Shaun Evans 
Welcome to our new NBA DraftKings Top Tier Plays article. I’ll go tier by tier to break down my favorite play from each one. I’ll also note which ones you can pivot to for any multiple-entry contests you play. Make sure that you check out the NBA Player Projections for the tier slate to get the upper hand on your opponents.
NBA DraftKings Tiers 1-2
Domantas Sabonis over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum (Tier 1)
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the highest projected player in this tier (the slate also), Domantas Sabonis is the one I want to go after. He has a great matchup versus Toronto and has logged 50 consecutive double-doubles. That’s a bonus stat for DraftKings. Sabonis recorded 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in his first meeting versus Toronto. He could even reach a triple-double once again tonight. Gilgeous-Alexander does not have the same triple-double upside but he is capable of recording a double-double. His matchup is perfect against Utah and he should be able to hit his value tonight.
Damian Lillard over Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (Tier 2)
The Tier 2 group was reduced with Donovan Mitchell being ruled out. Now we’re down to two Phoenix Suns players and Damian Lillard. I’ll be rolling with Damian Lillard tonight but mainly for his ownership. He is projected for 42.13 DK points while Kevin Durant is projected for 46.92 DK points and Devin Booker is projected for 45.86. Durant would ultimately be the best option out of the three. Lillard has been playing pretty good basketball recently though. He has averaged 24.2 points, 10.8 assists, and five rebounds in his last five. Boston is a good defensive team but Lillard has had the hot hand recently and I’ll be rolling with it.
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NBA DraftKings Tiers 3-4
Tyrese Haliburton over De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Maxey, Steph Curry, and Bam Adebayo (Tier 3)
Another core piece for the DFS main slate is Tyrese Haliburton. Not only is the matchup perfect versus the Detroit Pistons, Haliburton is the third-highest projected player tonight. He comes in with a 53.68 DK projection. He has averaged 21.7 points, 13 assists, and three rebounds in three games versus Detroit this season. While his play has dipped recently, this should be his bounce-back spot. Similar to the main slate article, I’ll be avoiding De’Aaron Fox tonight. Bam Adebayo will be going up against Cleveland and I’ll be avoiding that matchup. While Steph Curry gets the Memphis Grizzles, I want to roll with Tyrese Maxey next versus Phoenix. He is projected for 45.73 DK points tonight.
Jaren Jackson Jr. over Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Paul George, and Jaylen Brown (Tier 4)
Jaren Jackson Jr. pops very well tonight out of the Tier 4 group. Kawhi Leonard is the only player that projects higher than him and that’s with 43.41 DK points. Jackson Jr. projects for 42.93 and should also have lower ownership. The Warriors allow centers to average 22.6 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. There is potential for a double-double bonus for him but it may also be a tough mountain to get to. I would roll with Kawhi Leonard mainly following Jaren Jackson Jr. For James Harden and Paul George, their projections are a tad too low even though they get the Portland Trailblazers tonight.
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NBA DraftKings Tiers 5-6
Desmond Bane over Kristaps Porzingis, Jarrett Allen, Deandre Ayton, and Darius Garland (Tier 5)
We get a pretty interesting Tier 5 tonight and two players pop out. First up is Desmond Bane and he projects as the sixth-highest scorer tonight. Bane is averaging 23.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in his last five games with one steal. He gets a Warriors team that allows 24 points, eight assists, and 5.5 rebounds to the guard position. He’s the number one target for this group. Next up is Darius Garland who will be without Donovan Mitchell once again. Garland is projected for 36.96 DK points. While that seems low, his usage rate jumps from 25% to 29.2% without Mitchell on the court. He averages 22 points, 6.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.
Chet Holmgren over Pascal Siakam, Anfernee SImons, Jusuf Nurkic, and the entire tier (Tier 6)
Chet Holmgren and Pascal Siakam top the Tier 6 category. You could even look at Derrick White who has a good matchup versus Milwaukee. But starting with Holmgren, he is projected for 40.59 DK points tonight versus Utah. Utah is allowing opposing centers to average 23.6 points and 14.1 rebounds. He has faced Utah three times this season and is averaging 17.7 points, seven rebounds with 3.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. While the offensive numbers aren’t the best, Chet’s defensive skills give him the added boost.
