DFSGhost 
Despite being a small NBA slate, there is no shortage of news in this one, with the Chicago Bulls game being cancelled in addition to both the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks dealing with multiple players in health & safety protocols. Toss in the fact that there are a numerous injuries in Phoenix, Portland, and Toronto, and it’s just another day at the NBA DFS office. Let’s giddy up for this slate, it’s going to be a wild one; it’s Taco Tuesday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Question 1: “Which approach are you taking when building a single lineup? Stars & Scrubs, Balanced, Game stack, etc.?”
Ghost: I’ll be slotting two studs, if not three, into my lineup with the number of value pieces we have in Portland and short rotations in Toronto, New York, and Brooklyn.
Adam: It appears it will need to be balanced but three of the six teams on the slate are in a back-to-back situation. That can always swing the slate in a very different direction after this writing.
Question 2: “Which stud is a lock for you on this slate?”
Ghost: Not necessarily priced as a stud, Fred VanVleet will be my lock toward the top of the pricing grid tonight. With FVV only playing 26 minutes last night in a blowout win versus Sacramento, I’d be shocked if he played anything less than 36 tonight, where the Raptors are now without Precious Achiuwa, Khem Birch, OG Anunoby, and Danolo Banton. Look for both teams to tighten up rotations in this one, whereby Nick Nurse will run the core four of VanVleet, Siakam, Barnes, and Trent for 36 minutes or more.
Adam: This one is scary but Damian Lillard may be who I’m hitching the wagon to tonight. C.J. McCollum is still out for the Trail Blazers and Dame has a 32.7% usage and 1.23 fantasy points per minute without him this year on 50.1% true shooting. He went 3-14 from deep in his first game back. He’s under $10,000, the Suns are playing faster and they’re on a back-to-back so I’m ready to take the plunge.
Question 3: “Which stud are you most likely to fade in a single-entry contest or be underweight on in 150-max?”
Ghost: Depending on what his rostership numbers look like ahead of lock, I’m likely not going to be building with Damian Lillard tonight. While the numbers are certainly worthy to play him, in addition to CJ McCollum being out for the Blazers, Lillard still can’t seem to find his shot and only dropped 24 on the Timberwolves because he went to the stripe a whopping 15 times. With Phoenix’s perimeter defense and limited fouls to the opposition, rostership will dictate this one for me. TBD.
Adam: This one may come back to bite me because I would imagine Steph Curry is going to be popular since he needs just two 3-point shots to break the record. It’s in Madison Square Garden. However, there was a suggestion from Steve Kerr that Curry could sit out last night for rest. He also said it will be a relief for Steph and the team when he breaks it. I have a sneaking suspicion Curry plays fewer minutes than normal tonight and basks in the record. The Warriors have another three games in four days coming up this weekend on top of it.
Question 4: “If you had to pick one star and one value play to be in the winning lineup, who would they be and why?”
Ghost: VanVleet and Derrick Rose. I originally had Quentin Grimes listed here, but he is now in health and safety protocols, and the Knicks simply do not have enough firepower to not have DRose on the court for 30+ minutes. Honorable mention to JaVale McGee, who will certainly be in my lineup should Deandre Ayton sit out once again for the Suns.
Adam: Derrick Rose, who I’m sure will be wildly popular. R.j. Barrett is out and Rose started the last game for the Knicks, logging 36 minutes. With both Barrett and Kemba Walker off the floor this season, Rose has a 23.6% usage rate and 1.07 fantasy points per minute. We don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.
Question 5: “Give us a hot take for tonight’s slate.”
Ghost: The Raptors not only cover the 8.5 spread tonight, rather, they upset the Eastern Conference leading Brooklyn Nets behind Fred VanVleet’s 20-point double-double.
Adam: The three guard lineup of Lillard, Rose, and Anfernee Simons combines for 120 DraftKings points or more.
You can find us on Twitter @DFS_Ghost and @Bucn4life
