Starting 5: DVP Cheat Sheet - Sunday, February 1st
The Starting 5 Series will provide Grinders with a quick look at the day’s top positional plays, analyzed through the lens of our Daily Research Tools.
Today we’ll take a closer look at the DVP Cheat Sheet tool. DVP is where I like to start my research as it gives me a solid base of players to begin with. I don’t recommend playing any cash games today on a two-game slate, so just throw together a few GPP lineups and have a little NBA sweat before the Super Bowl.
Point Guard: Jose Calderon (NYK)
This pick isn’t for the faint of heart, but Calderon should be a nice differentiation play from Langston Galloway. Calderon has shown the ability to reach 6x his salary, as he has done so twice in the last ten games. I wouldn’t be shocked if he can do it again today against the Lakers who are the worst in the league at defending the point guard spot.
Shooting Guard: Wayne Ellington (LAL)
Wayne Ellington has really stepped his game up since Kobe went down. It doesn’t look like Nick Young will play today, either. That means that Ellington will get all the minutes and shots that he can handle. He has taken full advantage of this opportunity and is averaging 36 FanDuel points over the last two games. Given that production and his $5,200 price tag, Ellington should be 100% owned today. Fade at your own risk.
Small Forward: Luol Deng/James Ennis (MIA)
If Deng is in the lineup today, then play him. With Wade out for the next several weeks, Deng’s usage should get a nice bump. If Deng is out, then fire up the Ennis train. Erik Spoelstra has already said that Ennis will be getting more minutes with Wade out, and he will get an even bigger bump if Deng has to sit again. He will be a must play at min price, especially in a matchup with a just-below-average Boston defense against the SF position.
Power Forward: Chris Bosh (MIA)
Chris Bosh is a usage monster with Wade out. Pair that with the Celtics inability to guard bigs and Bosh is my top play on the slate. Boston is on par with the Sixers in terms of defending the power forward position, and any time a team can be compared to Philly defensively, we need to take notice.
Bosh had a rough shooting game against the Mavericks, but I fully expect him to have a nice bounce back game today. If Deng sits, Bosh should get 20+ shot attempts, and in this matchup, that means Bosh could go crazy and post the top score of the day.
Center: Jordan Hill (LAL)
I’ll admit that Hassan Whiteside is the top play at center, but I like Jordan Hill as a slight against-the-grain play. Hill will be lower owned with a similar ceiling. He is also coming off of one of his best games of the season. Smith and Amundson can’t match the athleticism of Hill so he should be able to get wherever he wants down low. We also have the extremely scientific revenge factor, as Hill probably wouldn’t mind sticking it to the Knicks.
Hopefully this information helps you with your roster construction today and leads you to a nice score. As always feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me on Twitter, @Socky21.