Full Court Press Breakdown for NBA DFS 1/4:

Welcome to another year of the DFS Army NBA Full Court Press! Members had a ton of success using the Full Court Press along with various articles and tools that DFS Army provides last season, so we are glad to be back with another year of the all-inclusive article. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Michael aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article. 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!

The winning didn’t stop over the weekend! Congrats to VIP Member – “Fatherofthree” on his $150k NBA win!! Adding to the list of winners over the past few days!

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: Orl -4.5

Starting with the Cavaliers, Andre Drummond only saw 25 and 20 minutes in his last two games. That said, he has a massive ceiling that we’ve already seen this year and is matchup proof at a nice price tag. Darius Garland is currently listed as questionable, so that’s news to watch. I’ll operate under the assumption that he’s in, if he’s out, check out our VIP coaching forum for updates on who the impacted players are. I had a lot of Larry Nance last time out but I’ll likely be off him here in a slower matchup against the Magic especially now that he’s priced up. Collin Sexton is similar to Garland in that he’s playing massive minutes, if Garland is forced to miss here he becomes an even better option. From the Magic, I like getting some Nikola Vucevic here, Andre Drummond doesn’t really scare me on defense and actually matches up pretty poorly with Vuc. Drummond isn’t going to be able to get out quick enough on those Vuc three-pointers so he could be open all day in this one. Terrence Ross looked great last game and has really looked pretty good all season. He’s always in play for GPPs if you fall in that range. If Fournier is forced to miss again Ross would be an even better option. Michael Carter-Williams got the start for Fournier last game but his price is elevated enough to where I won’t be getting him here. Aaron Gordon’s minutes came up last game to 28, there’s a chance he’s around 30 again here which would put him in play at a pretty low price tag. Markelle Fultz has been great this season, but his price is pretty much where it should be, I don’t see myself getting much of him here.

5-star play: Nikola Vucevic, Andre Drummond

4-star play: Collin Sexton, Larry Nance, Markelle Fultz, Darius Garland

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Larry Nance, Terrence Ross, Aaron Gordon

Charlotte Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers

Vegas Total: 218.5

Vegas Spread: Phi -9.5

We saw this game earlier this weekend so we have something to work off here. Starting with the Sixers, Joel Embiid was one of my core plays on Saturday night and ended up doing alright. This is a matchup that I love targeting him in, the Hornets have nobody that can guard him on defense. At a price under $10k, I’ll be all over him. Ben Simmons had his best game of the season last time out and should be able to do something similar in this one, I don’t love the price but he has triple-double upside every time he steps on the court. Tobias Harris had a massive day along with Simmons, I don’t expect that kind of production again but you can go right back to him comfortably. Seth Curry has played well and is getting good run, he fits well on this team but probably needs to shoot well to get there each night. From the Hornets, I was a day too early on Gordon Hayward, he had a big game last time out and is in play again here. Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham continue to look like similar plays in my eyes, I don’t love them but don’t hate them, you can do worse in this price range. PJ Washington will have his hands full with Embiid in this one, I don’t really trust him to stay out of foul trouble, but if he does you can get to him in GPPs. LaMelo Ball has seen his minutes increase in each of the last three games and looks great in them. I don’t hate going right back to him in GPPs, he’s blowout proof as well which helps. Lastly, Bismack Biyombo had a big night last night and should continue to see around 30 minutes nightly with Zeller out, he’s a solid pay down option at the center position if you need one.

5-star play: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons

4-star play: Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, Devonte’ Graham, Bismack Biyombo

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: PJ Washington, LaMelo Ball

New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks

Vegas Total: 222.5

Vegas Spread: Atl -6.5

Starting with the Knicks, the pricing on Julius Randle continues to play well and this is a matchup I like for him. He’s going to continue to play nearly 40 minutes per game and is a nice play here. I don’t love the price on RJ Barrett, but he’s going to be right there with Randle racking up minutes this season, it’s a nice matchup for him, so you can make a case for GPPs. Alec Burks is questionable here, if he’s out again I’ll go right back to Elfrid Payton who had a bounce-back effort last time out. From the Hawks, I was all over Clint Capela last time out and if he’s going to continue to play 30 minutes per game, his price still isn’t high enough especially in this matchup. John Collins is really volatile right now, he’s hard to trust in cash games but we know he has a massive ceiling. Trae Young should be able to do whatever he wants here, he had a rough game last time out, but I’m willing to go right back to him in a great matchup. Bogdan Bogdanovic has had back-to-back rough games and his price hasn’t really adjusted for it, he’s a GPP only guy for me. Lastly, Cam Reddish and De’Anre Hunter are both in play for me as long as Danilo Gallinari continues to be out.

5-star play: Julius Randle, Trae Young, Clint Capela

4-star play: Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, John Collins

Deeper Value: Reggie Bullock

GPP Sleeper: RJ Barrett, Elfrid Payton, Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanovich, De’Andre Hunter

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat

Vegas Total: 218.5

Vegas Spread: Mia -8.5

Starting with the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is someone I’m going to get a lot of this season, however, this is a tough matchup for him against a great Heat defense. He’s GPP only due to the volatility we’ve seen from him this season. The only other guys I would have interest in here are Al Horford and Darius Bazley, both are GPP guys for me. Bazley looked great last game, but again, it’s a tough matchup. You can also make a case for guys like George Hill and Luguentz Dort, but again, deeper GPP plays at best. From the Heat, Bam Adebayo should be able to do what he pleases here. Horford is a good defender but outside of him it’s not so great and Adebayo will out athlete him in the paint. Jimmy Butler played just 27 minutes in his first game back and was held to just 11 DraftKings points, he’s a deep GPP guy for me just because the minutes were there for him to succeed, he really just shot and played poorly. I’m off Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic until their prices come down with Butler now back. Lastly, Duncan Robinson is always in play for GPPs due to his ability to get hot from beyond the arc.

5-star play: Bam Adebayo

4-star play: Al Horford, Darius Bazley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jimmy Butler

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Al Horford, Darius Bazley, Luguentz Dort, George Hill, Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic

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Boston Celtics @ Toronto Raptors

Vegas Total: 215.5

Vegas Spread: Tor -3.5

Starting with the Celtics,  Jayson Tatum has played 37 minutes in two straight games and is coming off a massive game yesterday, I like him here even in a tougher matchup. Jaylen Brown continues to look like a stud, but, he’s nearly at the price of Tatum and that doesn’t sit well with me. We know his upside so I don’t hate a sprinkle in GPP, but the price is hard to swallow. Marcus Smart has been really consistent lately, going for at least 31 DraftKings points in his last for games, I don’t mind going to him as a secondary play here. Tristan Thompson played 27 minutes last game and is the big you’ll want from Boston. From the Raptors, Pascal Siakam has seen his price come way down to $7.7k on DraftKings which is much more reasonable than his previous price tag. He still doesn’t look like the Siakam we saw at the beginning of last season, so he’s GPP only for me. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet are pretty similar plays here, they’re both getting big minutes and they’re priced very similarly. VanVleet has shown the higher ceiling as of late, but both are solid plays. OG Anunoby has played well this season and seeing at least 35 minutes in all his games. The only issue with him at this price is he really needs to shoot well to hit value. He does rack up some peripherals on defense though that do give you an out and some upside. Lastly, Chris Boucher appears to have grabbed the center minutes for this team, he’s a nice point per minute player and someone I don’t hate getting to in a good matchup against a bad Celtics frontcourt.

5-star play: Jayson Tatum

4-star play: Marcus Smart, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Chris Boucher

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby

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Dallas Mavericks @ Houston Rockets

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: Dal -1.5

I’m really not going to have much on this game… both Luka Doncic and James Harden are questionable at the time I write this. These two teams are obviously vastly different to breakdown if one or both of them sit. So, I’m going to leave this game as a “To Be Determined”, for updates on the injuries and who they impact, jump in our VIP coaching forums for in-depth breakdowns of pricing and plays in this game.

5-star play: TBD

4-star play: TBD

Deeper Value: TBD

GPP Sleeper: TBD

Detroit Pistons @ Milwaukee Bucks

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: Mil -14.0

We’ll start with the Pistons, it sounds like Blake Griffin should be back here in this is actually a matchup I like for him… the only hesitation I have is the blowout risk. If they can keep this close I like his chances of hitting value so he’s a GPP guy for me. Jerami Grant has proved me wrong this season, he’s playing massive minutes and playing well in them. He’s now the highest price Piston, as he should be. I would expect him to see another 35+ minutes here. Mason Plumlee now has back-to-back 30 point DraftKings outings, I’ve always liked him as a per-minute player, he’s a nice option here. Lastly, Derrick Rose is a usage monster, I wish he saw minutes in the 30’s more consistently but he’s in play for GPPs. From the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has back-to-back 60 point DraftKings outings even with only seeing 28 minutes in the blowout against Chicago. The thing with Giannis is always going to come down to minutes, he came into this year saying he wanted more minutes, as he should, and it looks like Budenholzer is going to honor that as long as it’s a competitive game. The Bucks have played essentially two competitive games and he saw at least 36 minutes in both of them. So, going forward if I anticipate the game to be close, I’m going to fire up as much Giannis as possible, but in a game like tonight with a 14 point spread, he’s a GPP only guy for me due to his ability to rack up points in a hurry. It’s going to be that easy for me from here on out. Khris Middleton has started the season on fire, and he honestly looks like one of the better scorers in the league outside of the paint. I like him in GPPs, it’s tough for him just because of the usage that Giannis demands. Jrue Holiday’s price went down and is around a 25% usage rate on the season, I don’t mind him in all formats, he can stuff the stat sheet. He’s looked great over his past couple of games. Lastly Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo make sense for GPPs, DiVincenzo looks like the real deal but has been volatile as well. You can make a case for Bobby Portis who is going to see backup center minutes along with a lot of usage in that second unit, he’s also blowout proof which helps in this matchup.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Blake Griffin, Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee

Deeper Value: Sekou Doumbouya

GPP Sleeper: Sekou Doumbouya, Derrick Rose, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez

Indiana Pacers @ New Orleans Pelicans

Vegas Total: 217.5

Vegas Spread: NO -1.0

Starting with the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis continues to play well, dropping 46 DraftKings points in four of his first six games. I don’t love the matchup for him but he’s proven he can be one of the best players on the court when he needs to be. Myles Turner is in a similar spot, but we kind of know what we’re getting with him, if he gets hot from three he’ll have a solid night. Malcolm Brogdon is right there with Sabonis as one of the more consistent options on this team. He’s going to see heavy minutes and in a great matchup, it’s hard to ignore him on a short slate coming off his best game of the season last time out. Victor Oladipo looks actually pretty good this season but is taking away usage from the rest of these guys. That said, on a two-game slate in a good matchup, I like him here. TJ Warren will be out for this game, opening up usage for these other starters, here’s how they play out:

• Domantas Sabonis – 31.4% usage rate; 1.53 fpm
• Malcolm Brogdon – 23.1% usage rate; 1.17 fpm
• Victor Oladipo – 22.6% usage rate; 1.16 fpm

All these guys are great options here, I don’t think there’s a bench guy that will come and start for him that would jump off the page to me. It will be a combination of Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday. I really don’t like this matchup for the Pelicans, the Pacers play really good defense and slow the tempo down. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are priced similarly here but aren’t really guys I’m looking to get to, they’ve both been pretty hit or miss. Lonzo Ball is in the same boat, the issue is the amount of usage that is demanded on this team by Ingram and Williamson where it’s tough to predict who will have the big night on a daily basis. Eric Bledsoe just might be the most frustrating player in DFS. One minute the guy is dropping 11 fantasy points then the next game he sees 31 minutes and 47 DraftKings points. Similar to Ball, there is too much usage on this team to go around to feel comfortable playing them in a bad matchup.

5-star play: Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon

4-star play: Victor Oladipo, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball

Deeper Value: Justin Holiday, Aaron Holiday

GPP Sleeper: Myles Turner, Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson

Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors

Vegas Total: 232.5

Vegas Spread: Sac -2.5

Starting with the Kings, De’Aaron Fox has seen his price come way up due to some early season success. It’s high enough where I probably won’t get here in cash, but you can play him in GPP for sure. Buddy Hield is always in play in GPPs for me due to his upside but the price tag just is too high for me here. That said, it is nice seeing him get consistent minutes this season. Harrison Barnes, Nemanja Bjelica, and Marvin Bagley feel really similar here, they’re more of secondary GPP options here than anything. Lastly, Tyrese Haliburton is going to be out for a few days which will open up minutes for guys like Cory Joseph if you need a cheaper option. From the Warriors, Steph Curry went absolutely bananas last night dropping 62 real-life points. Now, obviously he won’t do that again here but he’s looked phenomenal this season and at under $9.5k again here, I love him. Andrew Wiggins has looked great over the last three games, I don’t hate riding the hot streak here in a great matchup. Draymond Green saw his minutes shoot up to 28 last night, but considering this is a back to back we may see him rest here. He’s not a high usage player that I generally get to anyway. James Wiseman bounced back last night and the Kings don’t really have an interior that worries me. He’s a young raw kid so he’s going to be volatile but he’s in play for GPPs.

5-star play: Steph Curry

4-star play: De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Andrew Wiggins

Deeper Value: Cory Joseph

GPP Sleeper: Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, Kelly Oubre, James Wiseman

NBA Lock of the Day: Joel Embiid (DK – $9.9k; FD – $9.9k)

Embiid is a bit of a place holder right now due to the question marks surrounding that Houston game, if one of those two superstars is out, there will be a better lock, but I love me some Embiid regardless. I had a ton of Embiid on Saturday in this same spot and he did what he should have done but didn’t get to that ceiling that we would want. He has a 100 DFSA Grade in this one and nobody on the Hornets is going to be able to cover him. The Research Station has him projected for 52 DraftKings points which gives him a 5.28x value on his DraftKings price tag. Tweet me (@MadnessDFS) your lock predictions and if your player gets over 5x tonight I’ll give you a shoutout on Twitter, let’s have some fun with this!

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