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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Tonight
We have a solid sized slate on the docket for Monday night. The teams with the highest implied totals are as follows Golden State Warriors (122), Phoenix Suns (114), and the New Orleans Pelicans (113). The highest priced players of the night are DeMarcus Cousins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Davis.
Free Squares
- Thabo Sefolosha SG/SF UTA ($3,700)
- Thabo Sefolosha and the Utah Jazz will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at home. The Jazz have an implied total sitting at right around 102-points and they are currently 3.5-point underdogs. The Jazz have been playing at a pace of right around 100.3 and the Timberwolves have been playing at a pace of right around 103.3. This will be a pace up game for Sefolosha and the Jazz which should benefit their fantasy production tonight. Thabo will likely be matched up against either Jimmy Butler or Taj Gibson who are both pretty good defenders. He has the following stats so far this season: 21.4 MPG, 5.1 RPG, .2 BLKPG, 1.4 STLPG, 7.2 PPG, 18.3 PPG, and a .855 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 24.734 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 6.69x value. We have him slated for right around 31 minutes. The Jazz are banged up tonight which means there is an opening for some other players to get minutes and usage tonight. I expect Thabo to step into the starting lineups tonight and crush value. Load him up as a solid value guard or forward on Draftkings tonight.
- T.J. Warren SF/PF ($6,200)
- T.J. Warren and the Phoenix Suns will take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home tonight. The Suns have an implied total sitting at right around 114-points and they are currently 1.0-point favorites. The Suns have been playing at a pace of right around 106.9 and the Lakers have been playing at a pace of right around 107.0. These are two of the fastest teams in the league and this game should be a fantasy gold mine tonight. Warren is likely going to be matched up against Brandon Ingram tonight who is the worst wing defender on the slate tonight. T.J. has been averaging the following stats this season: 28.4 MPG, 5.9 RPG, .9 APG, .9 BLKPG, .6 STLPG, 18.4 PPG, 29.9 FPPG, and a 1.05 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 37.676 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 6.07x value. He is slated for right around 32 minutes. I love Warren tonight and the Domination Station seems to be high on him as well. He has a solid matchup, great price, and is in a fast-paced game. Load Warren up at either forward position tonight.
- Lou Williams PG/SG LAC ($5,600)
- Lou Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at home. The Clippers have an implied total sitting at right around 110-points and they are currently 2.0-point favorites. The Clippers have been playing at a pace of right around 100.3 and the 76ers have been playing at one of the fastest paces around 106.5. This is going to be a fast-paced game for the Clippers tonight which will benefit Williams tonight. Williams will come off the bench tonight as per usual in which he won’t be faced with a tough defense. Williams has the following stats on the year so far: 25.3 MPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, .1 BLKPG, .6 STLPG, 16.4 PPG, 25.6 FPPG, and a 1.01 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 37.497 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 6.69x value. He is slated to see right around 35 minutes. Now I don’t know if I am as high on Williams as the Domination Station but I think he is in a great spot tonight. With Beverley injured there are some extra minutes to go around and Lou Williams should be the benefactor of those minutes. He has a solid floor tonight and we always know the upside that he brings to games. Load Lou up as a mid-tier guard on Draftkings tonight.
Free Square of the Night
We finally have a decent sized slate with some good tournaments across the industry. 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 T.J. Warren tonight! Good luck Army!
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