Yesterday’s NBA Core wasn’t great. Mamu was just OK, Grayson was fine, and Gillespie was trash. It just was a bad day for NBA DFS all around, as Wemby missed the mark, Chet was a major disappointment, and you probably needed some combination of Zion, Bey, and/or Quickley to bink.
Ultimately, no players topped 50 fantasy points last night. I was right to fade Wemby and “go balanced”, but with nobody hitting, even landing on the right approach still spelled disaster. The good news? We can hit the reset button and try to find leverage points on a brand new slate on Monday.
DraftKings NBA DFS Core Plays
- Brandin Podziemski ($5.6k)
- Rudy Gobert ($6.1k)
- Shaedon Sharpe ($7.4k)
Update 4: Luka is an awesome spend but not an absolute must. I am presently fading but obviously the matchup doesn’t get better and we do have enough value to get there.
Update 3: Deni is OUT. Steph/Dray OUT. Warriors value is very much in play but I’d start with Pod. Sharpe gets a huge boost, so even though the matchup stinks his usage spike is enough to get me interested.
Update 2: Jock is OUT. Pretty interested in GG as a punt. Konchar may also come into play. If Santi is out they both are viable but hard to make them core plays.
Pod is a good value no matter what, but Curry could rest after the Dubs played last night. He could be frail chalk just because Golden State could get obliterated, but he’s a terrific value with a usage spike as things stand. We can definitely look at other Warriors with Jimmy/Kuminga also dead, but they’d be more GPP centric.
Gobert could always get run off the floor, but the matchup against Golden State sans Al Horford is quite inviting. He is cheap, has a clear path to a double-double, and dropped 50 fantasy points the last time he faced the Warriors. There’s blowout risk, but he’s cheap enough that I don’t fear it.
There are other guys worth paying up for on this slate. Spida, Jaylen, perhaps Deni, Rockets, etc. But nobody touches Luka. He’s expensive, but there should be enough value to get us there and he has an awesome matchup against Chicago. He has an elite inside/outside game and they can’t stop anyone anywhere, plus they run at the 8th fastest pace. Give me all of the Luka.
I also don’t mind Kevin Huerter and Rui as values with Tre Jones doubtful and Jake LaRavia Q.
FanDuel NBA DFS Core Plays
- Podziemski ($6.1k)
- Evan Mobley ($8.7k)
- Sharpe ($7.8k)
- Derrick White ($8.2k)
Update: Deni OUT so Sharpe is a core play. Love is also a good value on boht sites. Curry/Dray being out lock in Pod. Other Dubs are also in play depending on how deep you want to dive. Mobley still looks like one of the better pay ups in terms of points per dollar. Luka is the top stud but he’s pricey.
Pod is an easy play here, and we can look at Warriors, Bulls, and Lakers value. But none of it looks that good on FD. Paying up for Luka also feels gross there, as you need to fill the extra slot and the value is not appealing currently.
Nobody projects all that well, which kind of promotes the Luka argument. But as things stand, I feel better about trying to go more balanced on FD. Mobley is probably the best value among the spend ups, and Sengun is the top expensive stud in the best spot. Memphis is a fantastic matchup for him and he looks more appealing – and lower owned – than guys like Spida or ANT.
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