Folks, it’s NBA Cup season. If you don’t #respectthecup, I can’t respect you. Just the way it is, I don’t make the rules.
Anyway, we’re looking at a 2-game NBA DFS slate as a result. The quarterfinal round tips off with the East tonight, while we get another 2-gamer for the West tomorrow. The Heat and Magic will square off in the first game, while the Knicks will visit the Raptors in the nightcap. Note this slate starts an hour earlier than usual at 6 PM ET.
We’ve got some injury news worth monitoring in the late game, but here’s how I’m sizing up the slate as of now.
DraftKings NBA Core Plays
- Jalen Suggs
- Anthony Black
Orlando won’t have Franz Wagner tonight. Paolo Banchero is back, but unlikely to play much more than 30 minutes. Jalen Suggs (+6.8%) and Desmond Bane (+4.7%) both get nice usage boosts without Wagner, though it’s worth noting plenty of those minutes came without Banchero, too. Both guards are elite plays in all formats tonight, I just think Suggs is the slightly better value on DK.
Anthony Black may not start, but he’s been playing a big role off the bench regardless. $5,400 on DK is still cheap for the upside he’s shown, and he’s been productive (1.1 FP/minute) with Franz off the floor. Black will probably get more minutes than Wagner’s fill-in starter, Tristan da Silva, so I’d consider a max-1 rule there.
I’d consider a max-2 of the Suggs/Bane/Black trio on DK just in the name of getting different in GPPs. Not a must, but lots of people are jamming all 3, leaving you without many other avenues for getting different.
FanDuel NBA Core Plays
- Desmond Bane
- Jalen Suggs
The 2 lead guards for Orlando are core plays on FD where we have to find a total of 4 PGs and SGs to play. Plus, Bane has SF eligibility on FD. FanDuel is generally a much worse site to play these short slates, as you naturally run out of differentiation options more easily with more roster spots for which to account.
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