As the playoffs get underway, we will start to see fewer typical Classic contests. Showdown (DraftKings) and Single Game (FanDuel) competitions will be more prevalent. Although the most experienced grinders have an edge in this format, there are a few simple ways to get up to speed with the basics and increase your profitability. Since the formats on the two major sites are very different, I will cover your optimal strategy for both types of contests.
DRAFTKINGS SHOWDOWNS
The structure of this contest is relatively straightforward. You select six players, with one of the players occupying the CPTN slot. This player would receive 1.5x of his DKFP score in the game. The remaining players would receive their usual scores. The wrinkle in this format is that the CPTN will command 1.5x of his salary as well. Both DraftKings and FanDuel set their own unique (and higher) salaries for these contests as well.
For starters, let's get some of the basic strategy stuff out of the way. These rules also apply to Classic contests, but since this type of contest may be new to you, it's important to remember some basic tenets.
Correlate your lineups. I will use Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as an example. Rostering both of these players is ultimately a losing strategy because they are at the same position. The same idea would also apply to Russell Westbrook and James Harden. These may be wise options in some Classic formats, but because you are only playing one game, you are ultimately going to have to play three or more players from the same team, and players who share similar positions on a team is usually a losing proposition.
Stacking in the NBA is usually bad, but you have to stack in this format. You can only have a maximum of five players from the same team, however.
Find your value guy on each team. Showdown rosters usually have at least two bench players due to the salary restrictions, which will often make or break your lineup.
We'll now discuss the most common misconception about Showdown contests. Let's say that the Mavericks are playing the Kings. You are certain that Luka Doncic will put up the best number, so he has to be the guy you put in the CPTN slot.
Incorrect. That could SOMETIMES be the case, but more often than not, winning Showdown rosters hit when the top point-getter isn't in the CPTN slot. Due to the inflated salary for that position, your options in your five utility slots are compromised. You have an average salary of $8,333 per player in this format, and usually, your starters cost 10k or more. If Doncic's base salary is $12,200, in the CPTN slot he would be $18,300. That's almost $6,000 of value that you are losing for the remainder of the slots. While it seems logical to put Doncic in the CPTN slot, there's a high probability that this won't be a winning lineup. To optimize your selection, I'll explain a common strategy to assist your builds.
First, pick out your best six players. Two or three of these guys have to be below the DK median of $8,333. Let's say the Clippers are playing the Lakers, and I think Anthony Davis, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Kuzma, Lou Williams and JaMychal Green are my best plays. Getting the three elites in would ba stretch, but you would need better value plays to offset them. Next, plug and play your CPTN slot with different combinations. When you've found the CPTN that allows you to get your selected players in under the salary cap, you've found your guy.
Of course, you want to search for a value guy who has upside, and all three of my value plays, in this case, have potentially high ceilings. Looking at the salary differential is also very important. If there is a value player that would have more value than what Doncic would provide with the extra cost, your assumed high producer would sometimes be the best play. It's easy to determine this by making a projection and using a value multiplier or DKFP per-dollar calculation.
Doncic projection - 55 DKFP
Value at UTIL - 55/12.2 = 4.5x or DKFP per dollar - 12200/55 =$221 per DKFP
Vale at CPTN - 55/18.3 = 3.0x or DKFP per dollar - 18300/55 = $332 per DKFP
The differential between these two salaries is $5,900. If we divide that number by $322, we get 18.3 DKFP. You must then decide if it's more likely for Doncic to exceed 73.3 DKFP, or if another player you could afford with Doncic out of the CPTN slot can beat 18.3 DKFP. This may seem like a lot of math, but a few simple calculations and your own projections can be a.
Ultimately, getting 1.5x of an elite player isn't all that important if you have to sacrifice profitability in the Utility Slots. A great way to parse this out is with our Lineup Optimizer. With this tool, you can pick six players and mix and match the CPTN combos with ease. If you're a fan of mid-game prop bets, DraftKings also offers an In-Game Showdown option where you can build a lineup for the second half of a game. These can be very fun and profitable.
FANDUEL SINGLE-GAME
FanDuel single-game contests follow a similar strategy, with a few key exceptions.
Rather than a single 1.5x CPTN slot, the FanDuel model requires you to pick an MVP (2x score), a STAR (1.5x score) and a PRO (1.2x score) along with two UTIL spots (1x score).
Unlike DraftKings, there is no salary multiplier associated with the individual slots.
Due to the lack of a salary multiplier, this format is more straightforward. You still have some strict limitations. The salary cap is just as unforgiving as DraftKings, so implementing some bench players is a necessity. However, it this format, it's wiser to take your highest projected player and slot him into the MVP slot. Exceptions to this would be scenarios where an injury or scratch might positively impact a different player. Austin Rivers for Westbrook is a good recent example. Putting Rivers in the MVP slot might be a less popular play, which gives you an advantage over the field While rostership percentages are essential in both formats, it's much more important in the Single-Game contests because the salaries for all players are static, and the public would pick a lot of the same lineups. FanDuel also offers in-game showdowns.
Hopefully, this closer look at these unique contests was helpful. In my advice articles, I will provide a link to this article for reference when we have limited slates, so you don't have to search for it. Enjoy!
