Bryan Armetta breaks down Thursday’s four NBA games to find undervalued players to slot into your lineups.
Now that nearly two weeks of exciting NBA action is in the books, the 2024-25 season is in full swing. Still, it’s nearly impossible to get a read on each team after just a handful of games. That can make finding sleepers in season-long fantasy basketball and DFS contests a difficult task. Yet, if you look close enough, there’s plenty of players that could provide value across your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
While James Harden has had to play hero ball without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers have gotten significant contributions from several other players. That includes sharpshooter Norman Powell, who has thrived in his new role as a starter. The ten-year veteran is putting up team-leading averages of 26.0 points and 3.8 three-pointers made per game on 51.4% shooting.
Powell’s modest price doesn’t reflect his recent play. The former NBA champion has always thrived when given a large workload, and he’s currently playing a career-best 34 minutes per game. Throughout Powell’s career, his per36 points total sits at 19.1 PPG. The hefty scoring is likely to dip slightly over time, but Powell’s role as a primary scoring option makes him a smash start at this number.
With Taylor Hendricks set to miss the rest of the season and Lauri Markkanen dealing with his own injury issues, Utah needs to find quality options in their front court. The next man up could be Kyle Filipowski, who put together a solid performance on Tuesday in relief of Markkanen. The second-round pick started the second half for the Jazz, putting together a 12-point, eight rebound day in their loss to the Kings.
The former Duke Blue Devil was one of the more pro-ready prospects in last April’s draft, so seeing him hit the ground running isn’t a shock. Even if the Jazz are able to welcome Markkanen back on Thursday, Filipowski should be in line for a larger role with Hendricks out. Should Utah’s All Star sit, then picking this rookie becomes an absolute no-brainer.
One of the more divisive players in the 2024 draft class, Zach Edey has been eased into action by the Grizzles. Although the 7’4 center has started all five of Memphis’ games, he’s played just over 16 minutes a night. During his brief time on the floor, the Canadian has shown promise, scoring an average of 8.8 points (19.1 per36 minutes) and 4.4 rebounds per game (9.5 per36).
Since Memphis is playing in the second leg of a back-to-back, Edey might be in line for an increased workload. Starting center Jaren Jackson Jr. is still recovering from a hamstring injury, so the coaching staff has kept him on a minutes restriction. While Edey isn’t known for his rim protection, most of Memphis’ front court is simply not suited to defend someone as big as Giannis Antetokounmpo for an extended period of time. At a position as thin as center, this rookie big man makes sense as a dart throw to place in your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
