No other sport has embraced modern fantasy sports the way the National Basketball Association has. After signing a multi-year promotional deal that included an equity stake, with FanDuel in November 2014, the league signaled its willingness to embrace the emerging hobby.
The partnership had no provisions blocking teams from entering into their own deals with DFS operators, which has led to 24 of the 32 teams being affiliated with one of the top two sites, DraftKings and FanDuel. Our daily fantasy NBA projections can be used on both sites, or any of the other operators which we recommend.
Adam Silver Calls for Regulation
It goes without saying that the league has a vested stake in seeing the daily fantasy industry not only succeed, but continue to grow. In the face of growing adversity within the media and rumblings from within State and Federal governments, Commissioner Adam Silver has come out in support of regulatory reform for the industry, stating on ESPN’s Outside the Lines that the NBA is
“…not considering withdrawing or backing off our relationship with the industry. It’s something that we’re monitoring very closely. And it’s something that we’re deeply engaged in on the broader subject of daily fantasy-slash-sports betting.”
With such a slam dunk commitment from the league, we predict that the NBA will be the fastest growing DFS offering. Look no further than the in-house promotions that have appeared at stadiums around the league, where DraftKings and DraftOps branded fantasy lounges are planned for Staples Center, Madison Square Garden and the Barclays center.
NBA DFS Sleepers
Our predictions are built to relay our findings via both total fantasy points and total fantasy points per $1000 spent on the player. Using the latter, which we term ‘Value’, you can identify the NBA DFS sleepers that you will need to finish in the money for any guaranteed tournament. To win a GPP you’ll need a player that performs at 6-7x their salary, on top of having not many other players roster them.
Optimal NBA lineups are created with players that cost less than $5000, which is what you’ll find when you sort our picks by “Value”. You won’t find the stat leaders here, but what you will find are high ceiling players that most others will overlook. Be prepared to own shares in a player coming off of the bench with this strategy, if you can handle the risks, you reap the rewards.
Fantasy Basketball Advice
If you want to mitigate your risk and grind out profit like a DFS pro, look towards the cash games that each operator offers. Cash games generally pay out 50% of the entrants, your goal isn’t to field the highest scoring original lineup, but rather a high floor entry.
You’ll use players who are consistent, the guys like Lebron James that score 20+ points a night, or DeMarcus Cousins with his predictable rebounding. Our fantasy basketball advice is focused on numbers, fit as many of our top projections into your lineup as you can.
After that it’s all money management. Invest 5% of your bankroll in 50/50s and double ups each night and watch your balance grow. Stay dedicated and stick to your budget, your cash game winnings won’t make the press releases that our recommended operators send out touting their newest millionaire, but they will pad your entry fee’s in a way that free rolls your GPP entry.
If you stay dedicated, with our picks and tips, they’ll be talking about you in no time. Support your GPP bullets with sound cash game strategy.
