NBA DFS Risers Playbook for DraftKings and FanDuel 1-6

Welcome to the NBA DFS Risers Playbook for DraftKings and Fanduel! Every morning we will highlight standout Vegas total, pace up spots, notable injury news, and how I would attack the slate given the information we have in the morning. We have an 11 game slate so grab a cup of coffee and let’s get into it!

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Notable Vegas Totals

Charlotte Hornets @ Atlanta Hawks O/U 232- No surprise that the Hawks end up with the highest game total on the slate with the All-Star game level pace they play. The Hawks will be missing Rajon Rondo and Danillo Gallinari in this one. I am expecting their rotation to be similar to what we have seen in recent games without Gallinari and Rondo. My early targets are Trae Young, John Collins, Clint Capela, and De’Andre Hunter.

This Charlotte team has been a tough one to get right for me but, we have seen LaMelo Ball emerge as a star on this team. It appeared as if the coaching staff was going to ease him into the rotation playing him only 20 minutes in the first few games but, Ball has forced their hand with his stellar play. Assuming he gets 30 minutes, Ball is by far my top play on Charlotte. I prefer his price tag on DraftKings over FanDuel. My other early targets from Charlotte are Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, and Devonte Graham.

Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers O/U 231- No surprise this game has a high total with seemingly every team putting up 120 points against the Wizards’ defense. Joel Embiid gets an amazing matchup against the Wizards’ frontcourt and he is priced up accordingly. He stands out as a stud I am looking to pay up for in Cash and GPPs in my early look. Tobias Harris is going to continue to have a shot volume of 15-20 every night which has him in play for me in the mid-range. My other early targets from Philly are Ben Simmons and Seth Curry.

The Wizards will be at full strength in this one with everyone active. As always, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are the main targets from this Washington team. They are going to dominate the usage and get the largest volume of shots. My other early targets are Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura. Both of them are playing 30 minutes now that they are back from their injuries and are pretty cheap on both sites.

Pace Up Spots

Philadelphia 76ers- As I stated above, it’s a great spot for the 76ers today. Washington plays little to no defense and gives up well over 100 points per game. I’m expecting a great game out of Joel Embiid. Seth Curry could be a good value if he gets hot from long distance today.

Los Angeles Clippers- The Clippers face a Golden State team that is tops in the NBA in pace this season. We will have to see what their starting lineup looks like and the second half of a back to back. It’s likely that Kawhi Leonard sits this one out for rest and Paul George missed last night’s game with an ankle injury. We could see a ton of value from this Clippers team.

Detroit Pistons- Detroit is facing a Bucks team that ranks second in pace for this season. As long as Detroit stays in this game, we should see some value coming from their side. Derrick Rose stands out from Detroit in my early look.

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Key Injury News

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard- As I stated above, it is possible that both Leonard and George miss this one. If they are out, Lou Williams and Luke Kennard are my top targets from the Clippers.

Marcus Smart and Jeff Teague- Smart and Teague are questionable for tonight’s game against Miami. If they are out, Payton Pritchard should receive a large number of minutes. I’m much less interested in him tonight as he is priced in the $4,000 range on both sites and not dirt cheap as he was the other night.

Darius Garland and Kevin Love- Garland and Love are going to be out tonight which leaves Cleveland short-handed as they were on Monday. There will be value to be had on Cleveland tonight.

Early Targets

Joel Embiid- As I stated above, Embiid is in a great spot against a Wizards’ frontcourt that should offer little to no resistance. A ceiling game is firmly in play from Embiid tonight and he looks like an early Cash and GPP target for me.

Giannis Antetokounmpo- Giannis against Detroit is just too good of a spot to pass up. He has had monster games in three straight and I expect him to have his way with this Detroit defense as he did the other night. I am definitely going to target Giannis in Cash games.

Lamelo Ball- I’m riding the hot hand with Ball in this spot. He is priced in the mid-range, getting 30 minutes per game, and is a triple-double threat every night. Ball has emerged as the best point guard on this team and should continue to get plenty of run as long as he stays hot. The pace of the game against the Hawks just makes him look even better.

Kelly Olynyk- My early look value of the day is Olynyk. He has sneakily been playing really well to start the season. Olynyk received the start on Monday and should start again today as he has very efficient in his last game. We should see 25-30 minutes from Olynyk if he starts. I am much more interested in his price on DraftKings than FanDuel.