We have a four-game slate tonight with limited value. More value could open up as we get closer to lock but, at the moment, it is difficult to prioritize any of the most expensive options tonight in DFS contests. Using Stokastic’s NBA DFS projections, let’s take a deeper dive into the player pool to discuss the top NBA DFS high-priced studs for today, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Domantas Sabonis, at DraftKings and FanDuel.
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NBA DFS Studs: Giannis Antetokounmpo & Domantas Sabonis
Stud No. 1 – Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks v.s Chicago Bulls
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,100/FanDuel: $11,400
- Stokastic’s Point Projections: DraftKings: 55.1/FanDuel: 54.3
- Stokastic’s Ownership Projections: DraftKings: 9%/FanDuel: 15.8%
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most expensive player on both sites tonight in a matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Chicago is in the bottom third of the league in defensive efficiency, but they have also played at the league’s second-slowest pace. Damian Lillard is probable for Milwaukee after missing the last couple of games, and his return will cut into Antetokounmpo’s production. In seven games played alongside Lillard this season, Antetokounmpo has produced 1.44 DraftKings points per minute in 31 minutes per game. By comparison, he has produced 1.91 DraftKings points per minute in his two games without Lillard. He is a stronger play on FanDuel than DraftKings as the pricing is softer on FanDuel so he is easier to afford. While he is difficult to prioritize on DraftKings, he is my preferred option amongst players above $10,000 in salary.
Stud No. 2 – Domantas Sabonis: Sacramento Kings vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,100/ FanDuel: $10,100
- Stokastic’s Point Projections: DraftKings: 49.3/FanDuel: 47.0
- Stokastic’s Ownership Projections: DraftKings: 11.7%/FanDuel: 22.9%
Domantas Sabonis is much less expensive than Antetokounmpo in tonight’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs rank 11th in defensive rating and 12th in pace so far this season. Sacramento is expected to be without De’Aaron Fox once again, but that should have a minimal impact on Sabonis’ production. He has produced 1.31 DraftKings points per minute in five games without Fox this season and 1.34 DraftKings points per minute in 13 games without Fox since the start of last season. In 74 games played alongside Fox over that time, Sabonis has produced 1.41 DraftKings points per minute and he has produced 1.48 DraftKings points per minute in the three games that he has shared the floor with Fox this season. While Fox’s absence doesn’t do Sabonis any favors, he is still a relatively strong option, as he has averaged about 35 minutes per game this season and remains a strong point-per-minute producer. He has power forward eligibility on FanDuel, which makes him much easier to roster than on DraftKings, where he is only eligible at the center position.
Stud No. 3 – Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,000/FanDuel: $10,600
- Stokastic’s Point Projections: DraftKings: 49.3/FanDuel: 47
- Stokastic’s Ownership Projections: DraftKings: 9.4%/FanDuel: 6.9%
Tatum has an unappealing matchup against the Knicks, who rank second in defensive rating and 26th in pace so far this season. Tatum does still offer plenty of upside, as he has produced 1.33 DraftKings points per minute this season with a 28.9 percent usage percentage, 15.1 percent assist percentage and 13.3 percent rebounding percentage. Tatum has a nearly identical projection to Sabonis but has more favorable positional eligibility. He is a stronger play on DraftKings than FanDuel because he is more expensive than Sabonis on FanDuel but Sabonis has power forward eligibility there as well.
There are only four games tonight, but it will be important as always to keep an eye on news that breaks throughout the day. Be sure to check out Stokastic’s Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows.
