Must plays

Home/Tag: Must plays

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 28

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 28

Busy night on the diamond with 14 teams in action past the 7:07 ET first pitch. In todays article, I will outline what must plays and stay aways you should be aware of as well as some cheap players that will produce for you in the bargain bin.

Must Plays

Sean Manaea – LHP ($7,600) – vs Houston Astros

Sean Manaea is the Athletics’ prized prospect that came over in the Ben Zobrist trade. Manaea has been carving batters up in Triple-A, averaging 10.5 K/9. A strikeout happy pitcher, Manaea will have the opportunity to square off against a strikeout happy lineup. As a wholehe Astros have struckout the most in the majors, a whopping 224 times. Manaea will be a chalky play, so use him accordingly in cash games.

Manny Machado – 3B ($4,200) – vs Chicago White Sox

Manny Machado has been raking at home. He sports a .455 AVG a .512 SLG%. He’s ran into a bit of a slump lately (all while on the road) so many people will be off of him. In DraftKings, we love the long ball and Machado is no stranger to launching one past the fence. Carlos Rodon is who he’ll be facing and Rodon has been prone to making atleast one major mistake a game. Machado should be the man to take advantage of that.

Stay Aways

Jimmy Rollins – SS ($4,100) – @ Baltimore Orioles

Let’s start by saying that Jimmy Rollins is 37 years old. He doesn’t swipe bags and he doesn’t hit homeruns. Banking on him to have a multi-hit game is both risky and not suggested. If you’re going to spend up at the SS position, there are much better names to spend your money on.

Jake Peavey – RHP ($7,500) – @ New York Mets

Jake Peavey is grossly overpriced, especially against the Mets. He’s had one good outing all year and he only racked up 19 DK points. While he doesn’t walk a ton of batters, he doesn’t strike them out either. So even if he gives you a quality start – his ceiling is about 20 DK points.

The Bargain Bin

Juan Nicasio – RHP ($5,800) – vs Cincinnati Reds

The best part about this matchup is the fact that the Reds haven’t figured out how to score on the road. Their 29 runs scored is the lowest number in the National League. Juan Nicasio’s hard hit ball percentage is at the lowest mark of his career (20.8%) and his high K/9 has carried over from last year (10.03 – 9.45). Nicasio is a must play against the power-less reds.

Brandon Drury – 3B/OF ($3,000) – vs Colorado Rockies

Brandon Drury is getting a ton of playing time in Arizona and rightfully so. He launched a 442 foot homerun last night and has a .950 OPS. His walk rate could use a bit of help but if he’s swinging the hot stick, he doesn’t need to walk for DFS purposes.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB DFS or season long questions – feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 22

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 22

Packed slate tonight on the diamond with every single team in action. In todays article, I will outline what must plays and stay aways you should be aware of as well as some cheap players that will produce for you in the bargain bin.

Must Plays

Matt Moore – LHP ($7,900) – @ New York Yankees

After one shaky start to kick off the year, Matt Moore seems to have found a groove. After two lost years due to injury, he’s found his 2013 all star form early on in the season. His fastball velocity is actually the highest he’s ever had it in his career (92.6 MPH) and he’s been mixing in an effective knuckle curve. As a team, the Yankees are 25th in total bases (182) so Moore should be able to get to work against a slow-starting New York lineup. (editor’s note be careful of weather)

Carlos Correa – SS ($4,700) – vs Boston Red Sox

With Trevor Story being $400 more, now is a great time to play Carlos Correa in your cash lineups. His isolated power (ISO) is still above .200 and his plate discipline is actually improved (Only swinging at 23.5% of pitches outside the zone compared to last years rate of 32.4%). He just needs one good explosion and against Steven Wright who doesn’t strike many out – Correa should return value tonight.

Stay Aways

Jeff Samardzjia – RHP ($9,300) – vs Miami Marlins

Jeff Samardzjia’s price, combined with his outcome so far this season makes him a trap. While he might get you a win because he plays for San Francisco, he’s not going to strike a ton out and he’s also going to give up his fair share of hits and walks. His velocity is also below 93 MPH for the first time since 2010.  All of this equals no value at $9,300.

Tyler White – 1B ($4,400) – vs Boston Red Sox

Tyler White hasn’t had a multi-hit game since April 11th. It seems like if he’s not going yard – he’s not getting value. He has five strikeouts in his last four games to go along with an 0-4 showing on the 21st against Texas. At his price tag, there are tons of safer options out there.

The Bargain Bin

Nick Tropeano – RHP ($6,100) vs Seattle Mariners

Filling in for the injured Andrew Heaney, Nick Tropeano has done an admirable job. He’s only given up one earned run in 10.2 innings of work. In his career against the current Mariners lineup, he’s only given up the long ball once and it was against Nelson Cruz. At $6,100, you save a lot of money and are pretty much guaranteed to hit value.

Russell Martin – C ($3,300) vs Oakland Athletics

Russell Martin has run into a bit of bad luck to start the year. Mechanically, there’s nothing wrong except for the fact that when he hits it hard, it’s always right to an outfielder. Speaking of hitting it hard… He’s hitting the ball hard at a higher percentage this year (34.6%) compared to any year in his career. Don’t forget that he slugged 23 a year ago.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More

DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays |Stay Aways |The Bargain Bin, April 8th

Just six days left in the NBA’s regular season and Friday marks the second busiest day remaining with ten games on the slate. Somebody from last weeks article goes right back into the stay away section while the must plays won’t break the bank.

Must Plays

Nikola Vucevic – C ($7,100) vs Miami Heat

Don’t be alarmed that Nikola Vucevic is coming off of the bench. Coach Scott Skiles realizes that Vucevic is one of his best offensive weapons and has been deploying him as such. The best part about taking Vucevic tonight against the Heat is his track record against them. Earlier this season he posted a monster stat line of 22 points, 10 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals. Miami gives up an average of over 20 points to opposing centres so the big man should have a big day against the Heat.

Julius Randle – PF ($6,000) @ New Orleans Pelicans

Julius Randle is coming off of a career high 20 rebounds against the Clippers. He’s had 10 or more rebounds in four straight including two double doubles along the way. I love his matchup against Alexis Ajinca who isn’t a particularly strong rebounder. I’ll be very shocked if Randle doesn’t finish the night with a big double double.

Stay Aways

Giannis Antetokounmpo – SF ($9,700) @ Boston Celtics

The most expensive player on the slate tonight is also the biggest trap of the night. The Boston Celtics are a top 15 defensive team and they guard the small forward position particularly well. Antetokounmpo has run into this three times already this year, being limited to an average of 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. At $9,700, there’s no way he hits value tonight.

LaMarcus Aldridge – PF ($7,800) @ Denver Nuggets

Denver might not be a very good team this year but that hasn’t stopped LaMarcus Aldridge from struggling against them. In three games this year, he’s averaged just 10 points to go with eight rebounds. He’s shown some crazy inconsistency this year and only has four trips to the free throw line against the Nuggets as well.

The Bargain Bin

Norman Powell – SG ($3,800) vs Indiana Pacers

As long as Norman Powell keeps getting starts, you should keep pumping him into your lineup. In his last game against the Hawks he averaged 31 minutes, the third most on the team. Minutes equals production and Powell keeps on producing

Tyler Ennis – PG ($3,600) @ Boston Celtics

Tyler Ennis is playing for next year. With all the injuries to the Bucks, Ennis has seen his playing time over the last two games average at 29 minutes. In what should be a fast paced game versus the Celtics, Ennis has potential to get 25 or more DraftKings points.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any NBA DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More

DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin, April 1st

Draft all of the 76ers. All. Of. Them. April Fools! Seriously, don’t do that. 10 games in the association tonight and below I’ll outline the biggest must plays, stay aways and who you should scoop up from the bargain bin.

Must Plays

Hassan Whiteside – C ($8,700) @ Sacramento Kings

While DeMarcus Cousins is off serving a one game suspension thanks to getting his 16th technical foul because of this, the paint becomes Hassan Whiteside’s to rule. I was already going to get some exposure to this game (Sacramento cannot play defence) but this further solidifies it. Whiteside was able to put up 30 DraftKings points against the Kings the last time they played…. in 18 minutes. Whiteside is a must play in GPP’s and cash formats.

Carmelo Anthony – SF ($8,500) vs Brooklyn Nets

The continued absence of Kristaps Porzingis only means Carmelo Anthony’s production goes up. Out of ‘Melos last four games, he’s only had less than 43 DraftKings points once. Out of his last six games, the fewest shot attempts he’s had in a single match was 17. Carmelo is firing away and you shouldn’t hesitate to put him in your lineup. Oh and by the way… Brooklyn is the fourth worst team in the NBA.

Stay Aways

Giannis Antetokounmpo – SF ($9,100) vs Orlando Magic

Giannis Antetokounmpo has found himself under the stay away category for the second week in a row. He’s starting to regress into his early season form and has only scored 18 points in his last two games. He’s shot the ball 14 times in that span and has only sunk six shots. In order to hit value, the Greek Freak needs to hit at least 45 points in cash games. It won’t happen.

Karl-Anthony Towns – C ($8,600) @ Utah Jazz

The Timberwolves have been exciting to watch as of late. Their young roster has a great offence. How does the old adage go? “Defence wins games”. For Utah, they’ve got the defence part down pat (they give up the second least points per game at 96.2). Karl-Anthony Towns has to go up against Rudy Gobert tonight who has been a rebounding machine lately, picking up 18 and 19 boards in his last two games. Not only do I not like Towns tonight, but I’m just not a fan of the whole T-Wolves roster against the Jazz.

The Bargain Bin

Cody Zeller – C ($4,000) vs Philadelphia 76ers

I have to keep picking on the 76ers. It makes no sense to me why Cody Zeller is $4,000. He just picked up a double double against the 76ers on the 29th of March and his pricing only went up by $300. When Carl Landry is the opposing center, most players will have a field day. Expect Zeller to go off again.

Terrence Ross – SF ($3,400) @ Memphis Grizzlies

Terrence Ross has scored 13 points in three straight games. Tonight the Raptors play a banged up Grizzlies squad. This game could easily get out of hand which would lead to more minutes to bench players. Kyle Lowry is dealing with an elbow injury so you can bet Dwayne Casey will do anything to rest his starters once Toronto builds a lead. Ross is currently in Coach Casey’s good books so look for Ross to get 25 or more minutes.

Thanks for reading! If you have any NBA DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More

DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays-Stay Aways-Bargain Bin-March 25th

Nine games in the NBA tonight and not one team is on the latter end is of a back-to-back. Do fresh legs for one star mean he’s worth his lofty price of $9,600? Teams are also getting ready to head into the playoffs so your value now lies in not only who’s starting, but also who is still getting a ton of minutes. Below I’ll break down all the must plays, stay aways and who’s in the bargain bin for tonights slate in the association.

Must Plays

Klay Thompson – SG ($6,800) vs Dallas Mavericks

Klay Thompson priced this low is something that needs to be exploited. After having a .571% field goal percentage last night (While throwing up 21 shot attempts), I expected his price to go up by more than $100. Over the last five games, the Mavericks have given up the 5th most DraftKings points to opposing shooting guards per game (48.9). Thompson has also been heating up beyond the arc, hitting 12 of his last 15 over the previous two games. Three pointers in DraftKings give you a nice little bonus too. Thompson is a no-brainer tonight.

DeMar DeRozan – SG ($7,800) @ Houston Rockets

Playing whoever James Harden is supposed to guard in DFS is almost automatic every time. It’s more automatic now more than ever. James Harden simply does not play defence. DeMar DeRozan has had success against the Rockets before, too. In their last matchup, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and two steals – he stuffed the stat sheet. Look for him to do the same thing tonight.

 

Stay Aways

Giannis Antetokounmpo – SF ($9,600) @ Atlanta Hawks

Price-wise, Giannis Antetokounmpo represents the “best SF” on the board. He should be the biggest fade tonight. At his price, he needs about 58 points in order for him to hit value while placing in a GPP. Atlanta does an admirable job guarding opposing small forwards, giving up the 21st most DraftKings points per game over the last five (40.1). Fade off of the highly-owned Antetokounmpo.

LaMarcus Aldridge – PF ($7,100) vs Memphis Grizzlies

Everyone is going to own LaMarcus Aldridge tonight in cash and GPP’s. You need to fade off of him. There’s a good chance he only gets about 25 minutes against a beaten up Grizzlies squad after the Spurs get a 10+ point lead. His production has started to dip as well, only scoring eight points and pulling down five boards against the Heat on Wednesday. At $7,100, I don’t see Aldridge hitting value.

The Bargain Bin

Omri Casspi – SF ($4,200) vs Phoenix Suns

Sacramento players are great for DFS, awful if you expect them to win a lot. They score a ton. 106.4 points per game, good for third most in the league. They also give up a ton of points. 109.2 points against per game, the most in the league. Who’s second worst? The Suns at 107.6 points against per game. This game is going to be an absolute shootout where points are going to come from everywhere. Get in on the action by taking Casspi who has been getting fed constant minutes regardless if he’s starting or not.

Jerryd Bayless – PG ($3,800) @ Atlanta Hawks

The Bucks have a very shorthanded backcourt. No OJ Mayo, no Michael Carter-Williams, no Greivis Vasquez. Enter Jerryd Bayless. He’s the only experienced option left for Milwaukee and they’re forced to give him a ton of playing time. In 33 minutes against the Cavs in their last game, he put up 15 points and five rebounds. If he can get you anywhere between 19-23 points, that’s value for his price.
Thanks for reading! If you have any NBA DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More

DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin, March 18th

Friday is an exciting night for some of the top players in the NBA. Unfortunately in DFS, I’m off of three of the biggest names. They just won’t hit value. Tonight I found a pair of players from the same team in the bargain bin that should get an extended run. I’ll also breakdown the biggest must plays for tonight’s slate including a player that has been thriving since the trade deadline.

 

Must Plays:

Tobias Harris – SF ($6,300) vs Sacramento

Tobias Harris has been loving life as a Piston. He has a more defined role under head coach Stan Van Gundy and is shooting the ball a ton. Take away a dud versus the Wizards on the 14th and he hasn’t had less than 30 DraftKings points in five games. Against a Sacramento Kings defence that is downright terrible, Harris is an absolute must in your lineup tonight.

Toney Douglas – PG ($5,100) vs Portland

New Orleans’ backcourt is seriously banged up. That’s bad news for Pelicans fans but great news for DFS players. Toney Douglas has been reaping the benefits of being a starter and has recently torched the Warriors by putting up a line of 22 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Against a Trail Blazer team who struggles at defending guards, Douglas is in for a big night.

Stay Aways:

Russell Westbrook – PG ($10,500) @ Philadelphia
Stephen Curry – PG ($10,300) @ Dallas
Damian Lillard – PG ($9,200) @ New Orleans

Your eyes are reading this correctly. I’m telling you to stay away from the three best point guards in the NBA tonight. Why? It’s simple. They won’t hit value. In a cash game you need about 275 points on an average night. That means Westbrook needs about 58 DraftKings points, Curry 57 & Lillard about 51. That’s just in cash. In GPP’s you need about 300 points or more to even place and that means you need much more production from this trio. Westbrook also carries the possibility to get some rest tonight in Philly if the score gets out of hand. Curry always packs that possibility no matter the opponent and Lillard is on the latter half of a back-to-back after spending last night in New Orleans.

The Bargain Bin:

Bismack Biyombo – C ($4,600) vs Boston

I will play Bismack Biyombo until one of two things happens. First – his price exceeds $5,500. Second – Jonas Valanciunas returns as the starter. Until then, keep pumping the big man into your lineup. During his last game vs Indiana he set a Raptors franchise record by hauling down 25 rebounds. At this point, playing Biyombo is a no-brainer.

Cory Joseph – PG ($3,800) vs Boston

It’s been widely speculated that Kyle Lowry will get some rest heading into the playoffs. He didn’t sit last night against Indiana which leads many to believe he will tonight against Boston. If he does, the only other true point guard the Raptors have not named Delon Wright is Cory Joseph. He’ll log a ton of minutes if Lowry isn’t active and we all know that minutes = opportunity and opportunity = DraftKings points!

BUT… if Kyle Lowry does play

Larry Nance Jr. – PF ($3,300) vs Phoenix

Larry Nance Jr. might not be starting for the Lakers but he’s still getting playing time. He hasn’t had less than 20 minutes in four straight contests. Phoenix gives up an average of 52 DK points to opposing power forwards per game over the last five. In a battle of two of the leagues worst teams, Larry Nance Jr. should get a chance to produce.

 

Thanks for reading DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin, March 18th! If you have any NBA DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

Read More
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top