NBA - November 8th Starting Five
The time has come. The NBA is BACK! We have a very long season ahead of us with plenty of storylines and rookies to follow. Will any of the freshman make an impact this year given the narrative behind this draft? Will the Celtics steam roll again? I can’t wait to find out.
There are six key things I look for in a player to have the highest probability of being optimal!
Price
Ownership
Optimal Rate/Leverage Score
Opponent Pace and Defensive Efficiency
Minutes
Usage
These six 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!
Socials
If you enjoy all of the content, there are multiple ways to show support! We have a Twitter and Discord Channel that you can join for up to the hour line up discussion and slate overviews! Click the links below to join/follow!
Heating Up Sports is officially partnering up with DFS Hero to continue to stress our core values of using analytical data to find edges in the Daily Fantasy landscape while also maintaining strong community values to help others and grow as a whole. I will be using their tools to power all of my articles and analysis. Come join the DFS Hero community today for 10% off your first month!
Previous Day Recap:
PG: Keyonte George / 18.75 / 2.9x / Trash
SG: Donte DiVincenzo / 33 / 6.7x / Smash
SF: Zach Lavine / DNP
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo / 57.5 / 5.2x / Smash
C: Naz Reid / 10 / 1.8x / Trash
Analysis: I hated that slate from the get go and am glad things opened up. Andre Jackson starting made him the SF play for me, Keyonte went to Conley when Clarkson and Mark were marked in and the rest worked out. I ended up on a Wemby/Giannis stack and Wemby bubbled me. Naz Reid is always a boom or bust option so I can’t be too mad there. Tough night, but we move on to a normal slate again today which is great.
PG: Derrick White ($7,200)
Without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps, White sees such a big usage bump that it can’t be ignored. He has averaged 42 DK points/game in just Brown’s absence and I fully expect that to continue here. They face the Nets who has had a bottom 10 defensive efficiency this season and is undersized at the G position. His price point is still too cheap for the role he is currently playing so jam him into your lineups with confidence.
Honorable Mentions:
Luka Doncic ($11,600)
Cade Cunningham ($8,600)
Tyrese Haliburton ($8,100)
Jose Alvarado ($5,700)
Amen Thompson ($4,700)
SG: Brandon Boston ($4,400)
He has started each of the last two games with CJ and Murray both out. There is a chance Zion is also out tonight which just opens up so much for the rest of this team. In those two starts, he has averaged 37 minutes and 31 DK points/game. He faces Orlando who is fairly solid defensively, but the run at an above average pace and without Paolo anything could happen. I just love the role he has right now and at this price point he can’t be ignored.
Honorable Mentions:
Jordan Poole ($7,900)
Tyler Herro ($6,800)
Jaden Ivey ($6,300)
Carlton Carrington ($5,500)
Donte DiVincenzo ($5,000)
SF: Josh Hart ($6,700)
We all know what’s going to happen. Mikal Bridges this past week has buried me so when I finally pivot off of him to Hart who was the one I really should have been on, Hart will have his stinker and Bridges will go for 45 DK points. Besides that point, Hart is just wildly underpriced for a guy playing close to 40 minutes, averaging 15 peripherals/game (assists and rebounds) over the last 10 games and is dangerously close to a triple double almost every game. He won’t shoot too much, but is always very efficient with the shots he gets up and with Milwaukee bottom 5 in defensive efficiency, I believe this whole team will be able to have an efficient night. That means more assist opportunities for Hart who is going to have the ball in his hands a ton. Until he is in the mid $7,000 range, he needs to get recognition.
Honorable Mentions:
Brandon Ingram ($8,400)
Franz Wagner ($8,000)
OG Anunoby ($5,600)
Bennedict Mathurin ($5,400)
Tari Eason ($4,300)
PF: Tobias Harris ($5,900)
He might be the ugliest roster ever, but he gets the job done and without Jalen Duren he will have more rebound upside. A matchup against Atlanta who is undersized in the paint will make it perfect for him to not only get up more shots outside but also down low. Even with Duren he was scoring 30 DK points or higher fairly consistently so without him the expectations are going to be higher. His price is very cheap for the role and I actually think with Dyson Daniels being a great G defender, they will want to utilize the F and C positions more which puts Harris in a spot to have a ceiling performance.
Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Durant ($8,600)
Jalen Johnson ($8,500)
Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,200)
Santi Aldama ($6,100)
Grant Williams ($4,300)
C: Myles Turner ($6,200)
Without James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, Turner pretty much has to play well over 30 minutes. In the last two games against Orlando and Dallas he has averaged 35 minutes and 45 DK points/game and now gets the best matchup of the night against Charlotte who is without Mark Williams and Nick Richards which forces them to go very small. He should grab just about every rebound and get plenty of scoring opportunities. He is nearly a lock for a double double, but has a lot more upside than just that. This price is just way too cheap to pass up given all of the factors he has going for him tonight.
Honorable Mentions:
Nikola Jokic ($11,800)
Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,400)
Bam Adebayo ($7,400)
Daniel Gafford ($5,100)
Goga Bitadze ($5,000)
Neemias Queta ($4,500)
Isaiah Stewart ($4,300)
