This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The third weekend of NBA action should be a fun one over at DraftKings, with a busy slate making up for the rather obvious lack of marquee matchups. Every team is in action either Friday or Saturday, and 18 squads will play multiple games over the next three days.
I've thus far used this space to experiment with some different layouts, first sorting players by the circumstances creating extra value, and then breaking things down on a team-by-team basis. This time around, I'm going to go with the more traditional approach we used last season, sorting players by their respective positions.
As you may have noticed, position designations on DraftKings are much different from last season, when the majority of players were cross-listed as PG/SG, SG/SF, SF/PF or PF/C. Now, each player is listed at just one position, which means lineups should look a bit more like a typical NBA roster. The days of the four-PG, three-PF lineup are gone, though it's still easy enough to roster a trio of starting point guards.
Before we get down to specific player picks, there are a couple of things I'll be keeping a close eye on as I set my lineups this weekend.
Perhaps most important, the injury-riddled Thunder are still working things out on the wing, which provides some nice opportunities for bargain-bin plays.
Shooting guard Jeremy Lamb ($4500) made just 2-of-10 field-goal attempts over 17 minutes in Wednesday's game against the Celtics, after logging 41, 34, and 34 minutes in his first three games back from injury. Lamb's lost minutes were assumed by shooting guard Anthony Morrow ($4000) and nominal power forward Lance Thomas ($3000), who finished with 31 and 39 minutes, respectively.
Morrow made noise by pouring in 28 points on the strength of his famous three-point shot, while Thomas grabbed 13 boards on his way to 31.25 DraftKings points. A repeat performance shouldn't be expected in either case, but with Lamb no longer a lock for 30-plus minutes, well, someone needs to be on the court.
The aforementioned trio will likely log about 75-90 combined minutes per game, and Thomas looks like the safest bet for consistent playing time, having logged 39, 27, 31, 29 and 33 minutes (most recent to least recent) over the last five games. While he's not a guy who's going to provide much production on a per-minute basis, Thomas has a very real chance to reach the 35-minute mark both Friday against the Pistons and Sunday in Houston. That makes him an excellent choice at the minimum price, and one of my favorite options for Friday night.
Lamb doesn't offer enough upside at $4500 to make up for the risk, but Morrow is a perfectly viable play. Just make sure to keep an eye on Andre Roberson and Perry Jones, as neither has been ruled out beyond Friday, though both seem unlikely to play in Sunday's game.
On another note, Saturday's Suns-Clippers contest should be a fun one, as both teams like to push the pace to get the most out of their players' offensive talents. This also looks like the best game of the weekend from a real-life perspective, though as previously mentioned, that isn't saying a whole lot. More important for our purposes, it projects as the type of high-scoring game that will provide plenty of strong player choices on DraftKings.
Last but not least, I've got my eye on injury situations in Chicago and Washington, where Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Nene Hilario (shoulder) may be in danger of missing some time. A Rose absence could crack the door back open for Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks, while Kris Humphries has the potential to be an excellent DraftKings play in the event that Nene can't suit up. Both teams only play on Saturday this weekend, with the Wiz at home against the Magic, and the Bulls facing Indiana in Chicago.
Ok, I lied. One last thing. Hornets shooting guard P.J. Hairston ($3000) is expected to start Friday's game against the Suns, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out due to a foot injury, while both Gary Neal (foot) and Lance Stephenson (groin) are uncertain. This will surely be worth tracking, as Hairston may end up logging heavy minutes out of necessity. Make what you will of the very limited sample size, but Hairston is averaging a respectable 10.8 DraftKings points over 13.1 minutes per game in five appearances this season
Here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Fri.-Sun.) on DraftKings:
Point Guard
Zach LaVine, MIN (Fri. at NOP, Sat. at DAL), $4100 – The post-Rubio results haven't been great thus far, with LaVine posting 20 DK points over 26 minutes, followed by 23.75 over 34 minutes. Of course, that isn't terrible production at $4100, and he wasn't so bad as to lose the starting point guard job. The 19-year-old won't be an efficient shooter, and he will likely have plenty of turnovers, but he shouldn't lack for playing time, steals or assists.
Donald Sloan, IND (Fri. vs. DEN, Sat. at CHI), $5200 – Sloan's production has tailed off over the last four games, but then again, so has his price. He's in no immediate danger of losing his role as the starting point guard, and he's still averaging 28.1 DK points per game, after recording 29.5 in Wednesday's contest against the Heat. Sloan is a perfectly usable player in a tough matchup Saturday, but it's the Friday game against Denver that I've mostly got my eyes on. The Nuggets rank second in the league in pace (101.5) and are tied for 26th in defensive efficiency (108.6). For Saturday, you'll want to make sure C.J. Watson (foot) isn't returning.
Other options:Reggie Jackson, OKC (Fri. vs. DET, Sun. vs. HOU)
Shooting Guard
Kobe Bryant, LAL (Fri. vs. SA, Sun. vs. GS), $8800 – The matchups are tough, and Bryant's price is at its highest point of the season, but there's no reason to bet against the Black Mamba right now. He's averaging 48.5 DK points over the last four games, having taken it upon himself to drag an awful roster to respectability. The goal may be a futile one, but Bryant hasn't yet accepted that reality, which means more gaudy performances are sure to come. His 36.2 percent usage rate is easily tops in the NBA, far beyond second-place James Harden's 30.6 percent. The gap of 5.6 percentage points between Bryant and Harden is equal to the gap between Harden and 33rd-place Mike Conley.
Other options:Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET (Fri. at OKC, Sat. at MEM), $4000; Anthony Morrow, OKC (Fri. vs. DET, Sun. vs. HOU)
Small Forward
Carmelo Anthony, NY (Fri. vs. UTA, Sun. vs. DEN), $8700 – Whether or not the Knicks figure things out, Anthony is eventually going to get his, as has always been the case when he's healthy. Sure, the other narrative is more interesting, but in all likelihood, the Knicks will venture back toward respectability, with Anthony finishing among the top-five in scoring. Melo already seems to be pulling it together from an individual perspective, with 27, 25, and 20 points on 47-percent shooting over the last three games.
Other options:Kawhi Leonard, SA (Fri. at LAL, Sat. at SAC), $6600; Luol Deng, MIA (Fri. at ATL, Sun. vs. MIL, $5500; Donatajas Motiejunas, HOU, (Fri. vs. PHI, Sun. at OKC), $4000
Power Forward
Derrick Favors, UTA (Fri. at NY, Sat. at TOR), $7300 – Both of Favors' weekend matchups are alarming from a pace perspective, with the Knicks ranking 30th and the Raptors 23rd. However, the Knicks are an all-around lousy defensive team, and Toronto isn't exactly known for its talented frontcourt. Favors may seem a bit overpriced at first glance, but I like that he's reached the 35-minute mark in three consecutive games, not to mention that he's always a threat to put up 50 DK points. I also expect significant improvement from last season's numbers, though it hasn't yet shown up in any category besides field-goal percentage. I may ultimately hold off on Saturday against the Raptors, but Favors is an excellent and underrated option for Friday night.
Other options:Kevin Love, CLE (Fri. at BOS, Sat. vs. ATL), $8900; Boris Diaw, SA (Fri. at LAL, Sat. at SAC), $4200; Cody Zeller, CHA (Fri. at PHO, Sat. at GS), $3900; Lance Thomas, OKC (Fri. vs. Det., Sun. vs. HOU), $3000
Center
Dwight Howard, HOU (Fri. vs. PHI, Sun. at OKC), $8600 – Both of these games could very well turn into blowouts, which makes Howard an admittedly risky play. But, what if he plays well in Friday's game, and the 76ers somehow manage to stay within reach? Howard's ceiling ranges upwards of 60 DK points, given that both the Rockets and Sixers are ranked top-five in pace. I'm not saying the 76ers will keep it close, but that's the kind of upside we're hunting for in GPPs. On a more basic level, Howard comes at a very reasonable price for a guy averaging 42.2 DK points per game. And, he's been even better of late, averaging 47.8 over his last four contests.
Other options:Andre Drummond, DET (Fri. at OKC, Sat. at MEM), $6800; Kelly Olynyk, BOS (Fri. vs. CLE), $5800; Miles Plumlee, PHO (Fri. vs. CHA, Sat. at LAC), $4500; Lavoy Allen, IND (Fri. vs. DEN, Sat. at CHI), $3900
