This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Guards:
Damian Lillard, POR vs. LAL ($8,600): Lillard was the first player that I thought of when preparing this article and I was absolutely floored when I saw that he was priced so cheaply. Not only should Lillard be a five-figure player, he's destroyed the Lakers throughout his career. In fact, Lillard averaged 35.5 real points per game against Los Angeles last season, collecting 51 fantasy points per game. That's no surprise when considering the matchup, with the Lakers ranking bottom-three in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards. All that should've made Lillard a $10,000 player, but this $8,600 price tag makes him one of the bargains of this slate.
Kris Dunn, CHI at PHI ($6,600): Dunn was a breakout player last season for Chicago, as he should be one of the leaders of this team. Not only did he post a 25 percent usage rate last year, Dunn averaged 32 fantasy points per game. All that makes Dunn quite a value, as those are usually statistics from a $7,000 player. The matchup against Philly is nothing to fear either, as the point guard position is one of their only weakness on the roster.
Goran Dragic, MIA at WSH ($6,000): Dragic was Miami's best player in the opener, as he tallied 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. That stat line comes from a player who averaged 31 fantasy points per game last year, which makes this $6,000 price tag all the more surprising. His 24 percent usage rate and 33 minutes played in the opener show that this is still Dragic's team to run too. Dragic showed in the season finale last year that he can destroy the Wizards as well, considering he collected 28 points, four rebounds and five assists in that game.
Forwards:
LeBron James, LAL at POR ($10,800): Not much needs to be said about using King James, but he should show out in his opening game with his new team. What's really encouraging about using James is his matchup, considering Portland has no one who can match up with him. That was evident in his splits last season, with James averaging over 61 fantasy points per game in two meetings against the Blazers. The spread and total add to James' value as well, as the 3.5-point spread and 222-point total mean that James should play plenty of minutes in a close, high-scoring game.
Ben Simmons, PHI vs. CHI ($9,500): It's hard not to be impressed with Simmons' opening game of the season, as he dropped nearly 60 fantasy points on a vaunted Celtics defense. This matchup is much easier for Simmons, as he faces a Bulls defense who ranked 25th in defensive efficiency and 27th in points allowed last year. That was evident last season as well, as Simmons averaged 62.4 fantasy points per game in three outings against the Bulls. The fact that you can use Simmons at small forward is a huge benefit as well, considering that position is much shallower than the point guard position that he plays in reality.
Al-Farouq Aminu, POR vs. LAL ($4,900): This price simply doesn't make any sense, as Aminu was playing at a $6,000 level throughout last year's postseason. In fact, Aminu averaged 39 fantasy points per game in his final three games last year, in addition to averaging 25 fantasy points per game for the season. That's great production from a player south of $5,000, as he should be able to exploit a Lakers defense who ranked 26th in total defense last year.
Centers:
Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. LAL ($6,300): It's strange to see Nurkic in the same price range as Kelly Olynyk, as Nurkic is the far superior fantasy option. The fact that Nurkic averaged seven more fantasy points a game last year proves that point, as we're talking about a starter versus a bench player. It's not just the fact that he's priced so fairly, it's that Nurkic gets a premium matchup. In fact, the Lakers finished bottom-five in fantasy points allowed to centers last season, as Nurkic averaged 35 fantasy points per game in three outings against them. The fact that he did that damage in just 25 minutes of action is an amazing statistic too, as he has 50-point upside if he gets a full allotment of minutes.
Robin Lopez, CHI at PHI ($3,600): It's hard to get excited about using Lopez, but finding a starter at this sort of price is worth some speculation. While he's unlikely to reach 30 minutes of action, the fact that he averaged 22 fantasy points per game last season provides plenty of value. In addition, facing Philly makes Lopez an even more intriguing option, as he's really the only big body who can match up with Joel Embiid. Using Lopez at $3,600 makes getting guys like Simmons and James into your lineup much easier as well, which is key on a short slate like this.
