The Cleveland Cavaliers decided to nuke Wednesday’s NBA DFS slate. They are sitting almost all of their top starters, leaving them shorthanded and singling out some obvious plays.
The question isn’t necessarily “how many Cavs is too much Cavs”, but which Cavs do you play? Naturally, some will make my NBA Core for the day, but the next question is who else do we cram in?
Is Cade Cunningham going to launch 45 shots a game now? If so, it’s hard to fade that kind of usage. However, there are a lot of ways to go on a pretty hefty 9-game slate at DraftKings. Here’s a look at how I’d start most of my NBA DFS lineups at DraftKings:
DraftKings NBA Core
- De’Andre Hunter ($6.5k)
- Sam Merrill ($4.5k)
- Ryan Rollins ($6.1k)
- Reed/Jenkins (if Cade/Duren sit and they start)
Update 2: Giddey OUT so Bulls are quite viable. Vuc looks excellent. I don’t like their values more than the core we have here, though. Reed and Jenkins are locks with Cade out and Duren doubtful. The big play is making sure you still get different in 1-2 spots. I am fading Wemby, so perhaps that alone is useful.
Update: Tons of news dropped. Still really like Hunter/Merrill. Jarrett Allen also looks really good and CPJ ($3.2k) and Lonzo Ball (4.5k) also look great. I have my reservations about the guards, and Allen just isn’t a high usage guy. They all look good, though. Giannis is OUT. A lot of Bucks look fantastic (Kuz, Bobby, Myles), but Rollins is the one I like the most. Keep an eye on the Pistons. Cade and Duren missed shootaround. If they are out, Paul Reed ($3.9k) and Jenkins ($4.1k) are going to be tough to ignore. I’d play them. If Cade and/or Duren play, they both will likely nuke vs. Chicago. A ton to like, so make sure you catch today’s video, where we break it all down.
Jarrett Allen and a bunch of cheap Cavs also stand out, but their projections don’t blow me to the point where I feel I absolutely have to play them. Hunter is pricey for who he usually is, but he sports a 25% usage rate and will get a boost with Cleveland’s top scorers all out.
Merrill already has a role, too, and will be way too cheap for his enhanced volume. He’s the best Cavs value on the board. Lonzo Ball could be somewhat limited, but both he and Craig Porter Jr. are going to be in play, along with (gulp) Dean Wade.
Kon is one of the best mid-range plays of the slate. He is very close to teammate Miles Bridges in terms of projection and is $2k cheaper. Just a really easy click for me based on his projection and how he’s been playing.
Deni is also in God Mode right now, putting up 58+ fantasy points in two of his last three outings. He projects really well and is too cheap for a date with the Pelicans.
Cade, Wemby, Sengun, and Giddey/Giannis (if they play) all look great, while Jalen Duren is another guy who remains quite clickable. You can get any of those guys with this core, but you’ll probably have to take a dive (CPJ) or two.
If Giannis is out we would have to be into Ryan Rollins (who looks great anyways) and Myles Turner. If Giddey sits again Vuc gets a boost but mid-range guys like Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu will gain major steam.
Big slate with a lot of moving pieces, as I could see the Celtics and/or Warriors fucking shit up by resting guys after playing last night, too.
Update: Cade was downgraded to Q. If he’s out we will definitely be looking at some Pistons value.
FanDuel NBA Core
- Jrue Holiday ($6.8k)
- De’Andre Hunter ($6.1k)
- Ryan Rollins ($6.4k)
- Jenkins ($4.1k)
Update 2: Jenkins is a lock now with Cade out. Reed is an amazing punt but he is C only. Just depends on if you want a stud center or save here. Jenkins replaces Merrill, who still looks good but is a better play on DK. Kuz is starting and is a great play on both sites. I am personally fading since his ownership is wild and he’s been not great this year.
Update: There are too many studs on FD and not that many on DK. It is starting to feel like getting to at least one of Luka/Wemby/Jokic on FD is a must. There’s simply too much value now. Rollins replaces Kon with the Giannis news. Bucks and Cavs all look good here. Same logic applies to most of the plays here, but unlike DK, I think getting 1-2 studs is something we should work to do. CPJ feels a lot more necessary here.
Jarrett Allen is more appealing on FD thanks to PF eligibility, but is obviously a great play on both sites. Jrue is also a strong play on DK, but he’s a lock on FD where he is far cheaper.
Merrill/Hunter are the easiest clicks for me on both sites with Cleveland resting everyone. You can go further down the rabbit hole, but I actually don’t think we have to force 4 Cavs on a big slate. The slate is even bigger on FD (3 extra games).
Kon remains a core on FD, too. He’s even cheaper here and projects incredibly well.
Big differences between FD and DK: 3 extra games, you need to fill an extra slot, and the stars are coming out. Jokic, Wemby, Giannis, Luka – you name it. This slate is even more loaded than DK’s and I tend to think you will want to try to pick the stud who nukes.
Going balanced is still viable just because it’s a massive slate and there are a shit ton of good plays, but you want those raw points. There’s also enough value to make it easy to do. I will say Jokic and Luka are specifically in pretty poor spots, while Giannis is literally Q to play.
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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