After a full slate of action last night, we are left wanting more with only three games across the league tonight. Even so, there is no lack of great options. Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.
The point guard position is excellent as always and it’s clearly headlined by Chris Paul ($9,600). Paul started his season with a “ho-hum” 45.8 DraftKings points last night with his standard 18-11-5 line. Paul is a walking double-double and this is the highest total game on the slate. Paul has now scored 40+ DraftKings points in 16 of his last 17 games going back to last season. He is an incredibly consistent source of fantasy points making him a cash game staple.
The Atlanta Hawks PG situation is very interesting. I expect many to flock to Dennis Schroder ($4,700) after his 20-4-3 line on opening night, resulting in 34.2 DraftKings points. Schroder was aggressive and not afraid to take a shot, resulting in 14 FGAs. While I like Schroder, IÂ am not ready to abandon ship on Jeff Teague ($6,900). Despite Schroder’s massive game, Teague still played 32 minutes, scored 18 points and launched 16 shots of his own which was a team high. Teague is a volatile player, but has flashed tremendous upside at times. He makes for a perfect GPP play this evening since many owners will pay up for Paul or ride Schroder for less.
The value play of the day is clearly Raymond Felton ($3,000). The min priced PG actually started at SG last night and played a team-high 33 minutes. With Deron Williams going down with an injury (doubtful for tonight), Felton took over the ball handling and led the team in scoring after D-Will’s departure. Felton dropped 18 real points and dished out 6 assists to rack up 33 DraftKings points. Assuming Williams doesn’t play again tonight, Felton should see all the minutes he can handle.
The SG position is a bit of a wasteland, but should present an opportunity to go cheap.
I am a glutton for punishment so I might have to take another shot at Kent Bazemore ($3,300). A disappointing opener resulted in 0 points on only three shots. That’s not indicative of Bazemore’s upside, as he fired nearly 8 shots a game down the stretch last season. His ability to rebound is an added benefit but note that Thabo Sefolosha will not be playing in this game. That should guarantee Bazemore a few more minutes of action.
CJ Miles ($3,600) is probably the most interesting. The Pacers had a balanced offensive attack in their opening against TOR, with five players scoring in double digits. Miles was one of them, dropping 18 points while playing big minutes (36). At only $3,600, he is going to provide a plethora of minutes to bank on, with some legit upside. His 14 shots in the opener were second on the team to Paul George.
Speaking of Paul George ($8,200), this guy is going to have a massive season. George had a 17-12-8 line in the opener, good for 50 DraftKings points. What’s really telling is that he was brutal from the field, shooting only 4-17. Despite the struggles he flirted with a triple double. That’s a really good sign for George who can stuff the stat sheet in a lot of ways and can score you plenty of fantasy points even when his shot is not falling.
If you’re looking for value, Derrick Williams ($3,200) might be your guy. I am concerned that he won’t play enough minutes to be relevant, but DW dropped 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds off the bench in the opener for the Knicks. He played confidently, firing 17 shots which is encouraging. Don’t expect this output every night, but he could flirt with a double double if he can see closer to 25 minutes.
A monster game from Blake Griffin ($9,500) last night, racking up 33 points and 8 rebounds in route to a 48 DraftKings point performance. I don’t think the Mavericks have anyone that can stop Blake, so I expect him to find success again tonight. This game has the highest total on the baord and should be targeted liberally. Blake will be expensive, but with value at other positions, he shouldn’t be hard to fit in.
The value play at center is certainly Ian Mahinmi ($3,900). Despite fouling out in the opener, Mahinmi still flirted with a double-double (10-8) in just 25 minutes. He is simply going to play too many minutes and have a big enough impact to overlook at sub $4K. He will have his work cut out for him tonight facing off with Marc Gasol, but he wouldn’t need much to pay for himself.