Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best DFS NBA DraftKings Daily Values for Oct. 30
For the 2015-16 NBA season's inaugural Friday slate, DraftKings players should trek West in search of some good old-fashioned shootouts.
Last season, eight of the league's top 10 leaders in pace hailed from the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, will rekindle their rivalry in a Western Conference Finals rematch. Stephen Curry ($9,900) and James Harden ($10,300) are fine building blocks, but they're costly.
Another two pairs of high-paced squads will clash Friday night, offering matchups loaded with fantasy value. Teams with no superstars and poor defenses fill the player pool with mid-tier bargains ripe for exploitation.
There's no East Coast bias in Friday's DraftKings value picks.
Darren Collison, PG, Sacramento Kings ($4,700)
Rather than celebrating Rajon Rondo's debut with the Sacramento Kings, a returning Darren Collison stole the show. In his first action since February, the point guard logged 13 points and six assists through 30 minutes off the bench.
During Sacramento's 111-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Collison played longer and more effectively than Rondo and starting shooting guard Ben McLemore:
| Rajon Rondo | 25 | 2-8 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | -8 |
| Ben McLemore | 20 | 2-5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -14 |
| Darren Collison | 30 | 5-12 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +1 |
Although the 28-year-old has worked for five teams through seven years, Collison is far from a journeyman reserve. He hit a groove last year before sustaining a core muscle injury, registering a career-high 16.1 points per game with 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals.
If Kings head coach George Karl gives him substantial playing time again, he'll churn out massive gains against the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season, they relinquished an NBA-high 48.46 DraftKings points per game to opposing point guards, and they didn't start the fresh campaign on a better note. Along with dishing out 14 assists, the usually selfless Ricky Rubio registered a career-high 28 points.
Collison won't immediately rip the starting job away from Rondo, but he's receiving enough playing time to flourish for $4,700 against the Lakers.
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,700); Shane Larkin, Brooklyn Nets ($3,900)
Alec Burks, SG, Utah Jazz ($4,800)
Alec Burks didn't start, but he made his time count against the Detroit Pistons. In 26 minutes, the Utah Jazz shooting guard attempted 14 shots with a 32.0 usage percentage.
It wasn't a clinic in efficiency, but he mounted 18 points and six boards. The 6'6" guard can especially hurt the Philadelphia 76ers—who relinquished an NBA-high 46.3 rebounds per game last season—on the glass.
Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert ($7,200 each) are the top benefactors of facing Philadelphia, but Burks is intriguing as an affordable guard or utility option. He's an explosive athlete on a squad lacking perimeter talent, and another 18-6 outing would serve owners well.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers ($3,600); Will Barton, Denver Nuggets ($3,000)
Danilo Gallinari, SF, Denver Nuggets ($6,300)
Fresh off a surprising 20-point upset over Houston, the Denver Nuggets will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game which will contain ample scoring opportunities.
Expect an uptempo bout, as Denver placed No. 4 in pace last season with Minnesota situated at No. 10. Both squads also finished in the bottom of defensive rating, with the Timberwolves yielding an NBA-worst 109.6 points per 100 possessions and the Nuggets issuing the fifth-worst defensive rating at 105.5.
Minnesota especially struggled against small forwards, allowing 40.77 DraftKings points per game to the position last year. This is great news for Danilo Gallinari, who began the season with 23 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes.
Although always an injury risk, the smooth-shooting 27-year-old shined when healthy last year. In 25 games as a starting forward, he posted 18.0 points, 2.6 three-pointers, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. Now he's starting and receiving a heavy spotlight in Denver's depleted lineup.
Honorable Mentions: Otto Porter, Washington Wizards ($4,800); Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz ($3,900)
Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers ($5,200)
Because he only played 14 minutes before going down for the season, Julius Randle's once bright luster faded. Yet the 2014 first-round pick's stock will rise quickly if he keeps shining in the Lakers starting lineup.
Randle exited his first full NBA game with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds. A double-double machine during his singular season in Kentucky finally has a chance to translate those skills on the pro level.
Sacramento, whose 106.5 defensive rating ranked No. 27 last year, presents the 20-year-old another favorable matchup after trouncing the Timberwolves. While the Kings drafted Willie Cauley-Stein to complement DeMarcus Cousins with a defensive-minded big man, he only played eight minutes Wednesday night.
If Randle realizes his potential as a Zach Randolph clone, he'll cost considerably more than $5,200 later in the season. Invest on the ground floor while the asking price remains reasonable.
Honorable Mentions: Ed Davis, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,100); Nemanja Bjelica, Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,700)
Meyers Leonard, C, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,500)
With LaMarcus Aldridge shifting to the San Antonio Spurs, Meyers Leonard will keep busy for the Portland Trail Blazers. He delivered a solid season debut, tallying 12 points, eight boards and three assists.
The 23-year-old flashed usefulness in small doses last year. In seven starts, he offered 12.6 points. 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 threes, but even then he only recorded 25.9 minutes a game. He logged 34 minutes on Wednesday night, a mark he only exceeded once last season.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, he averaged 13.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes last year, foreboding success as Portland's full-time starting center. Although he produced well for everyone who used him Wednesday, he also didn't command everyone's attention with a breakthrough outing, so his prime remains a tame $4,500.
The Phoenix Suns concluded the 2014-15 campaign ranked No. 25 in rebound percentage. Even with Tyson Chandler, their lack of size showed against the Dallas Mavericks as Zaza Pachulia snagged 10 boards in 25 minutes. A double-double is well in Leonard's reach Friday.
Honorable Mentions: Joffrey Lauvergne, Denver Nuggets ($4,200); Kosta Koufos, Sacramento Kings ($4,000)
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Advanced stats obtained from NBA.com and RotoGrinders unless otherwise noted.
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