jason mezrahi 
In this column, I’ll highlight five NBA DFS 2/22 difference-makingplays in GPPs, from studs with a huge upside to value plays who could hit8x-10x.
These are risky plays who won’t always make the most sense forcash game builds, so buyer beware!
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NBA DFS 2/22 — PG
Luka Doncic, DAL (@ ATL) – DK $10,200
I don’t know why Luka’s price has actually dropped a few hundred bucks on DK, but we’ll welcome that. Both James Harden (@UTA) and Trae Young (on the other side of this matchup and stackable) are more expensive today and have lower floors and ceilings tonight. Doncic fills up the stat sheet and also has a better shot at triple-double bonus than the aforementioned NBA DFS ballers. If you’re drawn to Russell Westbrook as a pivot I wouldn’t mind much – he’s got a very winnable matchup with Utah, and is stackable with Mike Conley, who should be a full go for the second half of a back-to-back where he rested yesterday. But Luka remains the best player over $10K on this six-game slate.
UPDATE: Luka is out, so plug in Trae Young.
With Luka and Porzingis out, there’s a whole lot of value opening up for the Mavs (and Hawks, in that Trae’s upside is now a tad higher). DFS, Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway are all solid plays, as is probable starting PG Jalen Brunson who’s just $5K on DK. And with Jimmy Butler (personal) out, one of Goran Dragic or Kendrick Nunn should have a big game.
Pivot/Stack: Russell Westbrook/Jalen Brunson
NBA DFS 2/22 — SG
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN (@ CHA) – DK $7,700
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a ceiling game from Dinwiddie, who’s assumed full control as the main scoring guard in the absence of Kyrie Irving. He’s added some salary in the past few days but remains a solid GPP play in an exploitable matchup. If he can get some shots to drop, there’s no reason he can’t go for 55-60 DK points tonight. I like Terry Rozier’s diminished price on the other side of this game (he’s eligible at PG/SG/G and UTIL), and Jimmy Butler appears to be the most viable pivot, as he’ll be looking to lead the Heat to victory following a loss to Atlanta on Thursday. If you don’t have the money for Butler, Jordan Clarkson is a solid value in an up-tempo game against the Rockets where he could be asked to play bigger minutes. UPDATE: With Jimmy Butler out, Zach Lavine ($8,900) is starting to look more and more like a solid play at SG if you want to pivot from Dinwiddie.
Pivot/Value/Stack: Jimmy ButlerZach Lavine/Jordan Clarkson/Terry Rozier
NBA DFS 2/22 — SF
Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL (@ ATL) – DK $4,600
We saw Kristaps Porzingis and Luka go nuts last night, and that’s certainly a team stack that appears to have a better correlation than some other stud combos we’ve seen (LBJ-AD/Harden-Westbrook come to mind as not quite as appealing in DFS). We could see the Mavs give Kristaps a bit of a break tonight and allow Finney-Smith, (whose initials – DFS – are perfect for our purposes here) to flourish against a fast-paced Hawks team that turns the ball over quite a bit. The price on DFS is very affordable (just $4K on FD and a lock there considering what he could do defensively) and there’s 8x upside in this matchup. Possible pivot Kevin Porter Jr. might garner lower ownership after his ejection last night, and I don’t mind Kevin Huerter as a game stack option on the other end. UPDATE: DFS and Hardaway are even better plays with both Luka and Kristaps out. Duncan Robinson get s abump for the Heat with Butler out.
Pivots: Kevin Porter Jr./Kevin Huerter
NBA DFS 2/22 — PF
Jae Crowder, MIA (vs. CLE) – DK $4,800
If there’s a way to fit Giannis and key elements of the DAL-ATL game in your lineups tonight, great – but I’ll be looking for some value at PF, and Crowder makes sense in the $4-5K range. He got off to an impossibly slow start on Thursday night and finished with just 25.5 DK points in 23 minutes, but if he sees 30+ minutes against the Cavs there’s no reason he can’t go for 7X or more. For a few more DK dollars you can spring for Thaddeus Young on a Bulls team that’s short a few big bodies, and Robert Covington is also still affordable in that same price range. UPDATE: Add Kleber to the mix at PF. Crowder could also see more usage with Butler out.
Pivots: Thaddeus Young/Robert Covington
NBA DFS 2/22 — C
Jarrett Allen, BKN (@ CHA) – DK $4,300
Allen got almost no run on Thursday night (zero real-life points and 1.5 DK points in 13 minutes) and the Nets opted to pit veteran center DeAndre Jordan against Joel Embiid (the new Eurostep king). But the price on Allen is now a measly $4,300 and should see 20+ minutes against the Hornets, who will feature Cody Zeller and P.J. Washington (both $4,700 and PF/C eligible on DK). If we hear anything about Allen getting dropped from the rotation before lock we should stay away, but I have no qualms about taking advantage of the affordable price on Allen and taking a fearless foray into the land of the weak Charlotte bigs tonight. If I had the money I would go right back to the well on Bam Adebayo, but I won’t have much left after rostering Luka and some of the other guards in most of my GPP builds. UPDATE: For the minimum price on DK at just $3K, Boban Marjanovic could go nuts in a starting role, and log 15-20 minutes even without the nod. The Mavs are woefully low on bigs, especially if Willie Cauley-Stein remains out.
