When it comes to online betting, another way that NBA fans can make money is through playing in daily fantasy leagues. Choosing the right players, day in and day out, can allow bettors who pay close attention not just to the injury reports but also to those reserves who emerge to take on starting roles with success — and guys on 10-day contracts who catch fire for a week or so and latch onto the roster.
Take a look at some guys who might fly under the radar a bit but still can make a sizable fantasy contribution for you, specially it comes down to the NBA odds for each game.
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DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs) has emerged as a playmaker, all of a sudden, in his 12th season in the Association. For years, DeRozan has had the reputation of a pure scorer who does not add much in any of the other statistical categories for fantasy owners. His career average for assists prior to 2020-21 was 3.6, which is far from elite. His scoring, at 21.5 points per game, has kept him rostered, but until this year, his playmaking was not really a consideration. This season, though, he has averaged 7.2 assists per game — twice his career average. The San Antonio Spurs should be mired in the midst of a rebuild, but instead they’re nipping at the edge of the playoff race, in part because of Greg Popovich’s coaching wizardry, which has played an instrumental role in converting DeRozan from a score-only threat, susceptible to hard play from the other team’s shutdown defender, to a scorer and distributor.
Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) does not exactly fly under the radar, but when the Celtics are playing a team that is undermatched defensively, he is one of the best buys for fantasy bettors. On Tuesday, Boston hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that is currently 20 games below .500 and, according to some, is playing to get the best odds in the lottery possible — which means losing whenever they can. However, the Thunder beat Boston, 119-115, as the Celtics’ defense was even worse than Oklahoma City’s. If you had played Brown on your fantasy squad, you would have benefited handsomely, as brown put up 39 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three assists. Tracking matchups like that can help you separate which top players you should buy for your fantasy squad on a given day.
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) is typically a pricey play for fantasy basketball, but there are days when the price is worth it because of the return that you can get. Jokic’s play the past few seasons has shown that the rumors about the apparent demise of the “big man” in the NBA were premature, to say the least. His season numbers are terrific: 26.2 points, 11.0 boards, 8.7 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He has 15 triple-doubles so far in 2020-21, good fro second in the NBA. On Wednesday, Denver faces the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that has an explosive offense but, even with Zion Williamson inside, struggles on defense. The two teams met near the end of March, and Jokic had a triple-double, going 29-10-10 against them. The two teams met again, and Jokic dropped 37 points on the young team. Denver is short some offensive options, as Jamal Murray (knee) is done for the year, and Monte Morris and Will Barton both have hamstring issues that will keep them on the bench. This means more touches and more shots for Jokic — and even more of a chance that the will put up monster numbers, win or lose.
Cedi Osman (Cleveland Cavaliers) is an example of a hidden gem that could pay off well in fantasy play. He put up 18 points, seven boards and seven assists the first time he took the floor for the Cavaliers against the Orlando Magic, and when they play again on Wednesday, he is another smart play, because of that prior success. It also doesn’t hurt that the Cavaliers will have almost half of their roster on the bench. Taurean Prince (ankle), Larry Nance Jr (thumb) and Collin Sexton (concussion protocol) are just three of seven players who will not dress. Osman will get more minutes, which means more fantasy points for you.
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