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Thursday night NBA action will feature four games on the NBA DFS slate. The first game will begin at 7 p.m. ET (NYK@PHI), but the bulk of the slate will not start until later with two games tipping at 8 p.m. ET (POR@IND, SAC@OKC) and one at 10:30 p.m. ET (LAL@GSW).
It is hard to not start the conversation of this slate without mentioning news related to stars and expensive DFS plays. LeBron James is scheduled to miss the game with a sore groin, and the 76ers lost All-Star big man, Joel Embiid, early in the game last night. This news could shape the slate depending on what changes between now and tip-off. Remember, this article should be read from a directional standpoint with an understanding that this was written as a preview well before the slate begins. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/27/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
Drew Deen is an experienced DFS player with 15+ $3,000 finishes and 10+ first-place finishes in large-field GPP tournaments. Be sure to check out the NASCAR premium content where Drew's work is featured, along with many others, through premium rankings and more. Additionally, be sure to check out the Garage Guys Sports Podcast for a relaxed, fun conversation on sports and entertainment.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Shake Milton - PG, vs NYK ($4,700)
With Ben Simmons already out of the lineup last night, the 76ers were unfortunate to lose another star when Joel Embiid exited the game early. While I do not know the severity of the injury at the time of this writing, I am going to assume he will not be rushed back to play on a back to back. This should mean we will see some concentrated ownership on the other key players of the 76ers - and rightfully so. One player that will be on my radar and in my early player pool is Shake Milton. Although the sample size is small, Milton's usage rate increases by nearly 8% to a rate of 27.5% when the two stars of the 76ers are off the floor. Additionally, Milton is coming off a solid 20-4-4 game just last night without Simmons and Embiid (just 7 minutes of action).
Josh Richardson - SG, vs NYK ($5,300)
Another player that should benefit from the absence of Embiid and Simmons is first-year 76er, Josh Richardson. Without Ben Simmons at PG and without as many post touches and isolations for Embiid, Richardson should see more time on the ball and more shot attempts. I'm expecting the 76ers to fill the void left by Simmons and Embiid through a joint effort, which should mean multiple 76ers exceeding the value of their price tag. Plan to use at least two 76ers in each lineup, and expect Richardson to be one of the guys to assert himself a little more than usual on Thursday night. Like Milton, Richardson also sees a usage bump of 4.7% to 26.4% without the top dogs of the 76ers on the floor.
Rajon Rondo / Alex Caruso - PG, @ GSW ($3,500 / $3,400)
Lebron James is scheduled to miss Thursday night action against the Warriors with a sore groin. This will leave a huge void with the most obvious potential beneficiary being Anthony Davis. While Davis should feast on this Warriors team, I like the idea of taking some chances on other playmakers that could handle playmaking and ball-handling responsibilities. At the time of writing, I do not have an idea of what the starting lineup will be, but both Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso are on my radar. Rondo is a guy that can fill up the stat sheet when he is both "locked-in" and given minutes. Caruso is another guy that is sporadic or "boom or bust." This honestly comes down to what Frank Vogel decides to do with the rotation so be sure to monitor the news and feel free to reach out to me closer to the slate @DrewDeen.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Tobias Harris - SF/PF, vs NYK ($7,500)
Last July, the 76ers made a huge commitment to versatile forward Tobias Harris by giving him a five-year max contract. Unlike other max players, Harris is in a unique situation of being the third star on the team, but that will not be the case Thursday night. As mentioned earlier, the Philidelphia 76ers are expected to be shorthanded without their two stars - Embiid and Simmons. Tobias Harris should slide into the role of the primary scorer and volume shooter. This combined with a not so intimidating matchup with the New York Knicks should provide Harris with an opportunity to put up a monster performance and exceed the value of his 7.5k price. The Knicks are right around the league average in terms of defending the position, and I expect this game to stay competitive.
Kyle Kuzma - PF/C, @ GSW ($3,900)
The once-promising late first-round draft choice, Kyle Kuzma, has been quite disappointing this season. Many expected Kuzma to be the necessary, key third piece to Lebron James and Anthony Davis. However, Kuzma has struggled to build off his early career success, and he even was heavily discussed as a trading piece at the trade deadline. The struggles can easily be forgotten if Kuzma can help the Lakers push for and win an NBA title. With Lebron James scheduled to miss the game Thursday night, Kuzma will have an opportunity to take on a larger role in the offense against a weak Warriors team. Perhaps Kuzma can use this opportunity to gain some confidence as the playoffs approach. Look to Kuzma and other Laker players as potential high-upside tournament plays.
Al Horford- PF/C, vs NYK ($5,200)
Chalk Al Horford - what could go wrong? I feel like this guy always burns me, but I will not let that get in the way of me playing him. Last night with Embiid exiting early, Horford put up 30 DK points with only ten actual points. This is encouraging considering the price of $5,200. In the event Joel Embiid does suit up and play, there would be an obvious downgrade here. However, I would be comfortable firing up Horford paired with another 76er or two if Embiid sits as expected. Last night with the 76ers shorthanded it was obvious that Horford played a more central role in the offense with a stat line that included five assists. Look for Horford to receive the ball in plenty of high post situations with the option to square up and shoot, drive, or pass to a cutter.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Harry Giles - C, @ OKC ($5,500)
The minutes and production have been up for Giles with back to back games of 32+ DK points. This has led to a price increase for Giles, but I'm not sure if it is time to take him off of our radar just yet. Usually, when we see a price increase like this, I typically look elsewhere. However, without many healthy bigs on the roster, we could continue to see Giles produce at a clip that makes him a solid play, even at this increased price. The most likely case for him not hitting or exceeding value is the Kings electing to go small. This is a play I plan to re-evaluate tomorrow after doing further research. My interest would definitely exist if he is expected to be low owned in tournaments.
