Searching For the Free Square
In the game of Bingo, every card gets an empty spot in the middle called the “Free Square”. Since it’s the middle square, the free square is essentially the ideal spot from which to build lines around. In DFS we define the Free Square as the player to build your lineups around. Generally, this player represents the closest we can find to a sure thing for the slate. This column is all about trying to identify the free square for a particular slate. Very often, this will be a low-cost player thrust into a starting role and sure to make or exceed value. The type of player that allows us to load up the rest of our lineup with high salary studs. Occasionally it will be a high priced stud in a great spot, The goal of this column is to use quantitative data to identify the free square for the days Daily Fantasy Basketball slate. Each slate we will take a deep look at three or four players which represent outsized value on the day’s slate of games and choose the one which best represents the top value and floor play to earn the title of the slates Free Square
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Recap
We had Andre Drummond for one of our free squares last night and he ended up with 35.50 DKFP which was good enough for right around 4.3x value. For our second free square, we had T.J. Warren who ended up with right around 37.25 which was good enough for right around 7.2x value. Our final free square was Darren Collison who ended up with right around 7.5 DKFP which was good enough for right around 1.3x value.
Tonight
After some shorter slates, we finally have a huge 12-game slate to start off the month. The teams with the highest implied totals are as follows Washington Wizards (120), Cleveland Cavaliers (116), and the New Orleans Pelicans (113). The highest priced players of the night are Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis.
Free Squares
- Mike Muscala C ATL ($3,700)
- Mike Muscala and the Atlanta Hawks will take on the Philadelphia 76ers tonight on the road. The Hawks have an implied total sitting at right around 101-points and they are currently 8.0-point underdogs. The Hawks have been playing at a pace of right around 102.2 and the 76ers have been playing at a pace of right around 104.0. This will be a pace up game for the Hawks tonight which should greatly benefit the Hawks fantasy production tonight. Muscala will be matched up against Ben Simmons who is a matchup that I think is a plus for him tonight. He has the following stats so far this season: 23.0 MPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, .4 BLKPG, 7.7 PPG, 17.4 FPPG, and a .76 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 23.959 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 6.36x value. He is slated to see around 27 minutes. Muscala is really cheap tonight, in a pace-up game, with a solid matchup. Inserting him into your lineups allows you to have a ton of flexibility tonight. Load Muscala up a cheap center value play on Draftkings tonight.
- Rodney Hood SG/SF UTA ($5,200)
- Rodney Hood and the Utah Jazz will take on the Portland Trailblazers at home tonight. The Jazz have an implied total sitting at right around 98-points and they are currently 3.5-point favorites. The Jazz have been playing at a pace of right around 97.0 and the Trailblazers have been playing at a pace of right around 100.9. This will be a pace-up game for Hood and the Jazz which is a positive as the Jazz play at the slowest pace in the league. Hood will likely be matched up against C.J. McCollum tonight who is the 19th worst shooting guard defender on the slate tonight. Hood has the following stats on the season this year: 26.5 MPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, .2 STLPG, 17.2 PPG, 23.4 FPPG, and a .88 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 29.11 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 5.51x value. He is slated for right around 32 minutes tonight. I love that we can play Hood at either a forward or guard tonight. He draws a solid matchup against McCollum tonight and I think he will exceed value. He is one of my favorite mid-range salary guys and I love him as either a forward or guard on Draftkings tonight.
- John Wall PG WSH ($9,500)
- John Wall and the Washington Wizards will take on the Phoenix Suns tonight at home. The Wizards have an implied total sitting at right around 120-points and they are currently 12.0-point favorites. The Wizards have been playing at a pace of right around 106.4 and the Suns have been playing at the one fastest pace in the league at right around 109.3. This is going to be a pace-up game tonight for the Wizards and a fast game in general. This bodes well for John Wall who is already in a great spot tonight. Wall is most likely to be matched up against Mike James who is a defender I don’t expect Wall to have any trouble with. The Suns have been the 29th worst defense against point guards this season. Wall has the following stats on the season this year: 35.0 MPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.2 BLKPG, 1.0 STLPG, 21.7 PPG, 44.2 FPPG, and a 1.26 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 52.239 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 5.42x value. He is slated to play right around 36 minutes tonight. On large slates like this I like to take a stand on one of the higher priced guys and Wall is that guys for me tonight. I expect him to dominate this matchup tonight and exceed his value. Load him up a high-salaried point guard on Draftkings tonight.
Free Square of the Night
This is a medium-sized slate but one I think we can still find an edge on. I hope I have narrowed down some guys that we can look to target. We have tons of tools and content available at the DFS Army this year for NBA so don’t miss out on all of those opportunities to make some money. Click the link “DFS Army VIP Membership” and sign up and join the Army today! With my ultimate free square pick, I am going to go with Rodney Hood tonight! Good luck Army!
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