This is probably the thinnest that the PG position has been in quite some time. There are no studs on the slate and the top guys have poor matchups. I am looking at Jeff Teague ($6,600) as the safest play. He’s eating up a ton of minutes for the Hawks and didn’t appear to be impacted by a hand injury that forced him to get an x-ray after Sunday’s game. All reports indicate that Teague will see a full workload tonight versus MIA which should be 30+ minutes. Miami is a team that has significantly increased their pace over the last 40 games or so and can play sneaky quick at times. That should benefit the Hawks in this matchup.
Dare I say, Rajon Rondo ($6,000) has my attention for tonight? It’s been a really solid start for Rondo as a member of the Kings, returning his owners 19.75, 37.25 and 43.25 DraftKings points in the first three games. The Kings are going to be without Demarcus Cousins tonight which is going to open up a ton of opportunity for his teammates. Boogie is averaging 16.6 shots per game which are now going to have to be spread out amongst his teammates. While this isn’t a great matchup with MEM, the Grizz haven’t looked great to start the season and Rondo could be the beneficiary of so much opportunity that the matchup might not matter too much.
I am still going to buy on Emmanuel Mudiay ($5,900). As with most rookies, he is going to be wildly inconsistent which regulates him to a GPP play. However, there is so much opportunity for Mudiay, he’s going to have plenty of big nights this season and he could be in-line for one of those big nights this season against the enemic Lakers. The Lakers are allowing the second most points to opposing PGs and this game has the highest O/U on the slate. Mudiay hasn’t shot particularly well, but has launched 13,15 and 14 shots in the three games he’s played this season. Tack on his ability to dish and rebound the rock and he immediately shows how high his ceiling can be. Despite a slow start statistically, he’s still averaged 26.3 DraftKings points per game this season.
Jimmy Butler ($7,700) is the only Chicago Bulls player that I am willing to roster at the moment. He’s getting a ton of minutes like he usually does and the entire offense is running through Jimmy Buckets. He’s firing nearly 14 shots a game while adding in a ton of secondary stats. Butler hasn’t scored less than 32 DraftKings points this season and has already eclipsed 43 points on two occasions. He’s probably one of the safer SGs on the board.
His price is rising but Evan Fournier ($4,300) continues to be one of the best values on the slate. He’s rattled off 36.75 and 28.75 DraftKings points in the last two games and hasn’t played less than 27 minutes in any game this season. He’s not afraid to shoot the ball with 36 (!!) shot attempts in the last two games. I expect a perimeter attack from ORL tonight instead of challenging Anthony Davis in the paint. That could lead to a lot of looks from Fournier who only needs 25.8 DraftKings points to reach 6x value.
Massive upside for Rudy Gay ($7,400) tonight. Rudy Gay has no conscious and was already capable of jacking 20 shots in any game. Without Cousins, I expect the offensive to run firmly through the hands of Rudy Gay. I actually don’t think it would be ridiculous if he fires 25 shots. There’s that level of opportunity for him. Whether he does anything with those shots, in a tough matchup is another story. He will likely be the most popular GPP play of the day.
Marcus Morris ($5,600) has been very good this season, averaging 32.9 DraftKings points per game this season. He’s playing all the minutes he can handle for the Pistons, which has been no less than 35 in any game. The pace of this game might be a little slow, but it’s an excellent matchup as the Pacers have been killed by SF early this season. His price is sky-rocketing fact, but still reasonable tonight.
Anthony Davis ($10,500) is truly the only stud on this slate. Even with a slow start, he’s still averaging 44.9 DraftKings points per game, including 55.25 in his last game against GSW. This game has one of the higher O/Us on the slate and the Pellies should be well rested, not having played since Saturday night. Davis is a safe source of points tonight and always has tremendous upside. He will be heavily owned.
The center position is where GPPs will be won and lost. This is the deepest the position has been so far this season. Drummond, Gasol, Vucevic and Whiteside are all in-play and in excellent matchups. Nikola Vucevic ($7,700) is probably the sneaky option since he is priced in-between Whiteside and Drummond, both of whom has received much more industry hype in this young season. “Vuc” is coming off games of 46 and 42 points and is a constant double-double threat.
The popular value play will be Willie Cauley-Stein ($4,000). WCS has played excellent this season, with outputs of 36.75 and 26.25 in his last two outings. With the absence of Demarcus Cousins tonight, WCS is going to step right in and play big minutes for the Kings. He’s the most likely player on the board to reach 6x value.
A very interesting slate of games. There is value at positions we never have it and point guard is as thin as I’ve ever seen. Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.