Saturday's DraftKings showdown is a single game, HOU @ ATL, with a $50,000 salary cap and a captain slot that scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary. The slate locks Sat 10/24 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT).
The high end of the board belongs to HOU. Alperen Sengun costs $9,800 and carries the slate's biggest ceiling at 58.6, with a DraftKings average of 38.6. Kevin Durant, at $8,800, brings a 54.8 ceiling and the top DraftKings average on the sheet at 40.4. Amen Thompson, at $8,600, posts a 52.8 ceiling and a 38.4 average. Marcus Smart sits in the middle at $4,400, with a 38.4 ceiling against a 14.7 average.
Value drives our model's ranking, which puts three $1,000 plays near the top. Oscar Tshiebwe of HOU stands out with a 36.6 ceiling against a 10.7 average. ATL's Jalen Wilson offers a 25.6 ceiling and an 8.8 average. Asa Newell is the thinnest of the three, with a 17.4 ceiling and a 4.8 average. Jock Landale of ATL, at $3,400, has a 39.9 ceiling and a 14.8 average, which makes him one of the strongest cheap options on the board.
On status tags, Reed Sheppard of HOU carries a Q. Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar of ATL are both listed OUT.
Our model's top lineup uses $49,300 of the $50,000 cap. It puts Alperen Sengun at captain for $14,700. The utility slots go to Kevin Durant at $8,800, Amen Thompson at $8,600, Dyson Daniels at $7,000, Fred VanVleet at $6,800 and Jock Landale at $3,400. The build pairs HOU's three highest-ceiling players with Landale's low salary.
Lineups lock Sat 10/24 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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