Hello DFS Army! My name is Michael, otherwise known as DFS Madness on Twitter (@MadnessDFS), I am one of the new writers/contributors that the Army has brought on to join the team! I’ll be writing a Core 4 article a few times per week and then full slate breakdowns on the weekends. A quick little background about me, I am an Economics student at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (yeah it’s cold here) with graduation coming this May. I’ve been playing DFS for about 4-5 years now and providing content for about 2-3 of those years.
Purpose of the Core 4: These four players are guys that I want to lock into my cash game lineups and if doing multi-entry, using the domination station lock them in or set high exposure percentages to them. These are players that I see as underpriced, in great matchups, in play because of injuries, increased usage, etc. I also need to mention that these plays are normally geared toward Draftkings pricing and scoring, I’m not a huge fan of NBA for Fanduel, so if you see my list has three small forwards or two centers, etc. it’s because of the multi-position eligibility on Draftkings. With that said, let’s jump right into it!
Core 4:
Richaun Holmes – $4,700
The Phoenix Suns head on the road to face the San Antonio Spurs in a projected 222.5 total with the Spurs favored by 13. Many people will look at the spread and immediately think blowout, while that may be the case, Richaun Holmes is blowout proof, meaning he will get his minutes regardless of the score. DeAndre Ayton is listed as doubtful for tonights game which should allow Holmes to start tonight and play as many minutes as he can. In their game on Sunday against the Lakers, Holmes started and played 27 minutes while dropping 37.5 draftkings points. With Ayton, Chandler (traded) and Warren off the floor this season, Holmes sees 1.21 fantasy points per minute. His matchup tonight isn’t quite as inviting, but at his price tag all he needs is 23.5 draftkings points to 5x his price, lock him in.
Kenneth Faried – $6,300
Doesn’t it feel great having “The Manimal” back in our lives? Since being picked up by the Houston Rockets, Faried has averaged 33.5 draftkings points per game and that’s including his first game where he was eased into their rotation. The price tag of $6,300 is hard to stomach for Faried, but honestly he’s still too cheap (ranked 3rd at forward in terms of value per our Research Station). With Clint Capela out for the immediate future, I would expect Faried to be somewhere around the $7,600 price range if he can sustain the minutes that the Rockets will be giving him. He also draws a fantastic matchup tonight with the New Orleans Pelicans who will be without Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic and possibly Julius Randle. This is a pace up matchup for the Rockets in a game that is projected to be around 234 which is the highest projection on the slate. Go get yourself some Kenneth Faried tonight.
Jahlil Okafor – $6,100
We just touched on the Rockets side of the game, now we go over to the Pelicans. As I mentioned, the Pels will be without Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic again for tonights matchup with the Rockets, and potentially Julius Randle who is currently listed as questionable with an ankle injury. Let’s assume Randle is out for tonight, in this scenario, Okafor averages a 24.5% usage rate and 1.23 fantasy points per minute. If Randle is in, he drops down to 0.8 fantasy points per minute. However, Okafor is going to play 35+ minutes so even with Randle in he is still far too cheap. Although I like him with Randle active, he becomes one of the best plays on the slate if Randle ends up sitting.
** As I’m writing this, Julius Randle has been ruled OUT, so fire up Okafor with confidence.**
Russell Westbrook – $10,600
I was flip flopping between Westbrook and Embiid for our spend up spot, but with so many great values at the Center position (like the three players above), Westbrook stands out as the better play. The Thunder go on the road to Orlando tonight in a game with a projected total of 221.5 and OKC favored by 5. So when I initially began looking at the Thunder I started with Paul George and he jumped off the page to me, but then I saw Westbrook’s price… for only $800 more I can move up from George to Westbrook? Sign me up. Don’t get me wrong, George is a fantastic play in his own right, but Westbrook has the higher ceiling with a similar floor. Throw in the fact that the Orlando Magic rank 25th against opposing point guards and this just seems like pie in the sky. Lock in Russ tonight and don’t look back.
As always I appreciate everyone who gave the core a read! Feel free to mix it up with me in our coaching forums as news breaks and lock approaches. If you don’t know about them, our two newest pages contain Breaking News and our exclusive Coaches’ Picks……both invaluable for late breaking news and pivots in NBA. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @MadnessDFS as I occasionally make changes to the core. Let’s make some money tonight!
