NBA Starting 5 (GPP): Friday, February 23rd
Happy Friday, Grinders! Welcome to the Friday edition of the NBA Starting 5 series! Fridays offer us solid slate sizes and large DFS tournaments, so it is a great day to analyze the NBA from a GPP perspective. We are back from the All Star break and ready to go, so let’s get to it!
Let’s take a look at five of my favorite tournament plays of the day. For reference, I will be using DraftKings pricing throughout the article.
Point Guard: Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat – $4,800
Let’s start things off with a value play. Even though he has a reputation as a bench player, let’s not forget that Tyler Johnson seems to be a fixture in Miami’s starting lineup right now. The arrival of Dwyane Wade (again) might cut into his minutes to some degree, but Johnson still seems set to have a solid 30 minute role on this team. The Heat also draw a friendly pace up matchup tonight against a Pelicans team that quietly ranks third in the NBA in pace. Johnson is available at a dirt cheap, sub-$5,000 price tag on DraftKings, and that’s a nice bargain for his role and this matchup. If you are looking for a value option in the backcourt, Johnson is a fine fit in GPP formats.
Shooting Guard: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers – $7,500
I often fall into the trap myself. I don’t enjoy rostering guys who come off the bench in my DFS lineups. It’s uncomfortable seeing your players with zero fantasy points seven minutes into the game. The easy tendency would be to just say — hey, don’t play Lou Williams. He comes off the bench.
This is a different scenario, though. Williams is basically the sixth starter for this team. He will come into the game six minutes into the first quarter and play for the rest of the first half. He can do the same in the second half. Basically, William is assured of a 32 minute role in any game that doesn’t turn into a blowout. He’s also a volume shooter, and he will not be afraid to shoot when he gets in there. Throw in a matchup against an up tempo Suns team that doesn’t play defense and the injury to Avery Bradley, and you have a lock and load play with massive upside. Don’t let the bench role scare you away.
Small Forward: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers – $6,200
While a matchup against Dallas doesn’t usually seem like a fun one because the Mavericks don’t play fast, I have no issues taking a player or two against them. Dallas is admittedly tanking right now (and Mark Cuban paid the price for admitting it), and they already rank in the bottom third of the league in defensive efficiency. Brandon Ingram is growing into the leader of this Lakers team, and he’s even handling the ball a bit more now.
Ingram used to get a reputation as a player with a very low floor, but that has not been the case lately. He’s developed a nice consistency to his game, and the upside is there on the nights where he gets some shots to fall. I like him a lot as a mid-range play that might get somewhat overlooked this evening.
Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks – $10,500
Anthony Davis is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. LeBron James is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. Giannis Antetokounmpo is obviously a guy that you can spend up on. We know the ceilings are sky high for these three players. None of the three have a cake walk matchup tonight, so I will gravitate toward the guy that is either cheapest and/or will be likely to be the lowest owned in tournaments. The answer to that question is Antetokounmpo. He had an effortless 36/11/13 triple-double right before the All Star break, and he often gets overlooked a little bit compared to the other NBA stars. I’ll use that leverage and upside to my advantage in tournaments despite a tough matchup on tap with Toronto. The upside is still there.
Center: Alex Len, Phoenix Suns – $4,800
This one is going to be a chalky play, but I’ll happily eat it in GPP formats. I don’t love targeting Alex Len in cash games because of his unpredictable nature and the occasional foul trouble, but the upside is clearly there. As of the time I am writing this, Tyson Chandler is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game. With Greg Monroe out of town, there isn’t as much depth as there used to be in the Phoenix frontcourt. Len started the final game before the All Star break and poured in 14 points to go along with seven rebounds, three steals, and five blocks over 38 minutes. He appears to be as healthy as he has been in quite some time, and the All Star break should have helped him as well. His presence will be needed against DeAndre Jordan, too. If he stays out of foul trouble, Len has the potential to be the top point per dollar big man on the entire slate.
Good luck tonight, everyone!