After 12-plus hours of NBA basketball Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re presented with only a pair of games Tuesday, as the vast majority of the team will get a breather in preparation for a big Wednesday slate. Regardless, the DFS grind marches on and so do the game-by-game breakdowns.
Vegas odds are derived from DraftKings Sportsbook. All totals from the time of writing are posted. With that said, some games will not have totals posted if there is outstanding injury news.
Unlike serious DFS grinders, newer daily fantasy football players generally aren’t spending the entire week doing research and tweaking their bankroll strategy and game mix and therefore are logging onto DFS sites hours, or even minutes, before kickoff to set lineups and get some action on the games. Oct 21, 2020 If you love DFS and can’t get enough of it, chances are you’ve heard of single-game contests (called Showdown on DraftKings). Whether you’ve ventured into the realm of these contests. On the two most popular Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) sites DraftKings and FanDuel, NFL DFS players are not competing against the House. They’re competing against each other. But all inexperienced DFS players beware. There are plenty of sharks that swim in DFS waters, hunting smaller, rookie fish.
NFL DFS expert Sloan Piva from RotoQL breaks down the top picks and sleeper picks for Super Bowl DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Get strategy advice and tips to help you cash in your daily fantasy. To incorrectly use a line from an Anti-Flag song, “This is the end for you, my friend.” Super Bowl 55 brings us to the end of the DFS and NFL seasons with a GOAT matchup between Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady and company are looking to become the fourth team to win each playoff game on the road en route to a Super Bowl victory.
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Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets (-9.5, 220.5 total)
Pace: OKC (11th), DEN (25th)
Defensive rating: OKC (18th), DEN (25th)
$8,700 for on a full slate would have me questioning whether I want to pursue him in cash or single-entry formats, but a two-game slate makes this an easy decision. Averaging 25.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists over his last five games, SGA steps into a game against a defense that ranks 29th against scorers and 21st against primary ball handlers (per advanced DvP), making him a phenomenal target.
The rest of the Thunder team are appealing options when hunting for value on this slate, as the Nuggets are currently a bottom-six team in defensive rating. makes for the best point-per-dollar option here, even against , as is set to miss his third consecutive game. Over his last two starts, Roby has averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in just under 25 minutes per game — all extremely serviceable for $4,100 on a two-game slate. The absence of Horford should also continue to open up more rebounding opportunities for , and . Of the three, Dort and Bazley present similar security in terms of playing time, as they should both fall in the 26- to 30-minute range. Diallo profiles more as a tournament option.
Because of the slate size, becomes a perfectly viable play at $4,300, but it’d be irresponsible to expect 30 minutes from the veteran. His floor is low, but he provides enough offense where he could get there at his price.
On the other side of this game, it’s almost impossible to get away from Jokic on a two-game slate, despite the hefty price. He’s leading the NBA in touches per game while posting a 28.7% usage rate, 43.8% assist rate and 19.4% rebounding rate all en route to logging 1.64 DK points per minute. He’s the only stud to spend up for, and a player I strongly advise fitting into your lineups.
It makes sense to pair him with given the fact that a staple in their offense is the dribble hand-off together, but he carries more volatility than someone like SGA on the other side of the game. Even with the volatility, his $7,300 price tag is hard to pass up.
Of the value options on Denver, makes the most sense. His minutes are incredibly secure for his price and while his production can be frustrating, the playing time alone makes him a viable option at $4,400 on such a thin slate. P.J. Dozier can be approached with the same rationale, as he’s topped 22 minutes in three consecutive games. While he’ll never be a high-usage player, you don’t need much at only $3,900.
The forwards are the difficult position to dissect for the Nuggets, even with out. Because and essentially split 48 minutes, they’re two I would prefer to avoid on this slate. should continue to soak up a lot of Porter’s voided minutes and at $5,700, he makes sense with his ceiling, but his floor is low.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah Jazz (-6, 217.5 total)
Pace: NOP (26th), UTA (24th)
Defensive rating: NOP (17th), UTA (6th)
After a shift in their starting lineup last game, the Pelicans could see yet another shift Tuesday with on track to return to the lineup. This would almost certainly spell an end to ’s one-game stint as the starting point guard, but he’s certainly solidified a spot in the rotation. Should Ball return, Alexander-Walker becomes nothing more than a GPP play at his elevated price ($5,400) considering the fact that moving back to 18-22 minutes would be well within the range of outcomes.
Dfs Game Theory
While his popularity is sure to take a massive hit, ’s ($9,100) and ’s ($7,900) shouldn’t. Ingram holds the higher usage rate (29.3% to 28.6%) and production clip (1.18 to 1.12 DKP/min), but the $1,200 price difference makes Williamson the better option. This, in turn, makes Ingram an elite tournament play with ownership likely going to Williamson, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray all surrounding his price.
Ball and would both be OK plays, but I can’t call them anything more than that given their volatility and the options elsewhere at the position. lost his starting spot last game, but still makes for a fine value option given his ability to rack up peripheral production.
Dfs Sunday Games
On the flip side of the ball, the Jazz should be one of the higher-owned teams on the slate for once, it just took a two-game slate for this to be the case. remains questionable for the game, which would mean more opportunity for should he sit again. His $6,500 price may cause a bit of sticker-shock, but his 26% usage rate and 1.28 DKP/min production clip sans Ingles makes him worth the price.
is hard to argue with on this slate given the fact that he’s the team-leader in usage rate (31.8% without Ingles) and should lead the team in touches. It’s also impossible to write-off on a two-game slate, especially in a game against a team that presents a ton of size to oppose him in Williamson and . His $7,600 feels a touch cheap, making him my second-favorite center on the slate behind Jokic. If you want to get different, running a two-center build with the two anchors your lineup in a way that many may not do. He may see a few extra minutes as well as continues to work through some soreness in his right knee.
Outside of those three, and are viable because of the slate size, but Bogdanovic’s one-dimensional game makes him more of a GPP play than a cash play, while Conley will be harder to justify with only a touch more expensive. Regardless, his minutes are secure and he’s a good bet for 10-15 shot attempts per game.