DFS NBA Full Court Press: FanDuel & DraftKings Main Slate

Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 12/14:

Nov 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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 Mike 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!

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Detroit Pistons @ Charlotte Hornets

Vegas Total: 226.5

Vegas Spread: Cha -3.0

We’ll kick off this slate with the Pistons, Cade Cunningham is going to have season-ending surgery, so we should get used to this team without him for the time being. Killian Hayes will continue to start for him and is now the most expensive Piston on both sites. He hasn’t been great over his last handful of games outside of a big game against the Pelicans, so he would be more of a tournament guy for me. Bojan Bogdanovic dropped a 50-burger last time out and is a guy I have no issue going right back to again in this one. Jaden Ivey has been incredibly disappointing since Cunningham went down, he has a 28.5% usage rate with just 0.90 fantasy points per minute with him off of the court this season. He’ll be a tournament guy until he shows some consistency. This frontcourt is a bit of a mess between Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley, and Jalen Duren. We saw Duren get his first start last time out and has at least 23 DraftKings points in three straight games. If he starts again I would have a bunch of interest against a Hornets team that has been eaten alive by opposing big me. Stewart and Bagley would be tournament-only guys for me. Then the same can be said for Saddiq Bey and Alec Burks, they’re probably not guys I’ll get to much on a big slate. From the Hornets, they’re going to be without their usual guys, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Dennis Smith. Terry Rozier has been great as of late with at least 42 DraftKings points in three of his last four and makes sense in all formats. The same can be said for Kelly Oubre who has a 27.7% usage rate and 1.02 fantasy points per minute with these guys off the court this season. Mason Plumlee has been sneaky consistent as of late and is a guy I think we can get to, although the price tag has come up on him. Then Jalen McDaniels and PJ Washington are tournament guys who should both see around 30 minutes yet again in this one.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Killian Hayes, Jalen Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr.

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley, Saddiq Bey, Alec Burks, Jalen McDaniels, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee

Quick shoutout to VIP member “Cenzamatic” on a massive $20k win last season! Sometimes paying up for double studs works, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant brought it home for him with the help of some Stanley Johnson and Pistons value. Good work and congrats man!

Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic

Vegas Total: 226.0

Vegas Spread: Atl -2.5

Starting with the Hawks, they’ll be without Dejounte Murray for the next few weeks after getting injured last time out. I would expect to see AJ Griffin stick around in the starting lineup with De’Andre Hunter back in there as well. Trae Young comes in as questionable as well, so we’ll need to keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed, but I’ll operate under the assumption that he’s good to go for the sake of this article. Below is how this team operates with Murray and John Collins off of the court this season:

Trae Young – 41.8% usage rate; 1.37 fpm
Jalen Johnson – 13.2% usage rate; 0.71 fpm
AJ Griffin – 21.4% usage rate; 0.83 fpm
Clint Capela – 16.1% usage rate; 1.32 fpm
Bogdan Bogdanovic – 30.4% usage rate; 1.00 fpm

Trent Forrest should continue to start for them as well, but he’s just not productive enough for me to justify this price tag… hell, I had a hard time clicking his name when he was near min price. He’ll be a fade for me in this one. The price tag on Bogdan Bogdanovic has come up slightly after missing their last game and he now has at least 38 FanDuel points in back-to-back games and clearly isn’t limited any longer. I will say, his price is much better on DraftKings than it is on FanDuel. From the Magic, they’re without their usual guys, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, and Chuma Okeke. Paolo Banchero had a nice game last time out and now has at least 47 DraftKings points in two of his last four games. He’s been a bit more volatile than we’d love to see, but he makes sense in a great matchup. Franz Wagner is a fine option, he’s not someone I’ll prioritize but the matchup is nice and he’s in good form. This frontcourt is a bit of a mess as well with Moritz Wagner, Bol Bol, and Mo Bamba. It seems like they’re just kind of riding the hot hand on a nightly basis, but Wagner and Bol will be the guys who start and would be my favorite options of the three. Wagner got in big foul trouble last time out which is why he saw just 21 minutes. Then Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz are very interesting GPP options, I love attacking this Hawks backcourt with opposing guards, but they’ve been extremely volatile as of late.

5-star play: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic

4-star play: AJ Griffin, Clint Capela, Paolo Banchero, Moritz Wagner, Franz Wagner

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jalen Johnson, Trent Forrest, Bol Bol, Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz

Golden State Warriors @ Indiana Pacers

Vegas Total: 237.5

Vegas Spread: Gsw -1.5

Starting with the Warriors, I would think Klay Thompson joins Andrew Wiggins on the bench here on a back end of a back-to-back. Jordan Poole has been starting with Wiggins out, so I would expect to see a guy like Anthony Lamb or Jonathan Kuminga joins the starting lineup in this one. I would much prefer Kuminga as a fantasy option, as Lamb doesn’t really do much out there, but it’ll depend on the starting lineup as Kuminga’s price has come up big time. Steph Curry struggled last night against the Bucks but has a 36.5% usage rate and 1.39 fantasy points per minute with Klay and Wiggins off of the court this season. He’s going to look like a strong option in an elite matchup. The same can be said for Poole, there will be more shots for him with Klay out. Draymond Green is fine, it’s always tough to determine when his good games are going to come due to the number of peripherals he needs to get there. I think Donte DiVincenzo is kind of interesting off of the bench as well, he’s playing really well and with Klay out his minutes should be more secure. Then Kevon Looney is a fine mid-range center option if you need one. From the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton had one of his worst games of the season against the Heat last time out. I didn’t like the matchup going into it, but he gets a great bounce-back spot here against the Warriors who want to run and gun. Myles Turner is a guy I’ll go back to here as well, this is a small Warriors frontcourt, so Turner should do whatever he wants and always has the potential to get hot from three-point range. Bennedict Mathurin will continue to be a tournament option here, it’s really nice to see the minutes be more consistent but his production has still been volatile. The same can be said for Jalen Smith, but he’s kind of the opposite, he doesn’t quite see the minutes but his production is great when he’s out there.

5-star play: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Tyrese Haliburton

4-star play: Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Myles Turner

Deeper Value: Anthony Lamb

GPP Sleeper: Anthony Lamb, Jonathan Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo, Bennedict Mathurin, Jalen Smith

New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls

Vegas Total: 227.0

Vegas Spread: Chi -4.0

Starting with the Knicks, Jalen Brunson comes in as questionable, so we’ll have to keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates but I’ll operate under the assumption that he’s good to go here. Julius Randle kept it rolling last time out even in just 27 minutes. His minutes have been up as of late which has helped his production a good amount. This is a nice matchup against a struggling Bulls team, he’ll look like a nice option even with his price tag coming up. RJ Barrett feels like he’s finally found his footing with at least 41 FanDuel points in back-to-back games and will look good again here. Brunson’s production has come down a bit as of late but so has the price tag, so he’s a guy I like going back to as well. The price tag on Immanuel Quickley is way up, I think they may have gotten ahead of it when they saw Brunson’s injury tag… but I can’t get there if Brunson plays. Then Mitchell Robinson is a fine secondary tournament guy, but not someone I think we need to prioritize on a big slate. From the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan kept it rolling last time out with a massive game against the Hawks. I don’t mind chasing that here in a great matchup against a bad Knicks defense. The price tags on Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic are kind of stuck in that lower $7k range on DraftKings and would both be guys I go back to here. Vuc is a bit more expensive on FanDuel, but I don’t mind that tag either. They’re both coming off of rough games last time out, but that’s because DeRozan ate up all the points! It sounds like Alex Caruso should return here which will hinder Coby White’s big game last time out, but White would become a tournament-value option if Ayo Dosunmu is forced to miss again. Lastly… I’ve been talking about Andre Drummond for weeks and he finally had the 10x game I’ve been throwing around, he’s a solid GPP value again in this one.

5-star play: Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, Zach LaVine

4-star play: RJ Barrett, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic

Deeper Value: Andre Drummond

GPP Sleeper: Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond

Sacramento Kings @ Toronto Raptors

Vegas Total: 230.5

Vegas Spread: Tor -5.0

Starting with the Kings, Domantas Sabonis has been extremely consistent as of late, I don’t love this matchup, but he’s going to look like a nice option yet again even with Fox back in there. Speaking of De’Aaron Fox, he returned from injury last night and played 29 minutes, but didn’t look all that great. He’s going to be a GPP-only guy for me until he proves to be he’s back with some consistency. I do think going back to Keegan Murray is interesting as well, he had a rough game against the Sixers last night but he’s been in much better form as of late with at least 27 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. Malik Monk has struggled as of late and his minutes are a bit volatile. On a slate of this size, I can’t imagine I get a whole lot of him in any format. Davion Mitchell moved back to the bench with Fox back, we can hop off that train as his price continues to climb and his minutes won’t support it. Then guys like Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes are solid secondary options, both have been in good form relative to their salaries. From Toronto, they’ll be without OG Anunoby again in this one and I would expect we see Gary Trent Jr. start in his place yet again. Below is how this team operates with him off of the court this season:

Gary Trent Jr. – 23.9% usage rate; 0.82 fpm
Scottie Barnes – 21.5% usage rate; 0.93 fpm
Pascal Siakam – 32.0% usage rate; 1.30 fpm
Fred VanVleet – 23.5% usage rate; 0.99 fpm

These are the main four guys I’ll be looking to get to from Toronto. It’s an elite matchup against a Kings team that plays fast and wants to run and gun, so these guys are going to look great. Trent Jr. has been playing all the minutes he can handle in place of Anunoby and should fit in seamlessly here. Then, Christian Koloko should continue to start at the five, but I would imagine we get better value open up throughout the day.

5-star play: Domantas Sabonis, Pascal Siakam

4-star play: Kevin Huerter, Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr.

Deeper Value: Christian Koloko

GPP Sleeper: De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, Harrison Barnes

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Miami Heat @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Vegas Total: 224.0

Vegas Spread: Mia -2.5

Starting with the Heat, they’ll be without Jimmy Butler in this one due to his knee soreness issue. Below is how this team operates with him off of the floor this season. It’s a great matchup with a bad Thunder defense, so these guys should look like strong options:

Caleb Martin – 15.3% usage rate; 0.72 fpm
Max Strus – 19.7% usage rate; 0.69 fpm
Kyle Lowry – 19.6% usage rate; 0.93 fpm
Bam Adebayo – 28.2% usage rate; 1.19 fpm
Tyler Herro – 28.6% usage rate; 1.09 fpm

It’s worth noting Victor Oladipo should see 20-25 minutes here with Gabe Vincent out as well, but the price tag is too high to warrant making him a value option. Herro and Bam are my favorite options from this team, but they’re also the most expensive. Strus and Martin are never guys I really prioritize but we know they’ll play all the minutes they can handle and are solid mid-range options in a great matchup. Then Lowry had a rough game last time out but gets a nice bounce-back spot here, I just think he’s slightly overpriced. From the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to look great and bounced back nicely last time out. I don’t love this matchup, but Butler being out does help a little bit, he’s more of a tournament spend-up option for me tonight. Josh Giddey is in a similar category, yes the price tag is fine, but on a big slate, I’ll have a tough time getting to him in a bad matchup. Lu Dort is fine, but he feels like he’s priced right where he should be and is volatile. Then the rest of this team is tough for me to prioritize or get any real exposure to outside of GPPs. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is out which will help secure minutes for a guy like Aleksej Pokusevski, so I think he’s interesting at that price tag. The same can be said for Jalen Williams, I think they’re very interesting for tournaments.

5-star play: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

4-star play: Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Josh Giddey

Deeper Value: Aleksej Pokusevski

GPP Sleeper: Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Kyle Lowry, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jalen Williams

Portland Trail Blazers @ San Antonio Spurs

Vegas Total: 231.5

Vegas Spread: Por -7.0

Starting with the Blazers, Damian Lillard kept it rolling last time out and now has at least 48 DraftKings points in three straight games. He’s going to look great in all formats yet again in this one, I love attacking the Spurs with opposing guards. Anfernee Simons is priced a bit too high for me with Dame back in the rotation, so he’ll be more of a tournament guy. Jerami Grant continues to look fine and will play all the minutes he can handle, he’s a nice option in all formats but not someone that I’ll be prioritizing. Jusuf Nurkic continues to play great as well with at least 41 DraftKings points in three of his last five games. He should do whatever he wants down low in this one with the Spurs being without their starting two centers. Josh Hart comes in as probable, he will look like a nice mid-range option to round out the slate. From the Spurs, as I mentioned, they’ll be without Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins in this one. I would expect to see either Charles Bassey or Gorgui Dieng will get the start at the five and will look like an awesome value option. Both Bassey and Dieng are elite per-minute guys when they’re out there and will look great on this slate. Keldon Johnson has been solid as of late but feels like he’s priced right about where he should be and would be more of a secondary option for me. Devin Vassell has probably been the most consistent option on this team all season, I have no issue going right back to him again in this one. The price on Tre Jones is way up, and his production hasn’t been the most consistent, he’s going to be a secondary guy as well. Lastly, Jeremy Sochan could see some minutes at the five in this one as well, and is an interesting value option to say the least.

5-star play: Damian Lillard, Charles Bassey or Gorgui Dieng (whoever starts)

4-star play: Jusuf Nurkic, Jerami Grant, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones

Deeper Value: Charles Bassey, Gorgui Dieng, Jeremy Sochan

GPP Sleeper: Anfernee Simson, Josh Hart, Jeremy Sochan, Tre Jones, Charles Bassey or Gorgui Dieng (whoever DOESN’T start)

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Dallas Mavericks

Vegas Total: 215.5

Vegas Spread: Dal -2.0

Starting with the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell returned last time out to play 37 minutes, that’s the good part. The bad part, he looked really rusty… I’ll think of him more as a tournament option until he looks like he’s got his form back. Darius Garland bounced back nicely with Mitchell back last time out after struggling with him out. I have no problem with him as a GPP option, but his price feels like it’s right where it should be. Jarrett Allen has been solid as of late with at least 40 FanDuel points in three of his last four and I love attacking the Mavs with opposing big men. I can’t say I love the price tag on Evan Mobley, but the production as of late warrants it, he’s more of a secondary option for me. Caris LeVert kept it rolling last time out even with Mitchell back, he now has at least 33 DraftKings points in three straight games. I can’t say I love going back to him with Mitchell back in there, however. From the Mavs, Luka Doncic continued his elite form last time out and will look like a great spend-up option on the slate. I expect we have the value to get up to him tonight as well. Christian Wood had a rough go of it last time out but is getting more consistent run as of late, the matchup isn’t great, but he’s a fine tournament option, they’ll need his size in this one. Spencer Dinwiddie is a fine option, but on a nice-sized slate, I’m not sure how much I’ll get to him at this price range. Tim Hardaway Jr. bounced back nicely last time out as well and makes sense as a mid-range option.

5-star play: Luka Doncic

4-star play: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Caris LeVert, Kevin Love, Christian Wood, Spencer Dinwiddie

Washington Wizards @ Denver Nuggets

Vegas Total: 226.5

Vegas Spread: Den -9.5

Starting with the Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal come in as questionable here, so I’m going to leave the full breakdown of this team for the Breaking News Feed as we get closer to lock. Beal was cleared for basketball activities but is still without a timetable for his return which makes it feel odd. Once we get news on one or both of these guys, I’ll have it broken down in that news channel above. From the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic has at least 70 DraftKings points in two of his last four games and is going to look like an elite spend-up option yet again here. The Wizards won’t have any real answer for him down low. Jamal Murray kept it rolling last time out as well, he has a 27.7% usage rate and 1.07 fantasy points per minute with Michael Porter Jr. off of the court this season. Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown are both coming off of rough games last time out but they’ll continue to see all the minutes they can handle as well and are solid mid-range options yet again. Then guys like Bones Hyland and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be tournament-only options.

***Wizards are TBD for the below***

5-star play: Nikola Jokic

4-star play: Jamal Murray, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Bones Hyland, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Clippers

Vegas Total: 222.5

Vegas Spread: Lac -6.0

Starting with the Timberwolves, they’ll continue to be without Karl-Anthony Towns for the next few weeks while D’Angelo Russell comes in as questionable, so keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates regarding his status. Anthony Edwards will be a guy I go right back to even after a rough go of it last time out, he sees a nice bump in his rates with Towns out… he has a 29.0% usage rate and 1.22 fantasy points per minute with him off of the court this season. He would see an even larger workload if Russell is forced to miss. Rudy Gobert has been in much better form as of late with at least 47 DraftKings points in three of his last four and is a guy I like going right back to in this one. I do like D’Angelo Russell as well, he’s been extremely consistent as of late with at least 32 FanDuel points in ten straight games, and gets an elite matchup here. Jaylen Nowell bounced back last time out but is priced right where he should be, he’d be another guy that would benefit from Russell sitting. Then guys like Kyle Anderson and Jaden McDaniels will see a boost with Towns out as well, Anderson is your cash guy and will start for Towns while McDaniels is a bit more volatile. From the Clippers, Paul George has been much better over his last few games and is a guy I don’t mind going right back to here, his price tag hasn’t really budged. Kawhi Leonard showed that he’s still got it last time out… I think he’s very interesting moving forward until his price moves, he’s going to be a great option in all formats here. Ivica Zubac is interesting at the very least, he’s been held under 11 DraftKings points in back-to-back games but they’ll need his size against Gobert down low… he’s a GPP-only option here. John Wall and Reggie Jackson are in a similar boat, I don’t see how we can trust them on a big slate tonight. Lastly, Marcus Morris makes sense as a secondary option, we know he’s going to play all the minutes he can handle.

5-star play: Anthony Edwards, Paul George

4-star play: Rudy Gobert, D’Angelo Russell, Kyle Anderson, Kawhi Leonard

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jaylen Nowell, Jaden McDaniels, Ivica Zubac, John Wall, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris

NBA Lock of the Day: Starting Center for the Spurs (Charles Bassey or Gorgui Dieng)

The Spurs will be without Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins tonight which means one of Charles Bassey or Gorgui Dieng should start in his place. Both of these guys are elite per minute guys when given the opportunity and will likely be a core play for me tonight. Bassey is $4.1k on DraftKings and $5.1k on FanDuel while Dieng is the flat min on DraftKings and $3.8k on FanDuel. I would think they start Bassey but we saw them go with Dieng earlier in the season and there’s no predicting what Coach Pop is going to do on a nightly basis. At this point in the day, I would think he makes my core, but check out our VIP Cheat Sheets as we get closer to lock for staff picks on Core plays, 8x locks of the day, and tiers notes as well!

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