No NBA team has ever gone 7-0 on a road trip, or started a season 25-0. The amazing Golden State Warriors can achieve both of those records tonight, if they can shake off fatigue that must be approaching exhaustion.
It’s a back-to-back, their third game in four nights, Klay Thompson $6800 (ankle) is questionable and they needed two overtime periods to defeat the stubborn Celtics on Friday. Stephen Curry $10700 scored 38 points the hard way — on 27 shots, over 47 minutes. Draymond Green $8200 was the MVP for a night with a rare 5 x 5 — 24 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 5 STL, 5 BLK — in a draining 50 minutes on the court.
Andre Iguodala $5200, Festus Ezeli $4500 and Shaun Livingston $3400 also racked up huge minutes off the bench. How they all respond in Milwaukee remains to be seen, but the champs are mentally tough. The Bucks were also on the road, managing just 31 points in the first half, though Khris Middleton $5200 led a mild comeback bid when Toronto got complacent.
It’s the highlight of eight evening games. The Clippers play in Brooklyn at 5:00 Eastern; that one is included only in Early and All-Day contests at DraftKings.
Plays of the Day
The Early $40K Sharpshooter costs only $3 per team (one entry is FREE with your first deposit at DK) and pays the top 3,236 finishers from up to 15,332 teams. First place wins $3,000. The deadline is 5:00; enter before it fills and make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
The Hornets erupted for 123 points in Memphis last night and are 10-3 at home. Boston may have left it all on the parquet floor in that double-OT defeat; a sizzling Kelly Olynyk $4200 scored 28 in 37 minutes off the bench. Kemba Walker $7000 and Nicolas Batum $7600 are affordable, with Jeremy Lin $4000 and rookie Frank Kaminsky $3400 as value plays.
It’s been an injury-plagued season for the Pelicans, but last night Tyreke Evans $6900 and Jrue Holiday $4500 showed enough improvement to help Anthony Davis $10800 beat the Wizards. I’m not confident they can repeat that effort 24 hours later. Pau Gasol $7700, Jimmy Butler $7700, Taj Gibson $4200 and Joakim Noah $4700 are worth considering.
James Harden $10800 and the Rockets are well rested against the hapless Lakers, who got trounced in San Antonio last night. D’Angelo Russell $4800 had his best game as a pro and Lou Williams $4900 is starting but they are hard to recommend. Corey Brewer $4000 is a productive starter until Trevor Ariza $5500 (back) returns.
The rejuvenated Deron Williams $6600 and the improving Wesley Matthews $5300 are good buys as well-rested Dallas hosts Washington. Raymond Felton $4500 has been a pleasant surprise since Chandler Parsons $4000 was moved to the second unit.
I’d love to use Curry, Davis, Andre Drummond $9500 and Paul George $10200 but that pesky salary cap prevents it. Tonight’s sample lineup (in bold on the Short List) surrounds one 5-digit salary (Harden) with four high-upside midrange players and three “live” bargains. If you choose to build around two premium guys, you’ll need a couple of ultra-cheap ones like Kaminsky, Livingston, Patty Mills $3600 or Allen Crabbe $3700.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10700 | Kemba Walker $7000 | Jeremy Lin $4000 |
| SG | James Harden $10800 | Wesley Matthews $5300 | Khris Middleton $5200 |
| SF | Paul George $10200 | Andre Iguodala $5200 | Corey Brewer $4000 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $10800 | Draymond Green $8200 | Taj Gibson $4200 |
| C | Andre Drummond $9500 | Pau Gasol $7700 | Kelly Olynyk $4200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.