If you’re ever going to roster Ty Lawson, it needs to be now. Lawson is in line for big minutes to start the season with the departure of Rajon Rondo and suspension of Darren Collison. Lawson isn’t nearly the player he has shown in the past, but we’ve seen what usage and minutes can do for most NBA players. Lawson turned in a well-rounded 9-7-6-2-1 line last night (32.5 DK pts) while playing 36 minutes. Obviously I’d like to see more offensive prowess, but I think you can do worse on a small slate.
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I’d really only consider Lawson if I was desperate, which you might be on this four game slate. I prefer going with someone like Dennis Schroder who will be unleashed as the Hawks starting PG with Jeff Teague now playing in Indiana. Schroder played 25+ minutes only 14 times last season, but averaged 31.09 DraftKings PPG in those contests. Expect a heavy usage rate from the newly extended Schroder.
Allen Crabbe poured in 18 points in 29 minutes in the season opener versus Utah. Tonight he gets a much more favorable matchup against the Clippers. The concern is that the wing position is a three-headed monster for the Trail Blazers so expect them to roll with the hot hand. Crabbe should have the longest leash after an impressive outing and you cannot beat his price.
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Another hot-hand situation in Jonathon Simmons. With Danny Green out, we knew that either Kyle Anderson or Simmons would have to step up and it was Simmons who did just that on Tuesday night. He played 28 minutes (compared to Anderson’s 22) and was extremely efficient. Simmons was 8-14 from the field, scoring 20 real points and tacking on four boards with three assists. It’s likely going to be a guessing game between Anderson and Simmons at many times in Green’s absence, but Simmons was electric in game #1. Another ideal matchup with Sacramento tonight.
We’ve talked enough value, so PF is a position that I will likely spend up on. I’m looking at Blake Griffin who only played four of the final 40 games for the Clippers last season. Before his injury (and subsequent suspension) Griffin averaged 43.6 DraftKings PPG. He’s a rare big man with great vision (5 APG) and a willingness to crash the boards (8.7 RPG). There are reports that Griffin will be asked to play a larger role in the offense this season, maybe even handling the ball more. That would be a great sign for his owners and I think Griffin is set-up for a massive season.
If you can stomach it, how about Dwight Howard? I know, I know. Howard drives me absolutely crazy too, but is there any better situation than this tonight? We know he’s 100% healthy, should be motivated in first game with a new team and he was excellent in the preseason. He averaged 16.75 points and 10.75 rebounds per game in 26 minutes of action. He also swatted nine combined shots in those games. I think he has a fairly large range of outcomes, but he’s priced as C3 and has C1 upside.
That’s all folks! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more player analysis as news and injuries break closer to tip-off! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.