The Late Cut: NBA $5,000 Saturday

The weekend is here and with it comes a bumper 10 match slate to get through for today’s NBA on Draftstars. Highlights of the day’s play include Washington taking on Toronto, the Hawks hosting the Cavaliers and the Pelicans playing host to the Spurs. Draftstars will be running a $5,000 game for today’s play, with $750 going to first place.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $5k+ Saturday competition

Point Guard

Mike Conley ($13,150)

The unassuming Conley is playing very well for unassuming Grizzlies. They always seem to be there or there abouts, playing their brand of rugged, defensive basketball. In his last two matches, Conley has averaged 47.25 DS points, which is very close to return 4 points per thousand salary. He gets an opportunity to control the floor in his upcoming match against the inexperienced Mavericks, which means he should return another decent score.

Derrick Rose ($11,200)

Rose appears to be healthy and is putting some solid games together for his Knicks. Rose is an extremely talented player, who has never been able to stay healthy for long periods of time. Rose will have a good opportunity to score big against the Sixers who have been struggling defensively recently.

Shooting Guard

J.J. Redick ($8,950)

Whilst he can be a bit streaky, Redick is a good option for today’s slate. Redick is a good shooter, especially early on in games and especially from deep. Redick has hit multiple 3-pointers in every game bar three in 2017. Redick comes against the Bucks in his next match, who are in a massive rut. Redick should be able to hit shots at will and get a good score quickly.

Alex Abrines ($5,000)

Abrines has moved into the starting lineup replacing the injured Victor Oladipo. Abrines has started the last three matches and has returned over 3 points per thousand salary in each of those matches. If every player you select does that, you will score over 300, which is a good enough score to be in the money most days.

Small Forward

Khris Middleton ($10,100)

Middleton has been able to increase his workload in recent matches, which is great for his fantasy production. Middleton is a very talented, yet injury prone player, who returned 38.75 Ds points in his last match. If he can play plenty of minutes, there is no reason why he cannot score a similar number against the Clippers.

Richard Jefferson ($5,000)

With the continued absence of Kevin Love due to injury, Jefferson continues to start. Whilst his minutes may reduce with the recent signings, he still should get a fair amount of time. With his cheap salary, he is a great value option.

Power Forward

LeBron James ($19,400)

King James has been carrying the Cavs lately, putting his case forward to be the league MVP. James has recorded two triple doubles in his last three matches, averaging 57.7 DS points in that period. James and his Cavs come up against another playoff contender, the Hawks, which should mean that he receives all his usual minutes and has all his usual motivation. Look for King James to put in another huge performance.

Al Horford ($12,000)

Big Al put in a big shift against the Cavaliers, finishing one point short of a triple-double. Whilst he has not been at his best this season, this could spark a turnaround in form for the talented big man. Horford needs to crash the glass and collect more rebounds, he is averaging 0.5 rebounds less per game this season that he has in his previous two. Horford should be able to lift in his upcoming match against the Lakers, who are quite poor inside the paint.

Centre

DeAndre Jordan ($14,650)

The Clippers upcoming match against the Bucks sets up perfectly for the big man. Jordan should be able to bully his opposing centre, Thon Maker and control the glass. It is not unreasonable to expect 20+ points and rebounds from Jordan as there is no one on the Bucks that can match him for size. As long as the game is not a blowout, Jordan should be in for a monster game.

The Line Up

PG: Mike Conley ($13,150)

PG: Derrick Rose ($11,200)

SG: J.J. Redick ($8,950)

SG: Alex Abrines ($5,000)

SF: Khris Middleton ($10,100)

SF: Richard Jefferson ($5,000)

PF: LeBron James ($19,400)

PF: Al Horford ($12,000)

C: DeAndre Jordan ($14,650)

Salary Remaining: $550