The goal of my articles will be a game by game breakdown, and listing the plays I like. If a player is in CAPS, he is someone I love. If he is not in caps, it is a player I am considering. The objective is to teach people how to apply knowledge using our DS optimizer (Exclusive to our VIP Members) I strongly believe most people who play DFS understand the sport they are playing, but it comes down to applying the knowledge they have. Every article I publish will try and steer you in the right direction of who you want to slap an adore/love/like on in the DS, and let the DS fill in the rest of the puzzle for you. Remember, the best two tools we have are the SIM MODEL and Domination Station Optimizer. Make sure utilize these tools to help narrow down the playing field and to aid you in roster construction! Any questions, feel free to message me in Slack. I’m usually there all day helping people with any questions or injury updates.
Vegas Totals and Lines
Washington at Charlotte
These two teams have played close games almost every time they play. It has gone over the implied total 6 out of 8 times. You get Kemba Walker at home. This game will be back and forth and it’ll be ran by John Wall vs Kemba Walker. Wall has played out of his mind lately and I don’t see that trend stopping anytime soon. Both teams are in the upper half in pace. Washington continues to struggle vs teams under 500, which Charlotte is 17-25. The last 10 times these teams have played, only one time has the game been a win by over 10 points. These teams play down to the wire and that’s what you want when paying up for premiere players. Marvin Williams is starting to do his usual 1-2 week stint where he remembers how to play basketball, and his minutes are trending up. We want to jump on this early when his price is low. Kaminsky is also Questionable, and we’ll know if he is in or out before tip. I like Williams with or without Kaminsky playing.
Washington:
WALL : Matchup he has thrived in/heavily involved in the offense
Porter: Great aDVP matchup if you want to stack him with wall.
Charlotte:
WALKER: Great at home / Great Price / Dropped a 56 and a 35.5 fd points last 2 meetings.
HOWARD: He will have a field day with Gortat. 50 point upside.
Williams : If Kaminsky sits I like him more. Like him regardless. He is one of my favorite salary savers. If Kaminsky sits, Williams would be in caps.
New Orleans at Atlanta
New Orleans is traveling to Atlanta for the only time of this year. We know NBA players love Atlanta! This is their only trip there, and they are in a b2b playing 3 games in 4 nights. I won’t be paying up for the towers tonight, and I think this game will be a little sloppy. Davis loves playing in Boston and New York. Boogie will be too worried about going to the strip clubs after and will have bottle service ready. I’m staying away from these guys, even though I know the matchup is nice. I like the back court for both teams and I dedmon should get as much run as he can handle tonight. The pelicans will turn the ball over a bunch tonight, and Mr.Bazemore should benefit the most from this.
Pelicans
Holiday: He has been on fire lately. Pelicans will need him this game.
Atlanta
BAZEMORE: decent aDvP matchup. Should get steals against tired Pelicans.
Dedmon: Minutes should be 25+ for this matchup. Great aDvP matchup.
San Antonio at Brooklyn
Short and sweet here. San Antonio has beaten the nets the last 5 games, 4 of them being big blowouts with true garbage time. I have absolutely no interest with the nets, and if im digging deep into the bucket for salary you could look at Danny Green or Bertans. Pau Gasol is playing tonight, and has a great aDvP matchup. UPDATE: Kawhi is out. Anderson firmly in play.
ANDERSON: Not a great aDvP matchup, but the minutes will be there even in a blowout at discounted price.
Gasol: If he gets to 25+ minutes, he has 40 point upside. Best aDvP matchup on the board vs centers.
Detroit at Toronto:
Another game I’m crossing off. Derozan is too expensive. Lowry is back and doing nothing. Detroit is riddled with injuries. Drummond has hit 40 fd points twice in the last 7 meeting. The only guy I could see myself having is Ish Smith, but you can find better spots. Moving on.
Golden State at Chicago
Highest total on the board and I will have pieces here. The last time these teams played it was a beatdown. However, Kris Dunn didn’t hit his stride yet and now he has. Draymond Green will be out. I’ll address Jordan Bell right away. I’m not playing him. He is timid when Curry and Durant are on the floor for whatever reason. I watched him pass up 8 foot bunnys last game and pass the ball back out to the 3 point line. Bell went off vs chicago last time out when Durant wasn’t playing and it was a complete blowout. Kerr absolutely loves Looney, and I could see bell starting, making a mistake, and looney comes in. The only way Bell gets you to where you want him to take you is if this game gets out of hand. I won’t be rostering Bell with elevated ownership. Pace up game, lots of shots, three pointers raining down from the heavens! I’ll just go ahead and list the players I like since I could write forever on how this is the best game of the slate. I’ll note that I won’t be listed Dunn. Yea he’s been beasting, but a lot of his points come from blocks/steals and Golden State is too efficient. I don’t see him having another blowup game here.
Golden State
DURANT : My favorite stud on the board. Case closed.
THOMPSON : Great aDVP matchup. More of a cash game play for me though.
Curry: Fast Pace – He will launch shots.
Casspi: Iguodola/Green Out. Will play 20-25 minutes.
Chicago
MARKANNEN: This guy can shoot the 3! Perfect game for him. Great aDvP matchup.
LAVINE: This guy just is putting up points quick! Might get a few more mins tonight. Great Salary
Mirotic: Same type of player as Marky, with less minutes.
Holiday: Still getting 30+ minutes. Launch away!
New York at Memphis
I don’t like anything from this game. No one.
Miami at Milwaukee
I don’t see myself playing anyone from this game either. Tyjo is out. You could dig deep and grab a derrick jones JR who started for him last time. If you need the salary… Both teams are stingy vs point guards. Whiteside would be a great play if miami gave him 30 minutes but his upside at 25 minutes to me isn’t enough. I want to talk about giannis a bit. I live close to Milwaukee, and birds are chirping that he is experiencing fatigue. He has sat out a few games this year due to “Knee soreness”. Let’s just call that rest. The freak plays hard, every possession. The city of Milwaukee has high expectations for this bucks team so it is weighing on giannis, and he is literally giving everything he’s got. Not everyone is Russell Westbrook and can go 110 percent on every possession and never get tired. It’s catching up to him. I won’t pay his price. The only piece I like from this game is Middleton.
Milwaukee:
Middleton: Great aDvP matchup. Always can break a slate if his shot falls.
Lakers at OKC
Lonzo ball is out. That doesn’t create any value or minuteup situation. Ennis and payton will split time at point guard with clarkson still doing his role as the 6th man. The last two times these two teams played, it got ugly, quick! Lonzo ball was also out last time. I won’t be over exposing myself to this game because I do think we could see some of the same from last game. So with that in mind, I don’t want to expose myself to guys with huge salaries that need full minutes to get the upside I want. I’ll be off Russ tonight. I can’t pay that salary in this game. I will be looking at Paul George and Kyle Kuzma on the other side. Kuzma called the team out last time they played, and his minutes are trending back up. His shot is falling, and even in a blowout will still get minutes.
KUZMA : Minutes guaranteed no matter how game plays out. Great matchup vs Melo
George : best aDvP matchup on the board for SF.
Melo: I like how OKC is starting to use melo. Min of 30 fd last 4 times they played.
Utah at Sacramento
Slow paced game with a low total. Not much to like here. Favors price is a little to high to like. If Skal is ruled out, I could see myself rostering Zbo. Only if Skal is out. He is cheap and would get around 25 minutes. The only Sac guy I like is bogdanavic. He will get you 30+ minutes. However, for the most part I’m staying away from this game.
Denver at Clippers
Oh sweet lou how I wish I had your sweet sweet stroke. Jamal Murray ranks in the lower half of point guards in defense this year. Clippers have 4th highest implied total on the slate, and this game has a close spread so according to vegas it should stay competitive. I will want some exposure to this game. Deandre Jordan is out so I will want some Willie Reed. I think he is the guy to target tonight for him to matchup vs Denver’s Bigs. Lou Williams had some some 40 fd outings last year as a laker vs denver in 25ish minutes. Wallace/Johnson are both getting decent minutes and are salary saving options. I only like Gary Harris on Denver. He is consistent. I don’t want jokic in a b2b. Jamal Murray and Wilson Chandler are both contrarian plays. I might go to chandler if I need to save salary, but won’t be touching Murray. I’ll let him beat me before I trust him right now. Harrell is up to 6k on Fanduel. I can’t pay that price for him. This is the first time in his career he’s been seeing these kind of minutes. I just don’t trust that much salary for such sporadic minutes. My Game Theory points to Willie Reed getting minutes to slow down Jokic.
Clippers
Williams: Has upside in any matchup.
Reed: Great salary saving option at Center for 25+ minutes. GPP only.
Johnson/Wallace: Salary saving options with minutes.
Nuggets
Harris: Consistent player with upside if steals come.