Chicago is your one-stop shop for value on today’s slate. With Lavine ruled out, there will be plenty of extra shots and minutes for the Bulls. You’ll also want to get some exposure to Atlanta, who just cut starting forward Ersan Ilyasova and have numerous injured bench players.
Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn: Others will flock to Lavine’s replacement in the starting lineup, Justin Holiday, but I expect Markannen and Dunn to be the biggest beneficiaries here. Since he’s returned from injury Lavine has been the Bulls highest usage player by a good bit, so their second and third options will be called upon frequently today. Markannen is the better of the two on DraftKings where he benefits from the extra 0.5 bonus on three-pointers, while Dunn can rack up steals and blocks quickly, making him a high-upside FanDuel play. Probability of top-3 value: Markkanen 19.3% DK, 19.65% FD. Dunn 11.4% DK, 26.35% FD.
Dennis Schroder and John Collins: Ersan Ilyasova’s departure to the Sixers frees up shots down low for Collins who’s proven to be very capable when given the minutes. But everyone and their grandmother will be on him today with high ownership expected on both sites. The high-upside GPP play here is Schroder who may get somewhat overlooked on a Russell Westbrook slate. Schroder’s backup, Malcolm Delaney, is out, so he’ll be pushed for extra minutes and at least a couple more shots with Ilyasova out of the picture. Probability of top-3 value: Schroder 16.8% DK, 17.55% FD. Collins 12.2% DK, 19.25% FD.
