Richard Masana 
Isaiah’s Protocol for the NBA DFS slate are built around DraftKings pricing, but are good across the industry with some slight adjustments to salaries on the various sites.
We have a very tricky 5 game NBA DFS slate to look at tonight. There are a couple superstars expected to make a return to the court this evening, and others who have question marks regarding their status. We have a couple great game match ups, and several that are more difficult to project. I’m going to concentrate on players that are under priced and safe considerations for your roster construction. Please keep in mind that I can guarantee some of these plays to change as we get more detailed information on injury status throughout the day. Our WinDaily Discord chat rooms are the best place to stay up to date on these changes.
IMPORTANT STATUS
Both the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets are well known across the industry to play at a very high pace, and have less than average defenses. This should lead to a high scoring game. Both these teams have a single superstar that represents a large portion of their offensive production. Kyrie Irving is expected to make his return for the Nets. Trae Young is listed a questionable for Atlanta with a strained hamstring. This is without a doubt the most important information on this NBA DFS slate to keep an eye on. Kyrie has said he’s is not limited at all. Not having played in a game since Nov. 14th has me a little more skeptical on his limitations. He is priced to high for me on DraftKings ($9400), but is certainly a consideration on FanDuel ($7700). I expect Young to play tonight. If he does he becomes one of the most popular options available. If he misses the game, see the value section below.
D’Angelo Russell ($7700) Russell is also expected to make a return on this NBA DFS slate. The news regarding a minute limitation is important to follow, but D’Angelo has a great match up against Memphis. He has a 33% usage rate and scores 1.25 FP/min. Memphis ranks 25th in DEFF. Russell is priced too low here if he gets the green light.
THE CORE
Kawhi Leonard ($9000) With Paul George out, Kawhi gets huge bumps to his 34.7% usage rate and 1.46 FP/min., as he’s asked to carry the offense. Denver is a defense I typically avoid ranking 3rd in DEFF and 9th in DvsA, but Kawhi has proven that he is match up proof. I can visualize a game script where he exceeds his 47 DKFPT projection and goes north of 6X value. His salary is too cheap.
Kyle Lowry ($8200) Lowry is priced a little higher here than I’m comfortable with, so I’m not sure I can fit him in. Kyle has been asked to carry the offensive load with the injuries to his teammates (Siakam, Gasol, VanVleet). San Antonio’s numbers don’t paint the best picture ranking 17th in DEFF and 14th in DvsA, but I can tell you, they are terrible defending guards. Kyle’s 42 DKFPT projections currently represent a 5x value, and he could very well exceed that tonight.
Deandre Ayton ($7700) Right now they have Ayton listed as coming off the bench. I’m not looking too much into what Suns are doing with their rotations. Ayton is a future superstar in this league. Charlotte ranks 25th in DEFF, and 30th in DvsA. Attacking Charlotte at the center position is gold on this NBA DFS slate. Ayton scores 1.2 FP/min., has a 21.5% usage rate, and gets 30+ minutes a game regardless of his status with the starters. He’s projected for over 40 DKFPTS tonight, and is a steal at this salary.
Terry Rozier ($7100) “Scary Terry” as our very own Tenacious D calls him, has a 24.2% usage rate, and scores a FP/min. I think these numbers are a little low as we’ve seen a literal changing of the guard in Charlotte over the last week or so. Terry has gone over 37 DKFPTS in 5 straight, eclipsing 50 in one of those games. Phoenix ranks 22nd in DEFF and 19th in DvsA. I think Rozier’s 36 DKFPT projection is a little low here. His salary makes an excellent piece to our puzzle tonight.
OTHERS: Devin Booker ($8400), John Collins ($8000), Ja Morant ($7400), Ricky Rubio ($6800), Kelly Oubre ($6700)
VALUE
Brandon Goodwin ($3100) Goodwin is Trae Youngs back up. If Trae misses the game, he’s an instant lock, and free square on this NBA DFS slate. He has a 22.3% usage rate and scores 1.08 FP/min. In comparison, those numbers are almost identical to Ayton’s. Brooklyn ranks 19th in DEFF, and 29th in DvsA. I love this salary. I’m considering him as salary relief even if Young plays tonight.
I’m going to leave it here, asthere are a lot of players to consider, and a lot of expected news to come outthroughout the day.
I highly encourage all readers to join myself, and the rest of the WinDaily team in the Discord chat rooms as we break down and discuss our favorite plays of the NBA DFS slate. Thank you for reading my content and feel free to leave a comment, or hit me up on Twitter @IsaiahsProtocol.
GOODLUCK AND HAVE FUN
