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
Let’s take a look at how our free squares did last night. Our first free square of the night was Pau Gasol who ended up with right around 10 DKFP which was good enough for right around 1.4x value. Our second free square of the night was Bam Adebayo who ended up with right around 22.25 DKFP which was good enough for right around 5.9x value. Our final free square of the night was Eric Bledsoe who ended up with right around 32.50 which was good enough for right around 4.8x value.
Tonight
We have a huge slate ahead of us for Tuesday night. The teams with the highest implied totals are as follows: Cleveland Cavaliers (119), New Orleans Pelicans (118), and the Denver Nuggets (116). The highest priced players on the slate are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis.
- Rudy Gobert C UTA ($7,800)
- Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz will take on the Detroit Pistons tonight at home. The Jazz have an implied total sitting at right around 103-points and they are currently 8.5-point favorites. The Jazz have been playing at a pace of right around 98.5 the Pistons have been playing at a pace of right around 99.5. This is going to be a slight pace up game for the Jazz and Gobert tonight. Gobert is likely going to be guarded by Andre Drummond tonight who has been an average to below average defender this year. He has the following stats on the season so far this year: 32.1 MPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.3 BLKPG, .8 STLPG, 13.5 PPG, 34.8 FPPG, and a 1.08 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 41.059 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 5.27x value. He is projected to play right around 37 minutes tonight. Gobert is going to play a ton of minutes tonight and he has a solid FPPM number. He has a good matchup in a slight pace up game. I think the price is a little to low for him tonight and I like him as a higher center on Draftkings.
- Dennis Schroder PG ATL ($6,300)
- Dennis Schroder and the Atlanta Hawks will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at home tonight. The Hawks have an implied total sitting at right around 104-points and they are currently 6.0-point underdogs. The Hawks have been playing at a pace of right around 101.2 and the Thunder have been playing at a pace of right around 100.4. This is going to be a pace down game for the Hawks but I still like the spot and price for Schroder tonight. He is likely going to be matched up with Russell Westbrook who is a decent defender. Schroder has the following stats on the season so far this year: 30.6 MPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.1 APG, .1 BLKPG, 1.1 STLPG, 19.2 PPG, 34.0, and a 1.11 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 32.903 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 5.22x value. He is projected to play right around 30 minutes tonight. Schroder is going to have to play well if the Hawks want to keep this one close against the Thunder tonight. He has pretty solid FPPM numbers all things considered. I like the price and matchup for him tonight and think he makes a solid point guard play on Draftkings tonight.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG/SF LAL ($6,100)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight at home. The Lakers have an implied total sitting at right around 114-points and they are currently 2.0-point underdogs. The Lakers have been playing at a pace of right around 105.1 and the Nuggets have been playing at a pace of right around 100.4. This is going to be a pace down game for the Lakers but I still like the spot for Pope tonight. KCP is likely going to be guarded by Gary Harris tonight who is a decent defender. He has the following stats on the season so far this year: 33.2 MPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, .2 BLKPG, 1.6 STLPG, 13.7 PPG, 27.8 FPPG, and a .84 FPPM. Taking a look at our Domination Station we can see that we have a projection of right around 31.326 DKFP which would be good enough for right around 5.13x value. He is projected to play right around 38 minutes tonight. KCP plays a ton of minutes and I expect that to continue tonight in what should be a high scoring game. Load him up as a mid-tier forward or guard with some upside tonight.
Free Square of the Night
We have a huge slate tonight 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 Rudy Gobert tonight! Good luck Army!
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