NBA - February 22nd Starting Five
The NBA season is in full swing and there are plenty of storylines and developments to get into! We still have such a large amount of season ahead and plenty of opportunities to win some money! There are four key things I look for in a player to have the highest probability of being optimal!
Price
Opponent DvP
Minutes
Usage
These four statistics paired together are the best suitors to find a gem. Almost everyone I mention below hits on atleast 2 of these if not all of them! Hopefully this will help you be more successful while building lineups and give you a higher chance of winning the big bucks!
I would also like to note that I write these articles early in the day. It is always beneficial to check @Underdog__NBA for lineup changes. Those changes could have a direct effect on some of my "favorite plays" in the sense that if a cheap guy that was one of my favorites doesn't start, then they might no longer be a favorite play or even a play at all. Check out my Twitter @HeatingUpDFS or join the Discord for any updates on favorite play changes!
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**Disclaimer: I am golfing today so I wrote this article with no ownership projections on Wednesday night (2/21). I don’t think much should change between then and today (Thursday) so hope it pans out!
PG: Keyonte George ($4,700) and Tre Mann ($5,500)
I won’t do this often but I can’t make up my mind on either. I am expecting a big post All-Star break jump for George and the Jazz kind of foreshadowed it prior to this weekend. His last game he saw 41 minutes and put up a massive 54 DK points. The game prior to that was also extremely solid with 33 minutes and 34 DK points. I see no reason with where this team is at that he won’t play big minutes and see a lot of the ball as their lead PG. They ironically play Charlotte tonight who is a bottom 5 defensive team and decent enough in pace to not keep things slow. As for Mann, LaMelo Ball is already ruled out so nothing is getting in the way of him getting big minutes and a sizeable role as well. He has 3 straight games of 30+ DK points with a ceiling of 45 DK points. Pair that with a pace up matchup against Utah and the sky is limit. Both should be massively owned, but eating that chalk is likely to be the best move.
Other PGs in Play:
High: Luka Doncic ($12,100) or Tyrese Haliburton ($9,400)
Mid: Tyus Jones ($6,100) or Immanuel Quickley ($6,800)
Cheap: Kris Dunn ($3,800) or Andrew Nembhard ($4,400)
SG: Kyrie Irving ($9,000)
This game against PHX is projected to have a massive 242.5 point implied total with plenty of scoring. Both sides have a guard that I really like (if not two guards), but I am leaning towards Kyrie as one of my favorite spend ups on the entire slate. Going into the All-Star break, he was ally starting to trend in the right direction. He had 63 DK points game against the Spurs and back to back 45+ DK points games the two prior to that. He has two games against PHX this season and both were over 45 DK points as well. If the Mavs want to make a push up the standings, winning games like this will be important and getting Kyrie locked in after a long break is always going to be good for you. Not to mention he can’t even be your first priority defensively when Luka is also out there.
Other SGs in Play:
High: Devin Booker ($9,800)
Mid: Coby White ($7,800), Jaden Ivey ($6,600) or Collin Sexton ($6,200)
Cheap: Jordan Clarkson ($5,700) or Benedict Mathurin ($4,500)
SF: Herbert Jones ($4,600)
The expectation is that Brandon Ingram will be out tonight, so I am riding with a cheap Herb Jones and hoping he doesn’t burn me. There are other Pels that get more usage, but going into the All-Star break, Jones was starting to trend atleast with his minutes. He had 27+ minutes in 5 straight which is solid and I think he sees well over 30 minutes if Ingram is out. He had a 33 and 39 DK point game in the week leading up to the break which is very solid for a guy of his price. There might be other value plays that project better, but I really see Jones being a big part of this offense going forward and the matchup against Houston is still a pace up one for New Orleans. If all the Pels studs end up playing (Ingram/McCollum/JoVal/Zion), then I might look elsewhere. If even one is out then Jones becomes a great option for me.
Other SFs in Play:
High: Jayson Tatum ($9,900) or Scottie Barnes ($8,800)
Mid: Jaylen Brown ($7,500) or RJ Barrett ($6,900)
Cheap: Cam Johnson ($5,100) or Ausar Thompson ($5,000)
PF: Aaron Gordon ($6,300)
Any time the Wizards play, I have to get a guy whose playing them. While I can go Jokic, he seems to go easy against terrible teams which the Wizards are. That puts me onto Gordon who is affordable, was playing great prior to the break and has a very easy matchup. He had 32 and 47 DK points in the two games prior to the break which is great. This is a massive pace up spot for them and Washington is bottom 5 in defensive efficiency. There is nothing in the way of him having a let down game and the ceiling is definitely there. I love him tonight in what should be an easy win for Denver with a ton of points scored.
Other PFs in Play:
High: Kevin Durant ($10,000) or Miles Bridges ($8,900)
Mid: Pascal Siakam ($8,200), Zion Williamson ($7,800) or Josh Hart ($6,400)
Cheap: Jonathan Isaac ($3,500) or Grant Williams ($4,500)
C: Ivica Zubac ($5,400)
He isn’t the first name you will ever want to click on, but if the minutes restriction is going to be lifted, he is wayyyy too cheap. He is coming off of a 28 minutes and 38 DK point game against GS just before the All-Star break. He has had some time off to get fully healthy and with the depth of the Clippers center position being trash, I see no reason they don’t try to get him 30ish minutes like they were earlier in the year. This is a big pace up spot for the Clippers and we know that Zubac won’t be top defensive priority. I think he is a great play at this price and is incredibly safe to roster regardless of ownership.
Other Cs in Play:
High: Nikola Jokic ($11,600)
Mid: Nikola Vucevic ($7,500), Myles Turner ($6,500), Jusuf Nurkic ($6,600) or John Collins ($6,200)
Cheap: Walker Kessler ($5,100) or Marvin Bagley ($5,300)
