Happy New Year! The first two NBA games of 2015 will have trouble matching the excitement and drama of the 2014 finale. Russell Westbrook was ejected before the half for two technicals, so Kevin Durant took over.
KD wasn’t even certain to appear after missing six games with an ankle injury, and even when it was confirmed that he’d start, we were sure he’d be on a tight minutes restriction. Instead, he played a spectacular 40 minutes including the overtime period, scoring 44 points (with 10 AST, 7 REB and six 3-pointers) to win it for the Thunder. Congratulations if you saw that coming and capitalized.
DFS action for Thursday closes at 8:00 ET. The two-game slate presents a different kind of lineup construction puzzle, as there are fewer “pieces” of each salary “shape” and fewer reliable options at each position.
Plays of the Day
Open a new account at DraftKings and get a FREE entry for the $45K Layup — the winner gets $5,000 and 5,075 of 25,875 teams will earn cash prizes. Your initial deposit ($5 or more) is matched 100% up to $600 with bonus money, which you earn a dollar at a time as you play. Play for higher stakes in the $70K Crossover — $27 to enter, maximum 2,940 teams, top 605 get paid and first place is worth $10,000.
DK is also launching the January Jam, a six-sport, $2.7 MILLION contest that costs $100 to enter, but you can qualify for a ticket by entering one of many Satellite events for $5, $2 or even a quarter. Those tickets let you choose which sport’s Jam final(s) you want to try, like the $2 Million NFL Millionaire Maker on January 10, but as strictly an NBA and MLB guy, I’ll be trying to get as many seats as possible this month into the $500,000 Slam Dunk on January 28. Click the image for more information.
Despite my enthusiastic support and financial investment, the Nuggets lost at home to the Lakers on Tuesday, which doesn’t bode well for their chances in Chicago. However, the Bulls have had a mediocre week thus far, barely beating the Pacers on Monday before a lackluster effort at home the following night. They averaged just 86 points in those two games, with Derrick Rose $7000 shooting a combined 7-for-35. Rose, Jimmy Butler $8800 and Pau Gasol $8900 are capable of much better. Denver relies mainly on Ty Lawson $9700, especially with Wilson Chandler $6300 (quad) day-to-day. Kenneth Faried $6500 complained of “dead legs” after three absolutely brilliant efforts and played poorly in just 20 minutes on Tuesday.
The Kings may have been unhappy about being on the road for New Year’s Eve, as they barely showed up for a 20-point thrashing in Boston. DeMarcus Cousins $11100 seemed to want to get ejected, and got his wish. In the opinion of one old fantasy columnist, he also deserves a suspension for assaulting Marcus Smart. Remind me again why the coach who seemed to be helping this angry child become a man got fired? DMC, Rudy Gay $8600, Darren Collison $6600 and their teammates shot an abysmal 36.8 % against a poor defensive team, didn’t get to celebrate (much) and might go through the motions again.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves were relaxing at home last night with family and friends. Presumably they are motivated to start the new year by snapping a nine-game losing streak. Andrew Wiggins $5800 is too young to drink legally, so he could be the best player on the court. He and Shabazz Muhammad $6900 have been getting more minutes since the Corey Brewer trade, and have risen to the challenge most nights. Thaddeus Young $6200 is showing signs of a breakout, but Gorgui Dieng $6700 looked a step slow with a sore ankle the last couple of games. Zach Levine $4500 is starting over Mo Williams $4200 at PG; either or both could pay their way.
Today’s sample lineup and Short List assumes that Cousins doesn’t play well, if at all. If he escapes further punishment from the league and can focus on his own game, he’s obviously the most dominant C on the board. Check for news updates before finalizing your rosters.
Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
PG | Ty Lawson $9700 | Derrick Rose $7000 | Zach LaVine $4500 |
SG | Jimmy Butler $8800 | Arron Afflalo $6000 | Nik Stauskas $3000 |
SF | Rudy Gay $8600 | S. Muhammad $6900 | Andrew Wiggins $5800 |
PF | Pau Gasol $8900 | Thaddeus Young $6200 | Carl Landry $3300 |
C | Joakim Noah $7400 | Gorgui Dieng $6700 | Ryan Hollins $3000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.