Adam Strangis NBA DFS: Gems with Ghost and Adam 01/22
The NFL playoffs are taking the focus of the day but that doesn’t mean we don’t have an interesting slate on tap tonight. There are only six teams active but it now appears no player on DraftKings will cost you more than $9,000 because Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for tonight. Let’s dive into the roundtable discussion for the NBA DFS: Gems with Ghost and Adam 01/22 and find our way to green!
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: Balanced lineups are the default today considering Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only stud on the slate.
Adam: This slate is interesting because outside of the Indiana Pacers, the other five teams are largely healthy all the way around. I’m leaning toward a mostly balanced lineup while looking at one of the best players in basketball in Giannis as the only player over $9,000 on DraftKings.
Question 2: “Which stud is a lock for you on this slate?”
Ghost: I’ll be locking in one, if not both of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. Speaking of the latter since Adam touched on Garland below, OKC ranks 24th in the NBA in total rebounding, including being 29th in the league in rebounds allowed to opposing centers.
Adam: I want to play Giannis against the Kings, but the salary could be prohibitive if the right value is not available. If I can’t get to him without sacrificing the build, Darius Garland is the next man in. He and the Cavaliers get the Oklahoma City Thunder on a back-to-back and the Thunder are just 15th in defensive rating. Garland leads the team in usage at 28.2% and assist rate at 43.4% and is quietly having a dynamite season. Additionally, he leads the slate in touches per game and is 10th among all NBA players.
Question 3: “Which stud are you most likely to fade in a single-entry contest or be underweight on in 150-max?”
Ghost: $8,700 Khris Middleton on DK? I always like a nice laugh on a Saturday morning.
Adam: Khris Middleton. There is just no way I’m paying nearly $9,000 for Middleton when Jrue Holiday is back in action and I can play Garland, Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Caris LeVert, and Chris Paul in that range.
Note – Both Ghost and I will have much more exposure to Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Bobby Portis now that Giannis is doubtful for the game.
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: The combination of elite mid range players in Chris Paul and Jarrett Allen, combined with Goga Bitadze. While the Phoenix centers are enticing, I’ll side with Goga for the same price.
Adam: Garland and one of the punt center of JaVale McGee, Bismack Biyombo, or Goga Bitadze. I prefer Goga if you can get there because the duo of McGee and Biyombo has mostly been an even split.
Question 5: “Give us a hot take for tonight’s slate.”
Ghost: Jarrett Allen goes for 15-15 in a win against OKC and while everyone figures out which punt center to use, he’ll be the optimal one.
Adam: Darius Garland has a 25/12 double-double and scores over 50 DraftKings points to be the best point per dollar stud on the slate.
You can find us on Twitter @DFS_Ghost and @Bucn4life
