NBA DFS has been very annoying lately. Blowouts and injuries keep sabotaging appealing slates, and the Utah Jazz seem to be at the center of a lot of it. Should we simply take the night off when we run into the Jazz? I’m starting to consider it as a legit strategy.
While the last week or so has been bumpy, a big win is always just around the corner. Friday offers up a nice slate with some welcoming plays and – per usual – clear edge that we can use against the field. I’ve got a nice group of NBA DFS picks I love to get the day started, and I’ll update my NBA core plays before the slate locks.
DraftKings NBA Core Plays
- Jamal Shead ($5.2k)
- Nikola Vucevic ($8.2k)
- James Harden ($9.5k)
- Craig Porter Jr. ($4.8k)
Update 3: Adding CPJ. I was on him anyways but now that he is starting he’s a lock for me. He looks great and is a good per minute player.
Update 2: Jordan Miller is a fine value, but his projection is pretty weak. I am going to stop short of calling him a core. I’d play him or Kobe Sanders a good amount, though. Pascal Siakam is very close to a core play. I just like Harden more and think we can pivot to someone like MPJ or go down to Zion/Ingram and others and benefit form it. Zero issue playing Pascal, though. Good play in a smash spot.
Update: Shead is a great value with Immanuel doubtful. Vuc is a smash against the Nets. Miller looks like an excellent value with Kawhi ruled out. Harden is a smash spend for the same reason. I think if I am eating expensive chalk its Harden > Siakam. I’d rather get Vuc or pivot from Pascal to MPJ.
It pains me to play Shead again, but he did top 21 fantasy points and played 34 minutes last game. Toronto could once again be shorthanded, so he looks like one of the best values on the board.
Vuc is in a smash spot against the Nets, who give it up against centers. Pascal is projecting better than anyone right now. His ownership figures to be high, so I will definitely remain open to leveraging that, but he grades out as the best spend at the moment.
I’ll be very interested in Donovan Mitchell with Darius Garland sidelined. If Kawhi is out I’ll also be into Harden. Guys like MPJ, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and Zion also look really good.
Derik Queen might be my favorite GPP play of the slate. He is not trustworthy at all but he’s in a great spot and nobody will play him.
FanDuel NBA Core Plays
- Pascal Siakam ($8.6k)
- James Harden ($9.5k)
- Evan Mobley ($8.3k)
- Jamal Shead ($5k)
- Craig Porter Jr.
Update: CPJ is starting, so I’d play him and Shead together.
Update: Harden is a tough fade with no Kawhi. I think there’s enough value to get all of these guys in. Harden is the only guy above $9k we need on FD. Siakam and Mobley are too cheap here, especially since other guys are expensive and you need that extra slot. CPJ, Huff, and Jordan Miller all stand out as viable values but Shead leads the pack.
Siakam looks like a stud on both sites. A little too cheap for his projection, role, and matchup. If he’s crazy owned feel free to pivot, but he just seems like a great play.
Murphy has been cooking. I like the 3 main Pels against Indiana, but he is probably the safest with the highest ceiling. He’s close to a core for me on DK but with the extra slot needed on FD I think he is a clear priority.
Mobley is fine on DraftKings but way too cheap on FanDuel with Garland out. Total smash despite the less than ideal matchup against Joel Embiid.
Shead is slightly getting the nod on DK, but I prefer CPJ on FD. He is $400 cheaper there and projects slightly better than Shead. I may just pair them both, but that’s how I am approaching it at the different DFS sites at the moment.
Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard look like solid values on both sites. Nic Claxton could smash versus Chicago. Still love Vuc on FD, but don’t want to lock up center for you.
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