DFS prices are out for our 2 game opening night and we are so so back! Early on in the season pricing is generally a bit more forgiving and you’ll notice throughout this article that many guys are priced lower than they were at the end of last season. With absolutely no current season data to go on and both games having a similar total this slate will be all about finding slight pricing edges. There shouldn’t be any injury shenanigans this early in the season, but still always be on top of last minute injury updates if there are any.
Let’s get into the first slate of the season! Pricing is always (Fanduel/DraftKings). I play tournaments and my picks will always bias towards volatility and upside.
Spend ups (9k and over)
Anthony Davis C ($10,800/$9,400)
Anthony Davis should be the highest scoring player on this slate and he’s rightfully the most expensive. On DK I will be playing him. He’s the most expensive player, but it’s not by a significant margin like on FD where he’s $900 more expensive than anyone else. On FD with the one center slot and the higher price I personally will not play him over a different option farther down.
Middle-to-High (7k-8.9k)
Jalen Brunson PG ($8,900/$8,700)
Brunson will not be below 9k on either site for very long. I’m an admittedly biased Knicks fan, but I think Brunson cracks 30ppg this year and takes another level up in his age 28 season. LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum are all reasonable plays around the same price point as well. I want multiple of these guys in a lineup if I can fit it, but Brunson is my priority out of this group. Relative to price I’m going Brunson>Edwards>LeBron>Tatum on this slate.
Karl-Anthony Towns C ($7,900/$7,800)
KAT is back to playing full time center and his stocks and rebounds should come up from last year. He’s grossly mispriced on FD and is a good play on DK as well. With the one C rule on FD I will have KAT in every single lineup in his Knicks debut. He will be in the high 8k low 9k range on both sites relatively soon with his new role.
Middle (5k-6.9k)
Rudy Gobert C ($7,800/$6,700)
Not playing him on FD, but he has very safe floor for his price on DK. If you’re playing cash games on DK I would prioritize Gobert.
Derrick White PG/SG ($6,900/$6,300)
I prefer the price on DK and he’s a solid play on that site. On FD you could still do it, but not as optimal.
D’Angelo Russell PG ($6,500/$6,200)
I never like playing Russell in DFS because he’s incredibly inconsistent. However, on a small slate and at a solid price on both sites he’s a good play, even if it’s a little gross.
Austin Reaves PG/SG/SF ($6,300/$6,000)
SF/SG on FD and PG/SG on DK. Reaves is a fine mid range play. Not a priority and prefer the 2 guys above him, but if you need to save a few dollars and can’t afford Russell or White he’s totally fine.
Mikal Bridges SG/SF ($6,200/$6,800)
Too expensive on DK, but arguably underpriced on FD. Another solid midrange play.
OG Anunoby SF/PF ($5,500/$5,300)
Maybe another biased Knicks fan take but I think OG will be in the 6k range relatively soon. He’s mispriced in my eyes and a priority target on this slate.
Value Town (Under 5k)
Naz Reid PF/C ($5,000/$4,900)
With no KAT in town anymore Reid may see a tiny minutes increase, and this is a bit cheap for him even without that change. My number 1 cheapish guy on both sites.
Rui Hachimura SF/PF ($4,200/$5,000)
He is the Lakers starting 3 or 4 (whichever one you want to call LeBron at this point) and is way too cheap on FD for that role. There’s better options on DK in his price range, but on FD he offers some excellent salary relief and the ability to get to multiple higher priced guys. FD priority play.
Miles McBride PG/SG ($4,300/$3,600)
He is the Knicks de-facto 6th man with no Donte in town anymore and should see between 20-28 minutes on a nightly basis. He is too cheap for his projected role increase this year.
