Will Barton’s past two games have been terrific for his price point
I’ve been hearing a large amount of people complain about lineup lock lately. I thought I’d take a minute to express how I feel about the whole thing. Lineup lock is frustrating, but I can see both sides of the argument. Personally, I prefer to not have it because I am someone who constantly watches player updates and can make a late switch with only a minute before tipoff. That said, most of the people playing on DraftKings do not have that luxury. Most players probably research and look at lineups for no more than an hour, and then they are done until later that night or the next morning when they check the outcomes. I have to admit, I do enjoy the fact that once I’m done with my lineups, I can focus on other things in my life. I can assure you my wife and children love that DraftKings started lineup lock this year.
Alright, enough about that. Just realize that DraftKings did their due diligence before installing lineup lock and I assure you they are still monitoring the feature to determine if they will keep it or not. Now, can we get onto this nine-game slate? I will make mention of it in almost every article, or at least when I remember to say something. I am a cash game player. I rarely play tournaments. I find that I cash more this way. Will I ever hit big? Let us just say the odds are not in my favor. That said, somewhat like the lottery, the odds are never in anyone’s favor. I was just telling someone the other night how I play almost all cash games and then one tournament each night. The cash games cover whatever I lose in the GPP tournament, but also gives me that one chance to hit bigger payouts. This formula works for me, but you will have to find what works best for you.
When I look at tonight’s slate, I see a million ways a lineup can be constructed. Okay, a million is an exaggeration, but the options are plentiful. Here are some guys I like, and if I only like them for tournaments, then I will make a note of it.
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Point Guard
I am not paying up at point guard. John Wall is a solid cash game play, but at his salary, you cannot trust him in tournaments. I will not be playing in either format. Giannis Antetokounmpo is interesting after the loss of Jabari Parker (knee) for the season. You would think his usage would go up, but it really does not change when Parker is off the court. Instead, a different name (that I will mention later) sees a bigger usage bump. So, who do I like?
Goran Dragic (MIA): $7,900 @ BKN
Give me all the Dragic tonight for cash games. At this price, he should be a lock for 5x value. In his two previous games against Brooklyn, Dragic finished with 41.8 and 44.8 DraftKings points. If you do not know by now, attacking Brooklyn at nearly every position is a solid way to start your lineups. They rank near the bottom in every DVP category. This is also a pace-up game for Miami. With some solid value at point guard, I’m looking to spend in this range over the top priced guys like Wall and Curry.
Jeff Teague (IND): $7,400 @ WAS
Teague is another guy I tend to look at for cash games. The matchup on paper says to stay away, but John Wall‘s defense is not the greatest and Teague has a way of stepping up for good competition. In the two games he’s gone up against Washington, He has put up an average of 45 DraftKings points and also averaged nearly 6.5x value. I’m not hearing his name much either, which means he could make for a lower-owned option in tournaments.
Other Options:
- Mike Conley (MEM): $7,300 vs. GS
- Eric Bledsoe (PHO): $7,200 vs. CHI
- Dennis Schroder (ATL): $6,600 @ SAC
- Rajon Rondo (CHI): $4,900 @ PHO (GPP Only)
Shooting Guard
We are still awaiting news on the two, top Bulls’ players. If Jimmy Butler is out, Dwyane Wade is a lock for me. Butler is probably going to play though and actually looks more likely to play than Wade. If they both play, Wade is still an option, but no longer a lock. Just like point guard, I am going to pay down a little at shooting guard. Wade and Bradley Beal are the only two I’m considering. Beal might be too pricey for me though after playing back-to-back games of 40-plus minutes and having two subpar performances against the Pacers already this year. Dion Waiters (ankle) is in play here too if he starts. He has a great matchup, pace-up game and two previous 40-plus DraftKings point performances.
Will Barton (DEN): $6,100 @ NY
Barton has been on fire his last two games, and not only because of shooting. He has been seeing solid peripheral stats and has seen over 36 minutes per game over that span. Over those two games, he has 15 rebounds and 12 assists. What is interesting, though, is that he is shooting the ball more. He has averaged 11 shot attempts per game this season, but the last two games he chucked it up 18 and 19 times. The matchup is not horrible and he put up 36 DraftKings points the last time these two teams played.
Darren Collison (SAC): $5,400 vs. ATL
I love Collison here. I’d rather play him in the shooting guard slot or the guard slot than as a point guard though. That is why I did not mention him above. The price is fantastic, Atlanta is in the bottom 10 for DVP against shooting guards, and Ty Lawson is out. This means Collison will see more minutes and a slight bump in usage. Over his last four games, Collison has averaged around 35 minutes and has hit 4.7x or more value. His most recent game he put up 42 DraftKings points and 8.1x value. The arrow is definitely pointing up and should hit cash value. He is worth a look in tournaments too depending on roster construction.
Lance Stephenson (MIN): $3,200 vs. NO
All I have to say here is, “revenge game” and tournament option only!
Other Options:
- Tim Hardaway, Jr. (ATL): $5,700 vs. SAC
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DET): $5,000 vs. SA
- Bojan Bogdanovic (BKN): $4,700 vs. MIA
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard (SA): $8,200 @ DET
Love this price for Leonard. The matchup is not the best and probably why DraftKings has him so cheap, but for cash games, the matchup does not scare me away. He struggled in the first matchup with Detroit this year and did not break 40 DraftKings points. For that reason, I would not consider him in tournaments, but I think he can find the 41 DraftKings points needed to hit cash value. He has been over 40 fantasy points in 11 of his last 12 games, and the one he missed he hit 39.3 DraftKings points.
Wilson Chandler (DEN): $7,100 @ NY
Chandler has been balling lately. It helps that Danilo Gallinari is out and Chandler is seeing a bump in minutes and usage. With Gallinari off the floor, Chandler is scoring six more DraftKings points per 36 minutes. The value here is a good one, and Carmelo Anthony is not a defender that scares me. As a whole, the DVP matchup is a slight plus too. I would not look to use Chandler in tournaments, but fits well in my cash lineups.
Other Options:
- Carmelo Anthony (NY): $7,700 @ DEN
- Otto Porter (WAS): $6,600 vs. IND (Especially if Markieff Morris is out)
- Matt Barnes (SAC): $5,600 vs. ATL
- Michael Beasley (MIL): $3,900 vs. LAL
- James Ennis (MEM): $3,500 vs. GS
Power Forward
Paul George (IND): $8,000 @ WAS
I am not a fan of the power forward position. DeMarcus Cousins could be in play for cash (not GPP) solely based on his narrative of being angry about his one-game suspension. Karl-Anthony Towns has played well and is also a cash game only option, but both Cousins and he come with risk of being below 5x value tonight based on their salary. Paul George could be a solid cash game option. He comes at a big discount compared to the other two and has been fairly consistent. Over his last nine games, Paul has hit cash value in seven of them.
Note: I am just going to list a couple more options since many of the small forwards I mentioned also have power forward eligibility.
Other Options:
- Paul Millsap (ATL): $7,600 @ SAC
- Kristaps Porzingis (NY): $6,900 vs. DEN (GPP Only)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (SA): $6,400 @ DET
- Darrell Arthur (DEN): $3,500 @ NY
Center
For how bad I think the power forward position is tonight, there are plenty of options at center. I’m going more balanced for cash, but feel free to use Anthony Davis or Nikola Jokic. I’m staying away from Hassan Whiteside. I have him in season-long and he is one of my favorite players, but he does not seem to matchup well against the Nets. I’m not even sure why since the DVP is a plus-matchup. In his defense, he only played 20 minutes the first time he faced the Nets, but the second time he played 30 minutes and did not even crack 30 DraftKings points. He’s worth consideration as his last four games has peen phenomenal, but I’m not paying up that high here in my lineup configuration.
Marc Gasol (MEM) : $7,400 vs. GS
I would rather take the $1,100 savings in cash lineups and move down to Gasol. The DVP matchup is slightly positive, and Gasol is one of the most consistent centers in DFS. He is great for cash games, but I hardly ever trust his upside for tournaments. Tonight is one of those nights I would not consider him for GPPs. Gasol has faced off against the Warriors twice already. One was an overtime game, but in both instances, he returned just enough for cash value. For this salary, I’d use him. He should be able to get the 37 DraftKings points needed.
Marcin Gortat (WAS): $6,100 vs. IND
Gortat is one of my favorite cash-game centers. I use him often because, like Gasol, Gortat is very consistent. In the two games he’s played the Pacers, Gortat has finished with a double-double in both of them. I’m honestly surprised his price is so low. He has hit 35.5 or more DraftKings points in his last seven games. Furthermore, during that span, DraftKings did not adjust his price much, and he has hit 5.9x or more value. Gortat will be in majority of my lineups tonight.
Other Options:
- Andre Drummond (DET): $7,700 vs. SA
- Brook Lopez (BKN): $6,800 vs. MIA
- Dwight Howard (ATL): $6,700 @ SAC (GPP Only)
- Guillermo Hernangomez (NY): $5,200 vs. DEN (If Joakim Noah is out)
- John Henson (MIL): $4,100 vs. LAL
- Dewayne Dedmon (SA): $4,000 @ DET (GPP Only)
- Jason Smith (WAS): $3,000 vs. IND (If Markieff Morris is out)
That wraps it up! Good luck tonight and have a great weekend!
Help yourself out by checking out our NBA Optimal Lineup for today’s slate
Rob Schwarz, Jr. is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Rob, check out his archive. You may also read his work on Fantasy Life, FLAFFLhouse and House Money Fantasy or you can follow him on Twitter @ChiSportsnut25.
