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So I wake up this morning — somewhat hungover — and much to my she-grin, there it is, as clear as the sky (well not in New Jersey). I take a gander at the prices on DraftKings and am truly stunned to see Luka Doncic STILL under $12,000. It’s pure insanity at this point. It’s like free points being handed out. I don’t get it.
Anyway, we’ve got a nice little 10-gamer on tap for Friday in the NBA and a lot of options to choose from. Luckily, it shouldn’t be too hard to construct an optimal lineup for cash games, so let’s get into some picks.
Luka Doncic, DAL vs. CLE, $11,400
I feel like Bud Kilmer handing out a game ball at this point. Surprise, surprise, Luka Doncic! As I alluded to above — both in the headline and first paragraph might I add — he’s still underpriced for the Dallas Mavericks. Did any of the people making prices watch what Doncic did to the Warriors on Wednesday? Luka had a 35-point triple-double — his second in as many games — in the third quarter (with like 4-5 minutes left). He’s got 70+ DK fantasy points in three of his past four games. I fully expect him to dismantle the Cavaliers in about a half of basketball, and is the cash-game staple for tonight.
Andre Drummond, DET at ATL, $8,500
The Atlanta Hawks are a below average rebounding team and Andre Drummond is, well, an above average rebounder. Pretty simple formula here. The Detroit Pistons haven’t exactly been playing inspired basketball, but a matchup vs. the Hawks bumps them up a bit. Drummond’s at his lowest price point since the second game of the season, which was against Atlanta, in which the big man posted 21 points and 12 rebounds for 48.5 DKFP. There are a lot of decent mid-range center plays but I think Drummond is the safest to pay up for.
Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN vs. SAC, $7,600
In the long list of DFS laws, it is written: If Kyrie Irving is out, play Spencer Dinwiddie. And it was done. Praise be. Somebody out there is like “Ants In My Eyes” Johnson going “I hope these prices aren’t too low!” Dinwiddie has seen his price climb significantly since Irving was ruled out last week vs. the Bulls. He’s getting a lot of usage and has returned nice value at his previous price points. Kings-Nets should be up in pace and Sacramento is around middle of the pack in terms of 3-point shooting percentage allowed at 35.7%. For now, Dinwiddie’s price is right around the point where he’s still a good cash play, but soon he’ll be too expensive. Get in on it now.
Tobias Harris, PHI vs. SAS, $6,200
The Philadelphia 76ers need to figure something out and Harris hasn’t played all that well this season. But neither have the San Antonio Spurs and they’ll head to Philly tonight sporting one of the worst defensive efficiency ratings in the NBA. This is not your dad’s Spurs Gregg Popovich team, ladies and gentlemen. Harris has actually strung together a few decent games — at least 21 points in two of three — and this is a spot in which his ceiling is pretty high. San Antonio gets into up-and-down games and are allowing teams to shoot 38.1% from distance this season, fourth-highest.