,500)
The Warriors lost last night in Miami, which isn't a welcomed sight for Magic fans - the proverbial "bounce back" if you will. However, Orlando is a scrappy team who never really feels as if they're out of any particular game. They lost by just six at Oracle when these two faced off back in November (Steph didn't play), and it's rare for them to just get run out the gym in general so I imagine they'll be able to keep this one somewhat respectable. For that to happen -- against the league's top-scoring offense -- they'll have to, well, score points. A lot of them. And while Augustin isn't a safe bet to go for 30, it's the assists that provide the appeal as he's dished out at least five dimes in eight-straight games.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Justise Winslow - PG/SF, at HOU ($5,000)
Winslow probably isn't the best option if a high-upside play is your desire, but he's the prototypical DraftKings lineup filler. Reasonably priced, consistent regardless of matchup, liable to go off on any given night, and if he doesn't, he does just enough across the board to warrant a baseline expectation of around 25 fantasy points. He's one of the safest mid-tier plays of the night, every night which the Heat are in action.
Jerami Grant - PF, vs. PHI ($4,900)
No team has allowed more points in the paint over the month of February than the Philadelphia 76ers. This was with Joel Embiid and Boban Marjanovic; neither of whom will be in action tonight (more on that in a second).
Grant lets me down every time I trust him, but the matchup is far too enticing to pass up given the injuries Philly is dealing with. It also doesn't help that he's been playing some of his best ball of the season of late - averaging 15 points, six rebounds, and two blocks over his last 20 games.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Jonah Bolden - PF/C, at OKC ($4,000)
Bolden will likely be one of the more widely-owned players of the night, and because of this, I was hesitant to include him here. Thing is, there's a reason he's likely to be widely-owned, and it's the fact that both Joel Embiid and Boban Marjanovic won't be playing - he should be in for around 20 minutes by default.
Now increased run doesn't necessarily guarantee production, but Bolden has put up .91 DraftKings fantasy points per minute of action this season. For reference's sake, Kyle Kuzma was at .97 DraftKings fantasy points per minute prior to last night's matchup with the Pels. Is he Kuzma? Don't be silly. But, combine the increased action with Steven Adams not exactly being what I'd call dominant recently, and you're left with an upassupable value.
