This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
DraftKings has excluded the early HOU/DAL game from their main-slate, so we'll instead focus on the eight-game slate that begins at 4 PM ET.
Aside from LeBron James, no players register salaries in the 10K range, so this slate won't generate many stars-and-scrubs type lineups. Instead, I'm going to spend a lot of time in the 6-7K range and work towards a stable cash anchor.
My cash games completely tanked on Friday, since most of them employed a Curry/Durant stack that fell way short of my projections. I had a couple of tournament cashes thanks to contributions from picks like Adebayo, DeRozan, Winslow, and Giannis, but the night ended up as a net loss.
Back-to-back teams: Kings, Pacers, Cavs, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bulls, Nuggets
On the injury front, there isn't much that's new to report. The Heat are going to rest Dragic as they plan to bring him back slowly, Josh Richardson has become a disappointment as a pivot, and I wonder if they will let Justise Winslow ($4,500) loose again. Hassan Whiteside may still be out for the birth of his child, and if so, Bam Adebayo ($5,400) will show up once again as an excellent value.
You can ignore the John Wall designation – he's going to play, which signals Bradley Beal's regression to a degree. It's hard to field either guard against the Cavs, however. Both players played sparingly after the game entered blowout mode in their last meeting.
If Domantas Sabonis (illness) is out, Myles Turner ($6,600) becomes more attractive, and if you want to scrape the bottom of the barrel, Kyle O' Quinn ($3,000) could again see more time inside. Doug McDermott ($3,300) and T.J. Leaf ($3,000) also see usage bumps when Sabonis and Oladipo sit.
Finally, Paul Millsap has a broken toe. As a result, Juancho Hernangomez, Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee could each see boosts in minutes.
I'll now select three players at each position, and when possible, I will try to include a top-shelf player, a mid-range target and a low-cost value pick for each category. A small additional list of players to consider will accompany each position as well.
GUARDS
Mike Conley, MEM vs. LAL ($8,700): I settled on Conley as the spend-up guard, mostly due to the unfavorable plays around him, and I realize that isn't the most full-throated endorsement that I could give. Kyrie Irving will likely play into a blowout, and the same applies to Wall and Beal. Conley's shot went ice-cold against the Pacers on Friday, but Conley and the Grizzlies would like to make a statement here at home, and the point guard should rise to that challenge.
Jeff Teague, MIN at POR ($6,200): The Wolves are well-rested, and Teague's floor is pretty steady at around 30 DKFP per game. Assists have been critical to his production, and he just came off a game where he dropped 18 dimes. It's only a matter of time before he matches a nice scoring total to his assist numbers, and while this matchup looks tough on paper, I think Teague will be able to get the ball inside to Karl-Anthony Towns and do a little damage of his own as well.
Jordan Clarkson, CLE vs. WAS ($5,100): It can be a dart throw to determine whether it's Clarkson or Collin Sexton that gets the better stat line, but Clarkson has proven to be slightly more reliable. George Hill was dealt out of town rather quietly yesterday, and it's a good indicator of the Cavs' faith in these two players. Sexton should also show up, but Clarkson has experience on his side and could deliver a decent stat line.
Other guards to consider:Jamal Murray, DEN at ATL ($7,800), Kent Bazemore, ATL vs. DEN ($4,800)
FORWARDS
Kyle Kuzma, LAL at MEM ($6,800): I believe Kuzma is a solid play while Brandon Ingram (ankle) is out, and the numbers proved that last night after a 44 DKFP game against the Spurs. In fact, he's enjoyed four straight games with 40 DKFP or more. Memphis will provide a tougher defensive challenge, but slot Kuzma in as a reliable cash play.
Otto Porter Jr, WAS at CLE ($6,400): The Wizards tend to keep Porter on the court regardless of the game flow, so I'm not concerned about a minutes reduction if this game gets out of hand. He'll need a decent rebounding total to be relevant, but the undersized Wizards need someone to compete off the glass, and Porter has delivered consistent rebound totals.
Noah Vonleh, NY vs. BKN ($5,300): While I'd avoid playing the Knicks' backcourt due to the constant guessing game, Vonleh sets up well against a Nets team that has some trouble inside. They rank 18th against opposing power forwards over the past five games, and I think Vonleh is an excellent candidate to exceed the subpar game he had against Brooklyn in their last meeting.
Other forwards to consider: Al Horford, BOS at CHI ($6,600), Buddy Hield, SAC at IND ($6,300)
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN at ATL ($9,200): Jokic is a logical place to go against the Hawks, who are still trying to find their identity at center. He's had two double-doubles and a triple-double over his past three games, and I wouldn't be surprised by a similar performance on Saturday. Ha put up 43.3 DKFP against them in their last matchup, and while I'd like to see more production at this price, he only played 25 minutes in that game due to some early foul trouble.
Enes Kanter, NY vs. BKN ($7,300): Kanter has quietly and consistently put up quality numbers for the Knicks, and he finds himself in the enviable position of playing the Nets, who have a dreadful record against opposing centers. Kanter can pop on any given game but also sports a quality DKFP floor in the mid-'30s. He's a definite candidate for the double-double bonus tonight.
As I already stated, Bam Adebayo ($5,400) and Mason Plumlee ($4,100) provide immense value at this position, so I will close out the article with re-iterating these picks and refrain from any additional lists.
