This weekend will conclude the second week of the 2020-21 season already. There are plenty of opportunities to succeed in DFS betting lineups on Saturday and Sunday. Why not start the new year in the winning column? Below are five bargain players (one at each position) that play tonight. As you strategize and look to perfect your lineup, keep these five players in mind as they all have high upside value in their matchups.
PG) LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets
DK: $5,500
FD: $5,300
Yahoo: $21
DFS Outlook: The third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has had a shaky start to his career so far. In his first three games, he has averaged just over 6 points per game while shooting a head-scratching 33 percent from the field. Since then, he has put together two encouraging outings. In those two games, he put together an average of 28 MPG, 18.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 5.5 APG while shooting an impressive 54 percent from the field. His Hornets take on the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. His upside is certainly trending toward the right direction, and he could be a great bargain point guard for your DFS lineup(s).
Prediction: 27 Minutes Played, 16 Points, 7 Assists, 5 Rebounds
In Ball’s last four games, he has scored 13 or more in three of them. We are starting to see glimpses of his playmaking skills as he has recorded at least five assists in three straight games as well. Expect Ball to play at least 25 minutes tonight against a good 76ers team. You can also expect at least 10 points, five assists and five rebounds from the talented rookie. At the same time, he has the potential to flirt with a triple-double on any given night.
SG) Buddy Hield – Sacramento Kings
DK: $7,600
FD: $5,700
Yahoo: $24
DFS Outlook: Throughout his young career, Hield has been a streaky player. He will look like an All-Star and put up 40 points in one night, and then turn around and shoot the ball just 10 times and score 12 points the next night. The point is: Buddy Hield is a “dangerous” player for DFS lineups, but “dangerous” isn’t always a bad thing. In his first five games this season, he has yet to play less than 34 minutes. He has also scored at least 12 points in each contest, and he has high-rebounding potential. In his team’s matchup against Denver on December 29th, the fifth-year guard pulled in eight rebounds to go along with his 12 points and three assists. The combination of potentially scoring 30 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out a couple of assists make Hield a strong candidate to score you good fantasy points as a bargain shooting guard.
Prediction: 35 Minutes Played, 18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists
Hield and the Kings travel to Houston to take on the Rockets tonight. Sacramento (3-2) looks to prove that they are a real threat in the Western Conference, and a win over the struggling Rockets (1-2) would help tremendously. Expect Hield to play heavy minutes once again, and he should also be one of the leading scorers for his team (especially if Harden lines up on him). He has also had success against Houston in his career. In 13 games played against the Rockets, Hield has averaged 30.4 MPG, 17.2 PPG, 5 RPG and 3.1 APG. Expect similar numbers tonight.
SF) Miles Bridges – Charlotte Hornets
DK: $6,200
FD: $5,000
Yahoo: $21
DFS Outlook: Like Buddy Hield, Bridges tends to be a streaky player. On December 30th, he recorded a career outing as he poured in 20 points to go along with a career-high, 16 rebounds. Two days later, he only produced two points to go along with seven rebounds. Maybe this is one of those “new year, new me” kind of things considering Bridges put together his best all-around pro game in his last 2020 game, but then had one of his worst to start 2021. Either way, the third-year-pro has a very high upside for DFS lineup(s) tonight. He is a cheaper small forward option that can get you a ton of rebounds for his position. He is averaging over seven per game, and he can also score the rock if he needs to. He has scored double-digit points in three of his five games this year. On top of that, he has played at least 22 minutes in each contest. Don’t be afraid of placing Bridges in your lineup(s) today just because he had one bad game.
Prediction: 26 Minutes Played, 13 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists
The minutes are there; The rebounds are there. The only thing you need to worry about is Bridges scoring the ball. Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier are on scoring slumps. P.J. Washington, Gordon Hayward and Bismack Biyombo aren’t proven scorers this season either. Any one of those players, or Bridges, could lead this team in scoring. The good thing is that Bridges averages 30.5 MPG against Philadelphia – His second highest among all NBA teams. He also averages a career 8.6 PPG and 6 RPG against them. If you need a cheap small forward option, consider Bridges tonight against Philadelphia.
PF) Darius Bazley – Oklahoma City Thunder
DK: $5,400
FD: $5,500
Yahoo: $17
DFS Outlook: The second-year power forward is off to a strong start this season. He is playing 12 more minutes per game than last season, and he is also pouring in 9.3 PPG and 7.8 RPG. Bazley flirts with a double-double every night, and he has the potential to score plenty of points considering Oklahoma City is a new team this season. They parted ways with their head coach (Billy Donovan), traded Chris Paul and also got rid of Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Shroder and Steven Adams. Bazley has a high motor, and he has the skills to be a good power forward in this league. Because he plays over 30 minutes per game, he is a great, cheap, option for DFS lineup(s).
Prediction: 29 Minutes Played, 14 Points, 10 Rebounds, 1 Assist
Bazley has recorded double-digit rebounds in two of his four games this season, but he has only surpassed nine points once. Expect a double-double tonight against an Orlando team that looks like a real threat in the Eastern Conference (4-1). Although the Magic are one of the best rebounding teams in the league (T-9th in RPG) this season, Bazley will more than likely be side-by-side with Aaron Gordon for most of tonight’s matchup. Gordon isn’t a great rebounder for his position as he is averaging just 6 RPG this season and 6.4 per game in his career. Expect plenty of rebounding opportunities for Bazley tonight, and if his team struggles to score, he could put up a good point-total as well.
C) Bismack Biyombo – Charlotte Hornets
DK: $4,900
FD: $5,000
Yahoo: $13
DFS Outlook: Biyombo is coming off his best performance of the season as he led his team in scoring last night. He recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds and two assists in his fourth straight start for the Hornets. The hand injury suffered to Cody Zeller has allowed Biyombo to slip into the starting lineup, and he has impressed thus far. In those four starts, the athletic center has produced 10.5 PPG and 8.3 RPG. He won’t put up crazy numbers, but he has always proven to be a great rebounder in this league. If you need a cheaper center to put into your lineup, Biyombo might be your best bargain deal.
Prediction: 33 Minutes Played, 13 Points, 11 Rebounds, 3 Assists
Yes, he is going against Joel Embiid tonight. But Embiid is coming off a game where he allowed Nikola Vucevic to put up 19 points and 10 rebounds. Biyombo isn’t as good of a scorer than Vucevic, but he definitely holds his weight in the rebounding category. Expect a double-double of some sort tonight from Biyombo, but don’t expect him to lead his team in scoring again. He should play plenty of minutes considering the Hornets don’t have another proven big-man that can defend Embiid all night.
