Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings Breakout DFS Rookies and Sleepers
It's Friday, folks, which means it's time to get into it with some daily fantasy basketball action. This Friday we not only have a huge slate of games with 11 on tap, but it'll be loaded up with some great rookie and sleeper options to take advantage of.
If you've played much on DraftKings to this point in the 2015 NBA season, it's obvious that you can get some great value in the rookie plays, while the sleepers can be scattered all over. Let's jump right into it by looking at a few first-year players, as well as some sleepers who can help make getting those studs into your lineup just a bit easier.
Breakout Rookies
PG Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets ($5,900) vs. Phoenix Suns
Mudiay has been one of the most intriguing rookies in the NBA thus far, as he's averaged 28.5 fantasy points and has a cost of just $5,900. On Friday, he's up against a Phoenix Suns team that hasn't been bad against opposing point guards, allowing an average of 48.5 fantasy points to opposing point guards.
What's worth noting about Mudiay this Friday, though, is that the Nuggets are playing on their home floor. In his last three games playing in front of his home crowd, Mudiay has scored 36.5, 39.75 and 27 fantasy points. He seems to be one of those guys who just steps it up a bit when playing in front of his home fans.
The young point guard for the Nuggets has shown plenty of upside, and on Friday he should be an intriguing play with a sub-$6,000 price tag as well.
PF Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks ($6,100) at Oklahoma City Thunder
While many fans were left scratching their heads when the Knicks drafted Porzingis in the 2015 NBA draft, it seems that we're immediately seeing why the team was so high on him. He's now three days removed from his most impressive game of the season, as he scored 29 points, with 11 rebounds and a block, good for 46.75 fantasy points against the Charlotte Hornets.
Porzingis' ability to extend the floor and knock down threes makes him even more valuable as a power forward, and the Knicks face off against the Thunder in what should be a high-scoring game. Best of all, the Thunder have allowed 46 fantasy points to opposing power forwards this year, and I expect him to have yet another strong fantasy outing.
Porzingis has topped 28 fantasy points six times in the past 10 games, which is obviously pretty strong for his salary of just $6,100. To top it all off, we know that fans are loving on some Porzingis, as Darren Rovell of ESPN reported that the NBA actually sold out of his jerseys on Thursday.
C Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers ($7,100) at Charlotte Hornets
While Karl-Anthony Towns is likely to get much of the attention on Friday, I'm going to give the nod to Okafor here. Not only has the former Duke Blue Devil averaged 32.9 fantasy points per game this season, but he's topped 29 fantasy points in seven of his last 10 as well.
Okafor's a major playmaker, and he has played at least 30 minutes in each of the last nine games. As for the matchup, the Hornets have actually allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this year, at 49.2 points per game. Don't shy away from using Okafor, as he has a strong chance to not only out-produce Towns, but to out-produce many other centers on Friday.
Sleepers
C Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors ($5,700) at Los Angeles Lakers
What's not to love about Valanciunas' matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers?
Not only have the Lakers been terrible against opposing centers, allowing the most fantasy points per game this year at 54.5, but the big man in Toronto is fresh off a strong showing on Wednesday. In that game against the Utah Jazz, he played 33 minutes, scoring 11 points, with nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal, good for 27.75 fantasy points.
At a cost of just $5,700, with by far the best matchup on the board, there's no reason to not give him a shot in this one. Valanciunas may have had a few up-and-down games this season, but when he gets comfortable and finds a good matchup, he's more than capable of topping 30-plus fantasy points, which should happen on Friday.
PG Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($4,600) at New Orleans Pelicans
To be honest, I usually stay away from the bulk of the Spurs, with the exception of Kawhi Leonard and possibly Tim Duncan from time to time. On Friday, though, I'm rolling out the red carpet for Tony Parker.
Not only is Parker's price a very nice $4,600 at this point, but he's coming off his best performance of the year, as he scored 39.5 fantasy points against the Denver Nuggets. Next up? The worst team in the NBA against opposing point guards from a fantasy perspective: the Pelicans.
To this point in 2015, the Pelicans have allowed 55.8 fantasy points per game to point guards. Time to honor the man who dished out his 6,000th career assist earlier this week, by giving him a run in your fantasy lineups on Friday.
There's plenty of pricey options on Friday night, but the rookies and sleepers above can allow you to get a player like Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry or James Harden in your lineup.
Pricing information and scoring data obtained from DraftKings.com. All statistics courtesy of ESPN.com or RotoWire unless otherwise specified.
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