Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 27.97 DK - 30.56
There’s word that the Warriors’ core group of guys (Curry, Klay, Draymond) aren’t ready to play 30 minutes in games yet. That’s going to really cut down on the options for cash games on this slate, making really anyone from that team a tough sell. Smart meanwhile is going to be pretty crucial for the Celtics defending the Harden/ Maxey backcourt combination. The usage is always going to be low when Tatum and Brown are on the court, and Brogdon likely cuts into this as well. But he’s not priced over $6K on either site and I think the minutes will be there.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 25.58 DK - 27.78
On a short slate of games, we typically will end up taking something of a stars and scrubs approach. That’s because getting the superstars, or at least a couple, takes high priority. That’s the case here and why getting White so cheap should be the play. With Robert Williams on the shelf, the Celtics are going to move Al Horford to the five and start White in the backcourt. That’s about all you need to know considering these price points, and he works in as close to a punt as you’ll see in the opening slate of games.
Strongly consider James Harden (FD 8900 DK 8900) under $9K on both sites, but I’m a bit concerned about his value with Maxey looking so good and taking so many shots.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 26.96 DK - 29.18
Maxey took the same number of shots as Harden over his last three preseason games and is poised for a breakout season for sure. He needs to score to hit value, which is always going to be a little dicey, but they should be able to stagger his minutes to run the second unit as well, which helps the floor some. He’s likely to be more expensive after a couple of games as well and he’s too cheap on DraftKings.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 28.74 DK - 30.4
Beverley looks entrenched in the starting lineup at this point, having rolled with that group in the three preseason games Lebron James played. He’s going to see very little usage with this crew, and that’s to be expected. But he should see minutes that push up around 30 and his services will be especially in need against a Warriors’ team that gets so much of its scoring from the backcourt. The Lakers will need Pat Bev at the point of attack and I think the minutes will help him get there on the price, especially on DraftKings.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 49.33 DK - 53.81
The Lakers are going to be in a tricky spot much of this season and will probably need every ounce of production from Lebron James and Anthony Davis for a majority of the season. And even then the playoffs aren’t assured. I think we can be bullish on Lebron’s production out of the gate, even with them as underdogs to the Warriors in the first game. This one has the highest total of the two-gamer and Lebron is coming off a season in which he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in his 56 games. The FanDuel price is fair value and the DraftKings price is simply too low.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 24.95 DK - 27.26
It looks like Lonnie Walker is going to start at the two in a Lakers’ backcourt that is already a bit banged up to start the season. While this position hasn’t ceded a ton of opportunity in the past when Lebron James and Anthony Davis are on the court, there were at least some encouraging signs from the preseason like when he took 11 shots in his 19 minutes against the Timberwolves. He’ll have to score to hit value, and the minutes might only be in the mid-20s, but he’s coming cheap on a short slate. Sometimes that’s good enough.
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 49.14 DK - 50.01
Do we know if Anthony Davis will be healthy this whole season? Nope. Has he even been healthy all preseason? Nope. But we do know he’s set to play in this first game and by early indications, there isn’t going to be any minutes restriction. For our purposes, that’s as good as we can hope for and he’s coming at a relative bargain on DraftKings especially. In his final regular-season tune-up against the Timberwolves, he did look some like his old self with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks+steals in his 27 minutes. He said he was playing with a shoulder injury which affected his shooting last season. I’m at least moderately bullish on him returning to form this season and think we are getting a bargain here.
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 32.94 DK - 34.58
Draymond Green has had a rough couple of weeks, all of his own doing of course with the high-profile incident between he and Jordan Poole making headlines in a major way. But he somehow avoided a suspension from the team and is set to start this season running full minutes for the Warriors. He only played 29 minutes a game last year, but put up sevens across the board in points, rebounds, and assists. That number is in play this season and he adds on the defensive end as well. They’ll need him specifically in this matchup and I love him as a value for both sites. Update: with worst the Warriors aren’t going max minutes with starters, Draymond gets dinged. But he’s still so cheap I think you can consider him. Strongly consider Kevon Looney.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 27.06 DK - 27.76
With Robert Williams on the shelf to start the season, Al Horford will open as the team’s starting center. That’s not a great place to be against Joel Embiid, but it should mean increased rebounding opportunities for the veteran big. He averaged 10 points, 7.7 rebounds, and two blocks+steals on a little north of 29 minutes last season. I think we could see those numbers tick up just a tad to start the year and they will need his size in this matchup.
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