Welcome to Round 16 of the NBA Yahoo Cup! This free, multi-round, single-entry contest runs every Friday throughout the rest of the NBA DFS season. Scoring is cumulative for the year-long points race, with your five lowest scores dropped. At the end of the season, a $50,000 prize pool is shared amongst the top 7,950 competitors, with a whopping $10,000 going to first. But even if you’re late to the game, the top 15 finishers in tonight’s freeroll earn entry to the BetMGM Final Round, where multiple Las Vegas trips will be up for grabs. Click here to get in on the action!
Let’s focus on three plays to slot into your NBA DFS lineups for tonight’s Yahoo Cup contest.
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NBA DFS Pick No. 1: Eric Bledsoe — $15
One of the most heavily rostered teams on Thursday’s slate was rightfully the Pelicans, who played without their top three players in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. All signs point towards them being out again for Friday’s game against the Hawks, which makes a number of plays from this team pop once more. In fact, Alex Baker, the world’s No. 1 daily fantasy player, currently projects four Pelicans to be rostered at at least a 19% clip today.
Among them is Eric Bledsoe, who is coming off a 37-Yahoo-point outing in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Magic. It is at least mildly concerning that it took Bledsoe 46 minutes to accrue his stat line, but he still hovers around 0.90 fantasy points per minute this season with Williamson, Ingram and Ball off the court. Even on a 10-game slate that’s certain to be full of value, there will not be any better point-per-dollar plays with the type of built-in floor and upside that Bledsoe provides. He is undoubtedly one of the best options on the board to consider for your NBA Yahoo Cup lineups tonight.
NBA DFS Pick No. 2: Clint Capela — $33
The Hawks were yet another team tangled up in some extracurricular basketball on Thursday night. After sneaking out a 134-129 double-overtime win against the Spurs, they now draw the aforementioned short-handed Pelicans. While Trae Young ($39), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($16) and Danilo Gallinari ($14) all make for fine options with John Collins out, Clint Capela sees the biggest boost of the group.
With Collins off the floor this season, Capela gets some extra court time that can lead to the sort of 63.4-fantasy-point upside he showed yesterday evening. The Pelicans also have the third-worst defensive efficiency in the NBA this season, which should provide ample opportunity for Capela to continue the rebounding rampage he’s been on. In fact, he has failed to reach 14 rebounds just once in his past seven outings, a remarkable run that has seen him go for five double-doubles in that span.
While stacking isn’t generally something to seek out in NBA DFS, being on both sides of this Hawks – Pelicans matchup tonight makes too much sense. So prioritize Capela from the Hawks side, Bledsoe from the Pelicans, and surround them with other pieces from this game. At their current salaries, that feels like the winning formula for tonight’s Yahoo contests.
NBA DFS Pick No. 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo — $55
It is not often that one can say Giannis Antetokounmpo has been bad from a fantasy basketball perspective. But after failing to eclipse 45 Yahoo fantasy points in any of his past four games, it’s safe to say Giannis has been downright awful of late. And as the most expensive player on the board, anything below a point per dollar simply will not do on this slate.
Luckily a date with the Trail Blazers is exactly what the doctor ordered. Portland has the second-worst defensive rating in the Association this season, and Milwaukee has been playing up in pace all season long as well. That plays right into Antetokounmpo’s hands, as his ability to dominate in transition and finish at the rim should wreak havoc all night long against the benign Trail Blazers interior defense
This game’s 237-point total is also the highest on the board by a substantial 7 points, which goes to show the potential for fantasy goodness that could exist with players on both teams. And with so much value already available, concerns over being able to afford Antetokounmpo’s massive $55 are mitigated. So make room for Giannis in your NBA DFS lineups tonight, and it is unlikely that you’ll be disappointed.
