Thursday's DraftKings slate is a single-game NBA showdown, MEM @ POR, with a $50,000 salary cap and a captain slot that scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary. The slate locks Thu 10/29 at 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT).
The top-end plays start with Deni Avdija. He is priced at $9,600 with a ceiling of 64.5 and a DraftKings average of 40.6, the highest ceiling and average of anyone on our model's list. Ja Morant is next at $8,000 with a 55.0 ceiling and a 31.7 average. Jrue Holiday at $6,400 carries a 52.3 ceiling and a 24.8 average, and Zach Edey at $7,200 offers a 51.2 ceiling against a 22.2 average. Note that Morant and Holiday are both listed with POR on this sheet, so check the rosters before you lock anything in.
The value tier is where the ceilings get interesting. Micah Potter and Branden Carlson of POR and Jahmai Mashack and Kris Murray of MEM all cost $1,000. Potter's ceiling is 38.3, Mashack's is 37.8 and Carlson's is 36.0, while Murray tops out at 21.0. Their DraftKings averages sit between 3.1 and 6.0, so these are pure upside swings, not floor plays. On the injury front, Chris Youngblood (POR) carries a Q tag and Shaedon Sharpe (POR) is listed as OUT.
We don't have ownership figures for this slate, so there is no read on where the crowd will land.
Our model's top lineup uses all $50,000. It puts Deni Avdija in the captain slot at $14,400, then fills the UTIL spots with Ja Morant at $8,000, Damian Lillard at $8,400, Scotty Pippen Jr. at $5,200, Ty Jerome at $10,400 and Gregory Jackson at $3,600.
Lineups lock Thu 10/29 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
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