Well, we’re only about three weeks into the season, but I’d like to nominate tonight’s three-game slate as the weirdest player pool we’ll see in 2021-22. In fact, let’s just say that this evening’s contest between the depleted Bucks and the even more depleted 76ers will certainly rank as one of the worst overall games of the year. It’s basically going to be a preseason contest that happens to feature 30 minutes of Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400).
Let’s break down the madness position-by-position.
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POINT GUARD
Stud
Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers, $6,400 - With the trajectory that Holiday is on, the veteran’s price point is far too cheap on Tuesday. Holiday returned from a five-game absence on Friday, then returned to Milwaukee’s starting lineup on Sunday, logging 29.9 minutes in a loss to the Wizards. His usage rates in these two contests have been 32.8% and 25.4%, respectively. Essentially, with Khris Middleton (health protocols) out, it’s up to Holiday to provide Antetokounmpo and the Bucks with a secondary scoring punch. If he registers over 30 minutes this evening, it’s hard to imagine he won’t reach 5x value.
Value
Shake Milton, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $5,200 - In their loss to the Knicks on Monday, the 76ers were forced to use what basically amounted to a seven-man rotation, with four players logging at least 38 minutes of action. Milton was not one of those four men, but you would have to assume that he’ll be a little more involved on the second night of a back-to-back. With Joel Embiid (health protocols) and Tobias Harris (health protocols) off the court in 2021-22, Milton leads Philadelphia with a 24.8% usage rate. If he can crack 30 minutes — something he’s done in two of the team’s past three games — Milton should have little issue making a fantasy impact.
SHOOTING GUARD
Stud
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz vs. Atlanta Hawks, $9,100 - After a slowish start to the season, Mitchell has turned up the aggressiveness in his past five starts. Dating back to Oct. 30, the All-Star guard owns an eye-popping 40.4% usage rate, which has translated into 1.40 DKFP per minute played. Heck, in Mitchell’s last three games, he’s taken a combined 82 field goal attempts. It would seem the man has the green light to do whatever he wants. That level of volume should pay off in a matchup against a Hawks team that owns the league’s fourth-worst defensive rating (111.5).
Value
Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $4,900 - The 76ers have needed Korkmaz to step up his game with all of team’s absences, and the 24-year-old has answered the call. So far in November, Korkmaz is averaging 30.8 minutes and 17.5 points per contest. He’s also doing these things at an incredibly efficient rate, as the wing has registered a .716 true shooting percentage within this span of time. As a general rule of thumb, if an asset is locked into playing 35-plus minutes and is less than $5K, they’re viable.
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SMALL FORWARD
Stud
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $10,500 - If you want to pay up at small forward on this slate, your options are Paul George or, well, Paul George. Still, despite the lack diversity, this is a really nice spot for the All-Star. Both the Clippers and the Blazers rank inside the top 10 of the NBA in possessions per 48 minutes, meaning we should have an uptempo matchup on our hands in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, George has been DFS monster in 2021-22, averaging a robust 1.44 DKFP per minute played. The 31-year-old also owns the league’s fourth-highest qualified usage rate (34.1%) and it’s fifth-highest steal rate (3.6%). George really does touch all categories each and every night he’s on the court.
Value
Terance Mann, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $5,100 - Things appear to be trending up for Mann. Not only is the former second-round pick coming off his best game of the season — a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Hornets — but Mann has now logged at least 30 minutes in four straight contests. His usage rate will always pale in comparison to that of George or Reggie Jackson ($6,300); yet it’s obvious Mann has settled into a nice groove so far in November.
POWER FORWARD
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers, $11,400 - Under normal circumstances, this would be a spot where blowout potential would be hurting Giannis’ viability. However, despite the current disarray of Philadelphia’s roster, the Bucks come into Tuesday having lost five of their last six games and in possession of a negative net rating for the season as a whole (-1.7). You simply can’t assume anything with this team right now. Antetokounmpo is averaging an insane 1.72 DKFP per minute in 2021-22. He’s also produced 64.8 DKFP the four times he’s logged over 34.5 minutes in a start so far this season. The ceiling is just so, so high.
Value
Robert Covington, Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers, $4,300 - Covington has snapped out of his early-season slump in the Blazers’ past three games. In fact, within that span, the veteran is averaging 27.8 DKFP per contest and is shooting 55.0% from three-point range (11-for-20). Covington is definitely an asset that’s known more for his floor than his ceiling, but at a depressed price tag, I’ll buy into that safety on a small slate.
CENTER
Stud
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $7,700 - He’s going to be the chalk this evening, but I’m just not sure how you can ignore Drummond. From a real-life perspective, Drummond’s ability to meaninglessly stuff a stat-sheet has had little value, but he’s a DFS god when he’s given the type of minutes volume he’s now set to see in Embiid’s absence. I mean, it should surprise no one that Drummond’s averaging 54.3 DKFP in his two opportunities to start in 2021-22. The Bucks also don’t really have a true center on their roster with Brook Lopez (back) sidelined, so I’d expect Drummond to dominate the glass in this matchup. Milwaukee comes into Tuesday with sixth-worst rebounding rate in the NBA (48.3%).
Value
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers, $5,400 - In the five games he’s been able to play this season, Portis owns a 26.4% usage rate. He’s attempting 25.9 field goal attempts per 100 possessions — a figure that is higher than Khris Middleton. As mentioned above, the Bucks need secondary scoring due to their injuries, and Portis has shown he’s more than willing to pick up the slack and shoot the ball whenever necessary.
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