While the NBA’s official Opening Night was yesterday, the majority of teams kick off their season on Wednesday. There is no shortage of compelling matchups and storylines heading into Game 1 of the NBA season and plenty of fantasy goodness to be had. I’ll be focusing mostly on a cash-game strategy on DraftKings, but I’ll be sure to sprinkle in a few GPP targets as well.
New Orleans vs. Houston: Over/under is set at 229, which is the highest implied total on the slate.
Denver vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Over/under is set at 226. Denver plays at one of the faster paces across the league.
Dallas vs. Phoenix: Over/under is set at 215. Phoenix plays at the fastest pace in the NBA and showcased very little defense last season.
Players to Target
Trey Burke (PG – NY): $5,600
Burke is an appealing option given his low price point and the amount of usage he will likely see tonight. Emmanuel Mudiay and Courtney Lee will not play tonight, which means the Knicks backcourt will belong to Burke and Tim Hardaway. After Kristaps Porzingis was injured, Burke held the second-highest usage rate on the team last season behind only Michael Beasley, who is no longer on the team. Until proven otherwise, Atlanta possesses a below-average defensive unit.
While the NBA’s official Opening Night was yesterday, the majority of teams kick off their season on Wednesday. There is no shortage of compelling matchups and storylines heading into Game 1 of the NBA season and plenty of fantasy goodness to be had. I’ll be focusing mostly on a cash-game strategy on DraftKings, but I’ll be sure to sprinkle in a few GPP targets as well.
New Orleans vs. Houston: Over/under is set at 229, which is the highest implied total on the slate.
Denver vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Over/under is set at 226. Denver plays at one of the faster paces across the league.
Dallas vs. Phoenix: Over/under is set at 215. Phoenix plays at the fastest pace in the NBA and showcased very little defense last season.
Players to Target
Trey Burke (PG – NY): $5,600
Burke is an appealing option given his low price point and the amount of usage he will likely see tonight. Emmanuel Mudiay and Courtney Lee will not play tonight, which means the Knicks backcourt will belong to Burke and Tim Hardaway. After Kristaps Porzingis was injured, Burke held the second-highest usage rate on the team last season behind only Michael Beasley, who is no longer on the team. Until proven otherwise, Atlanta possesses a below-average defensive unit.
Patty Mills (PG/SG – SA): $4,600
Mills will be taking over point guard responsibilities for San Antonio since Dejounte Murray is lost for the season with a knee injury. This isn’t even a great matchup against a stingy Minnesota defense, but Mills only has to hit 20 points on DraftKings to hit value, and I would wager he has a good chance of doing so given the number of minutes he will likely see.
Josh Richardson (G – MIA): $6,600
Richardson is a value play given the number of minutes he will likely see tonight. Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Justise Winslow are all injured and will miss their season-opener, which leaves the door open for Richardson to increase his usage by a substantial amount. He could realistically see around 40 minutes tonight against a below-average Orlando Magic defense.
Clint Capela (C – HOU): $7,200 This price seems low for a guy who will likely see upwards of 30 minutes in a fast-paced game. Plus, the Houston frontcourt is facing multiple injuries and won’t have a lot of depth for this particular contest against the Pelicans. Capela will have his hands full facing off against Anthony Davis, but he’s going to see a lot of floor time tonight.
Anthony Davis (PF – NO): $11,100
I like Davis over some of the other top-priced options because of his matchup. Houston’s defense will likely be down to start the season with Trevor Ariza no longer on the team, and Nene ruled out for the season opener. New Orleans played at the NBA’s fastest pace last season, and I don’t see a scenario where Davis doesn’t dominate this thin Houston frontcourt.
Kawhi Leonard (G – TOR): $8,100 Cleveland had one of the worst defenses in the league last season, but at least they had LeBron James to matchup against the opposing team’s best wing player. Now, they don’t have anyone that can check Leonard on the defensive end. I suspect Leonard’s price to slowly increase as the season goes on. His usage rate should be enormous this season in Toronto.
E’Twaun Moore (F – NO): $4,100
Moore is a good bet to exceed value tonight as the Pelicans are squaring off against a porous defense in Houston. In the four games between the Pelicans and Rockets last season, Moore averaged nearly 17 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and three assists. His cheap price point allows for higher spending on other positions.
