Slate Overview
The United States plays its second game Wednesday, and I will be lower on the American players than most. I think they're priced correctly and no one will see more than 25 minutes, so they're all lottery tickets for the most part. Serbia has to win its game by a considerable margin to make up for its lopsided loss to the Americans, so keep that in mind when filling out your lineups.
Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia ($9,300)
A tough matchup against the U.S. Team is out of the way, and Bogdanovic will now get a chance to put up some big numbers against a fast-paced Puerto Rico team. He is an elite option among the pricier players on the slate.
Jose Alvarado, Puerto Rico ($9,000)
He was slowed by a lower-body injury last game but still put on a masterclass with 40.5 DraftKings points over 32 minutes. I think he will continue playing through the pain and possesses a nice floor with his big-time usage.
Carlik Jones, South Sudan ($9,800)
Jones was the first player ever to record a triple-double against the United States when these two teams faced off in a recent friendly, but I am ranking him third on the list due to his price and the fact the Americans will be fully bought in for this one. Jones should still fare fine, but things will not be easy for him and I'm a little worried about his ceiling.
Vasilije Micic, Serbia ($7,000)
He will work as a reserve, but at this rate and with the number of shots he takes, I think he makes for a very sneaky option in tournaments or as a pivot off Bogdanovic.
Tremont Waters, Puerto Rico ($7,400)
You can't ignore a player who got up nearly 20 shots last game and is still priced beneath $7,500. I will be a little cautious knowing how volatile of a player he is.
Valuable Values
Peter Jok, South Sudan ($5,000)
Bul Kuol, South Sudan ($5,700)
With value being tough to find on this two-game slate, I imagine we see a lot of lineups landing here. I'd really try to fit in Kuol if possible since his minutes are more secure as a starter.
Davon Reed, Puerto Rico ($4,300)
Jordan Howard, Puerto Rico ($3,900)
These two figure to be in fewer lineups than their South Sudan counterparts above, and they make for interesting pivots in tournaments. Howard's playing time is terrifying but he gets all kinds of usage and even 10 minutes could be enough. Reed was able to record 12.3 DraftKings points his last time out despite not making a shot, and I think his playing time -- 14 minutes or more -- is very secure.
Marko Guduric, Serbia ($4,600)
Guduric is a microwave scorer off the bench. If he's hitting shots his minutes could extend into the high teens.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Nikola Jokic, Serbia ($11,300)
Jokic is tough to fit in, as he will make lineup construction difficult and maybe not even optimal. However, in shorter-field contests and cash games I think you can find a way. Serbia has to win and do so by as many points as they can, so blowout minutes are on the table for the big man.
Marial Shayok, South Sudan ($7,800)
He failed us on the last slate but I'm going right back to him. The mid-tier build feels like the correct route Wednesday, and his usage and minutes suggest he should be priced a bit higher.
Anthony Davis, United States ($8,200)
As noted at the top, I'm not all that interested in the Americans, but Davis is my favorite play among the bunch. He's priced correctly and lost a few minutes in the opener due to foul trouble.
JT Thor, South Sudan ($7,300)
Wenyen Gabriel, South Sudan ($7,600)
I have interest in both guys, and although Gabriel will start I lean toward Thor off the bench at a slight discount. Thor fared better in usage rate and fantasy points per minute during the friendlies, and if he's forced into 25 minutes or more he could really make a dent in the box score.
Valuable Values
Chris Ortiz, Puerto Rico ($5,200)
This will be a situation to monitor, as Ismael Romero was either benched or hurt in the opener and Ortiz was the primary beneficiary. If Ortiz is in the starting group when Wednesday's lineups are announced I think he becomes one of the better plays on the slate. If Romero starts it makes the whole situation very murky and unstable.
Nuni Omot, South Sudan ($6,000)
He should be in a fair amount of lineups Wednesday, but the usage and minutes back it up. I'm fine eating some chalk with Omot and differentiating elsewhere.
Filip Petrusev, Serbia ($6,300)
He unsurprisingly underperformed against a tough United States squad, but he makes for a prime bounceback candidate. He averages 1.05 fantasy points per minute, and I think he gets 22-to-26 of those Wednesday, which would be enough to return value in an Olympic contest.
Nikola Milutinov, Serbia ($4,000)
He will primarily spell Jokic with the two rarely taking the court together, but he's affordable and could deliver in the FPPM department in this matchup.
Arnaldo Toro, Puerto Rico ($3,500)
This is a true punt play, but Toro played around 10 minutes in all the friendlies, and there really isn't anyone else in this range who is certain to be summoned off the bench.
