It’s an 11-game slate on the first full night of the 2019-20 NBA regular season. The 10/23 NBA DFS Game Previews offer a look at which players will be good fits for tonight’s Fantasy action.
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Chicago at Charlotte, 7:00 PM Eastern
The Bulls finished 27th in scoring last season but full seasons from SG Zach LaVine, PF Lauri Markkanen and C Wendell Carter Jr. should change that Markkanen has the best ceiling for DFS players, although Carter can emerge into a consistent 30-30 Fantasy points per game scorer. On the other hand, the Hornets may be one of the Association’s worst Fantasy-friendly teams after letting PG Kemba Walker sign with the Celtics. SF/C Cody Zeller is the only projected starter with a Player Efficiency Rating over 15 (league average) in 2018-19 (17.26). If you want in for this one, go heavy on the Bulls and let the Hornets piece things together without impacting your roster.
Detroit at Indiana, 7:00 PM Eastern
PF Blake Griffin will miss at least the first five games. Get used to the phrase “PF Blake Griffin will miss…” as he’s become more of a 60-65 games a year performer at this stage of his career. C Andre Drummond will have more scoring opportunities to go along with the copious number of rebounds he’ll grab. He’s easily the best play in DFS among the Pistons. PG Reggie Jackson is day-to-day, so look for PG Derrick Rose to either start or see significant minutes off the bench. For the Pacers, SF T.J. Warren could be the biggest beneficiary with SG/SF Victor Oladipo out until at least the All-Star Break. C Myles Turner’s per 40 rates makes him a strong player, especially with blocked shots. Domantas Sabonis comes off a career-best 21.99 PER last season and could approach 25 PER now that’s entrenched in the lineup after signing a long-term extension.
Cleveland at Orlando, 7:00 PM Eastern
Look elsewhere if counting on the Cavs for DFS help. Only the Grizzlies scored fewer points per game than the 104.5 Cleveland averaged last season. PF/C Kevin Love could be useful, yet is obviously a shell of his former self. Rookie PG Darius Garland should be the clear leader in usage for the Cavs. Beyond that, yeesh. Magic C Nikola Vucevic had career-bests in usage and PER in 2018-19. He quietly gets the job done and is the best option in the Magic lineup. PF Aaron Gordon remains more promise than reality. He’s too much of a risk to invest heavily. Gordon could be overtaken by SF/PF Jonathan Isaac, a sleeper play who will offer rebounds and blocks. D.J. Augustin opens at PG, but the progress of PG Markelle Fultz is worth monitoring.
Boston at Philadelphia, 7:30 PM
SF Jason Tatum spent the preseason adjusting to becoming the focal point of the Celtics’ offense. Expect his usage rate to take a significant hike along with his 15.7 points per game from last season. PG Kemba Walker is the new quarterback in Boston but won’t have to carry such a scoring load that he had last year with the Hornets. SF Gordon Hayward and SG Jalen Brown are DFS teases. Avoid. Obviously, PF/C Joel Embiid is the high-end option in Philly. He’ll deliver 40+ FPG on an almost nightly basis. PG Ben Simmons will also fill up a stat sheet without attempting 3s. SF Tobias Harris is sneaky good and makes for a good complement if considering a Sixers stack. Former Celts PF/C Al Horford makes his Philly debut. He won’t have the workload he did in Boston, so see how he flows through the Sixers lineup before choosing to commit him to a DFS lineup.
Memphis at Miami, 7:30 PM
Woof woof, what a dog when it comes to DFS impact. The Grizzlies had the lowest-scoring offense last year; the Heat were 26th. If you must, Memphis PF Jaren Jackson Jr. is the one Grizz with DFS appeal, although C Jonas Valanciunas will get his share of boards. New Heat SF Jimmy Butler will rebound from a disappointing 19.88 PER while getting his wish and dominate Miami’s usage rates. C Bam Adebayo was on the short list of 2019-20 breakout candidates and should get his season off to a good start. He’ll be undervalued on either DraftKings or FanDuel. Justise Winslow is projected to start at PG but will also see minutes at both SG and SF. Goran Dragic might be a pleasant surprise coming off the bench.
Minnesota at Brooklyn, 7:30 PM
C Karl-Anthony Towns has three straight seasons of at least 24.99 PER and will flirt with 30% usage this season. He’s an elite talent that’s only 23 and is durable enough to produce 45-50 FPG on a nightly basis. PF Robert Covington was a sneaky-good NBA DFS performer before injuries ended his season on New Year’s Eve. PG Jeff Teague can hand out dimes with the best of them and still get enough scoring to justify having in your lineup at an affordable rate. SF/SG Andrew Wiggins can score the ball. That’s about all he can do. It’s PG Kyrie Irving’s world in Brooklyn, so look for him to shoot at will along with getting his teammates involved. C Jarrett Allen looked like a breakout performer before the Nets signed C De’Andre Jordan, crippling the DFS value of both. SF Caris LeVert can be streaky with his shot, but his 31.2% mark from beyond the arc last season stunts his upside.
Washington at Dallas, 8:00 PM
When it comes to the Wizards, add SG Bradley Beal into your lineup and let his offense do the rest. He’ll get enough assists and steals to compliment his high scoring. Other than Beal, C Thomas Bryant is the only other starter worth considering. The Mavericks duo of SG Luka Doncic and PF Kristaps Porzingis is one of the night’s best stacks. Porzingis looked sharp at times in the preseason. Doncic is a stat stuffer who could be a nightly NBA DFS monster if he’s improved upon his 33% mark from long range. C Dwight Powell is a low-end play who can get his points without having plays called for him. SF Justin Jackson is a clip ‘n save whose minutes could lead him to being an intriguing add throughout the season.
New York at San Antonio, 8:30 PM
C Mitchell Robinson inhales rebounds and exhales blocked shots. However, if he can’t go for the opener, Bobby Portis will fill in. As a starter last season, Portis averaged 13.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 37% from 3-point range. Rookie SG R.J. Barrett is worth the watch but not ready for DFS consideration. The Spurs still go through PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge, who can still deliver high end Fantasy scoring at age 34. SG/SF DeMar DeRozan comes into this season with six straight seasons of at least 20 points per game. Count on him stretching it to seven. C Jakob Poeltl opens the season as the starter but keep an eye on Trey Lyles. The former Jazz and Nuggets PF/C has solid Per 40 numbers and could emerge as a pleasant surprise if given the chance to start.
Oklahoma City at Utah, 9:00 PM
The one certainty on the new-look Thunder is PG Chris Paul handing out 8-10 assists along with knocking down 17-20 points and getting a steal or two. SF Danilo Gallinari remained healthy last season and could score 18-22 points per night if he can avoid the injury bug. C Steven Adams will be a modest DFS value play. Utah’s best Fantasy option continues to be C Rudy Gobert, who has averaged at least 13.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game in each of the past three seasons. Gobert could flirt with a 70% field goal percentage this year. Newcomer PG Michael Conley won’t need to score as much as he did with the Grizzlies, but his offensive game is there if needed. SG Donovan Mitchell is a good NBA DFS option, yet could see his scoring production take a mild dent with the additions of Conley and PF Bojan Bogdanovic.
Denver at Portland, 10:00 PM
The most Fantasy-friendly game on the schedule. C Nikola Jokic is a legit MVP candidate and an anchor for any DFS roster. Jokic is money well spent. PG Jamaal Murray should take the next step toward stardom. He managed a 25.9% usage rate last season and should continue at that level, even as Jokic recorded a 29.4% rate. SF Will Barton and SG Gary Harris can also be useful Nuggets. You could go with Jokic and Trail Blazers PG Damian Lillard as anchors in a west coast NBA DFS lineup and not look back. C.J. McCollum is a good complement to Lillard as both should combine for 48-50 points. New C Hassan Whiteside offers blocks and rebounds for Portland to go along with enough scoring to consider adding him in a one-game stack.
Sacramento at Phoenix, 10:00 PM
This could be the most entertaining game of the night. The Kings’ backcourt of PG D’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield is as entertaining and Fantasy-friendly a guard combo. Pair them together and watch the points (real and Fantasy) come alive. PF Marvin Bagley III is earmarked for a breakout campaign, while SF Harrison Barnes should see some Fantasy appeal. The Suns will be fun for DFS users. SG/PG Devin Booker is going to fill the stat sheet on his way to competing for the scoring title. C Deandre Ayton isn’t far off from being an elite Fantasy scorer. That happens once he continues to raise his usage rate. SF/PF Dario Saric is built for the Suns’ uptempo attack and will be a strong Fantasy contributor. SF Kelly Oubre Jr. is sneaky-good and would be part of a stack mixing the two teams.
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