Welcome to the Core 4! My name is Michael aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the article throughout the day as news breaks. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!
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!
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Al Horford (PF/C) – $6,700
We got some early news on this Sixers team yesterday that Joel Embiid will be out for this game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Embiid out opens up a bunch of minutes and usage in the frontcourt meaning Horford will likely slide over and start at the five. With Embiid off the court this season Horford has a 23% usage rate and a huge 1.32 fantasy points per minute. The Cavs are about middle of the pack in terms of defense against opposing big men, but the price is too cheap on Horford given the situation. He is core piece number one.
James Harden (PG/SG) – $11,700
On a four-game slate you can’t afford to get cute and locking in James Harden is something I will look to do here. He may not get to that 5x or 6x value that we strive for, but at his price tag, he really doesn’t need to. We need raw points out of him on a short slate and that’s what we will get in a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. He’s playing nearly 40 minutes per game with a 38% usage rate, I’m not getting cute here, Harden is the second piece of the core.
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Emmanuel Mudiay (PG) – $4,000
On a slate starved for value so far, Mudiay is going to be the guy that helps us jam in James Harden. Mike Conley has already been ruled out of this game due to a hamstring injury that should send Mudiay to the starting lineup. With Conley off the court this season Mudiay has a 24.1% usage rate and 0.92 fantasy points per minute. This is a big pace up spot for the Jazz at +3.0, I like Mudiay as a nice value option on tonight’s slate and will be the third member of our core.
James Ennis III (SF/PF) – $3,700
This spot was originally Emmanuel Mudiay, but it sounds like he won’t be the starter for Conley, so I’m pivoting to another value option in James Ennis. Ennis will pick up extra minutes with Embiid and Richardson both ruled out for this one. With those two off the court this season Ennis has 0.87 fantasy points per minute. The value on this slate is not great right now, so getting one of these sub $4k guys will help us jam in Harden. Many people will go to Thybulle here, I’m going Ennis.
Frank Kaminsky (PF/C) – $5,600
The Suns have already ruled out Aron Baynes for tonight’s matchup which solidifies Frank’s minutes as the starting center for this team. With Baynes off the court this season Kaminsky has a 20.3% usage rate and 0.94 fantasy points per minute. Not to mention he has a 106.3% DvP% in the Domination Station. This is a game that sets up well for his game style, I see many three-pointers in his future, I like Frank has the final piece to the core which leaves you with $5,375 per player to round out the rest of your team.
*** I want to make a quick caveat, the Core 4 is a first look core, things tend to change throughout the day in the NBA. I will update the core if I am able or if need be. At the very least I will make it known in the slack chat! ***
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