NBA Daily Fantasy Helper: 2020 All-Star Game
The 2020 NBA All-Star game is nearly here, and you can get your action in on NBA odds and build some rosters at FanDuel
Don't forget to enter FanDuel's Props Pick'em. If you guess all five correctly, you'll share the cut of $25,000, so be sure to get in on the action.
Which players stand out in the All-Star Game format, which requires five players to be rostered three special player spots (an MVP, whose fantasy points are multiplied by 2.0, a STAR, whose fantasy points are multiplied by 1.5, and a PRO, whose fantasy points are multiplyed by 1.2)?
MVP, STAR, and PRO Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($15,500) - Last year, Antetokounmpo went off in the All-Star game with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists over 27 minutes. Starters average about 10 more minutes than reserves in the All-Star game, and team captains are always in play to lead in minutes. He has had time to rest this week after the birth of his child, so he could be as energized this year as he was last year in the big game. Giannis is the first place to look in this matchup after his 23-field-goal attempt game last year.
James Harden ($15,000) - I've got no issues with LeBron James ($15,000), but Harden should come in at lower ownership than his team's captain. Harden had a lull this season but enters the break with 40-plus points in three of his past six games. We know we want starters for the extra minutes, but no stat correlates better to FanDuel production than actual points, and that's true in the All-Star game. Shot attempts are close behind. Harden is third in the NBA in field goal attempts per 100 possessions.
Trae Young ($13,000) - Young is starting for Team Giannis and can fill up the stat sheet but also should have some three-point attempts coming his way given the starting five. While Team LeBron simply has more scorers, Young is one of the few pure scorers on Team Giannis, and among the starters, his 29.7 points per game are second behind Antetokounmpo himself (30.0). No other starter averages more than 23.5. Young should have a great opportunity to let it ride.
Others to Consider: LeBron James ($15,000), Kawhi Leonard ($14,000), Luka Doncic ($13,500)
Utility Picks
Pascal Siakam ($10,000) - Siakam is a starter for Team Giannis and is much, much better than most people probably realize. He's averaging 23.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game. Rebounds are the most important non-scoring/non-shooting stat in All-Star games. We could see him on the court plenty, and Siakam can run in transition. At $2,000 cheaper than the average salary, he's a good pick in a balanced lineup build. Siakam was the fourth overall pick and Giannis' second pick in the entire field.
Kemba Walker ($8,500) - Similar to Siakam, Walker is a starter for Team Giannis and was actually the sixth overall pick in the draft. Walker can let it fly, too, and he averages 25.0 field goals per 100 possessions, a top-20 rate in the league. We should take the savings on a starter whenever possible.
Khris Middleton ($6,000) - The cheapest play on the slate, Middleton put up 31.0 FanDuel points in last year's game (scoring 20 points on 13 shots and hitting 6 of 10 from deep). Giannis didn't draft his Milwaukee Bucks teammate as a starter but did make him the first reserve pick. He can pay off his salary easily and opens up a lot of value for the superstars.
Others to Consider: Jayson Tatum ($11,500), Devin Booker ($10,500), Jimmy Butler ($9,000), Domantas Sabonis ($6,500)
