DFSGhost 
It’s always a great day when we have basketball to watch throughout the entire day and thus having coinciding NBA DFS slates. The NBA bubble has been posting some rather high game totals, but with yesterday’s Houston/Portland game seemingly being on the lower end of game totals from Orlando, Florida, NBA teams are starting to get back into their groove and execute their defensive schemes. A quick reminder: when playing cash games, it is not necessarily about trying to finish first – it’s more so about leveraging the field in the sense that we need to deploy players in our lineups that are highly owned in order to not let the field jump ahead of us should one of them post an impressive NBA DFS score, while also finding 1-2 spots to pivot in order to jump ahead of those lineup trains (where lineups are identical). There are a few players that really stick out to me for our NBA cash game lineups today, so let’s get to it.
The Lock: Donovan Mitchell, SG ($7,300 FD / $7,500 DK)
The lock of the day is an underpriced Donovan Mitchell in the very first game of today’s NBA slate. Facing a Memphis Grizzlies team that like to push the pace with ROY frontrunner Ja Morant, Mitchell should thrive in a game environment that comes with a 224.5 over/under and tight spread. Most notably, Memphis struggles versus the ‘2’, allowing over 44 FPPG to opposing shooting guards this season.
The Core Gems
Joel Embiid, C ($9,500 FD / $10,400 DK)
After last game’s experiment of running their offense through Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and even Shake Milton, I think the 76ers get back to deploying their star big man in bunches here today. This NBA slate does have another attractive center option in Jarrett Allen, should he play, but Embiid is my guy today. While his 44.3 fantasy point output was modest given his lofty salary on the last slate the 76ers were on, Embiid posted a remarkable 1.43 FPPM and is the definition of efficiency in NBA DFS. Matching up versus the likes of Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, and Mo Wagner, Embiid will dominate all facets of the game today, and will likely come in at lower ownership than he should be given the combination of a [possible] return of Jarrett Allen and last game’s “dud”.
Brandon Clarke, PF ($4,900 FD / $4,600 DK)
The Memphis PF gives us yet another piece to target in the first game on the NBA slate, but he needs to be in all of your cash lineups. Jaren Jackson Jr. is now out for the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee, and although Clarke has not officially been declared the starter at the time of writing, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be closer to tip-off and be a great asset for our NBA DFS lineups. This is the kind of chalk (high ownership) play you want to eat and get different elsewhere considering how low his price is and the floor/ceiling relationship he presents in a matchup versus Utah.
The Value Gems
Brooklyn Nets Value
While it is possible for one or multiple of Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Joe Harris to return to the starting 5, we need to wait for news before making a call here. If you were in Discord with the team and I all day yesterday before lock, I was saying to avoid the Nets chalk simply because I felt it was a trap and outside of TLC, they were. If Allen ($5,400 DK) is in, lock him in no matter what, and Caris LeVert would be an intriguing target as well, but the situation is TBD.
Boston Celtics ‘Big 4’
I mean, I guess we can call them a Big 4? With Kemba Walker sitting out the second half of a back-to-back as anticipated, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum all see upticks in both minutes and usage. Brad Wanamaker will likely draw some ownership, but as of right now, this is the kind of play I like to pivot from in cash games to get ahead of the field given how low his ceiling is. With that being said, he is hard to ignore at minimum salary ($3,000) on DK.
Denver Nuggets / San Antonio Spurs Value
Both of these teams are coming in with depleted rotations and the value will ultimately depend on whether Jamal Murray plays or not. At the time of writing, he has not had a confirmed designation for this afternoon’s game, but with both Gary Harris and Will Barton continuing to deal with injuries, I would expect the Nuggets to sit out the Canadian point guard and let him heal for playoffs. Guys like Monte Morris, Torrey Craig, Jerami Grant, and Michael Porter Jr. will continue to see increased minutes and usage in the short term. As for the Spurs, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker should see increased minutes on the wing, but I prefer to look elsewhere for now – but they’re an option, nonetheless.
Los Angeles Lakers Value
Given that the Lakers have officially locked up the #1 seed in the West, it’s possible that one or both of Anthony Davis and LeBron James sit out today’s game versus OKC. As mentioned on the livestream, the Lakers remain without a true point guard on the roster outside of LeBron James and should he sit this one out or play limited minutes, I’ll be all over guys like Dion Waiters and Alex Caruso, who should fill the void for James, as well as Kyle Kuzma, who could see extended run if AD sits.
A Quick Note on NBA DFS
While there are many different sports and various contests pertaining to DFS along with their respective strategies, we focus on the main approaches to build both reliable cash and GPP lineups for a successful NBA night including pace, the projected over/under, one on one matchups (DVP), a player’s usage rate, and a team’s defensive rating. Make sure to stay active when building NBA lineups – if you cannot be in front of a computer, tablet, or on your phone an hour before lock, do not throw your money away! NBA DFS lineups can change at the blink of an eye and are the most variable compared to any other sport in DFS; players get injured, some sit for load management, and others find themselves on the DNP list for other reasons; any of which can sway your lineup and where to find value. Stay alert on the WinDaily Discord chat to follow along with our updated plays. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
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