Welcome to a new series that we’re going to be running throughout the playoffs. The folks over at SuperDraft DFS recently partnered with myself to bring you another opportunity to break into the DFS world. SuperDraft is partnered with Caesar’s Palace, yeah that Caesar’s Palace to bring you their own personal spin on DFS. While other bigger companies have made a name for themselves in the DFS space in recent years, they’ve become dominated by the biggest players that have the bank roll to infuse large amounts of money into tournaments on a daily or weekly basis. SuperDraft is aiming to give newer players or those with less money available to them an easier chance at winning some cold hard cash. I’ve been paired up with an opponent over at Blazer’s Edge in the form of Danny Marang who will be representing the Portland Trail Blazers throughout the playoffs. The writer with the most points at the end of the first round will move on in the 16-player tournament.
The format we’ll be competing in is called Champion Mode where you select a total of five players with your fifth player being your champion who receives a 1.5x multiplier to his final points total. So, if he were to score 100 points, his final total would be 150 after the multiplier was applied to his total. Each player receives a multiplier based on their expected level of production. While superstars like Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard receive little to no multiplier to their final scores, role players such as Monte Morris or Anfernee Simons could see their scores multiplied by two or three times the original output.
Every day that the Nuggets play a game, I’ll be bringing you some analysis along with a lineup that you could use in your own SuperDraft contests. Sign up using this link to get started winning today. You can also find me over on Twitter to help you in your lineup constructions right up until game time every night.
Sign up to compete against me tonight in this contest for up to $200 in prizes. Use promo code “DenverStiffs” at sign up when you deposit $25 for a 100% deposit match.
Betting Lines
Away: Portland Trail Blazers (+2)
Home: Denver Nuggets (-2)
Total: O/U 226
The projection for this matchup is 226 with Denver projected to win by two at home. That’s about nine points below the matchup between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, but the sportsbooks are clearly expecting there to be some points on the board, which makes sense, considering these two sides are averaging 228.5 points per game through the first four tilts between the two sides.
Lineup Construction
Champion: Jusuf Nurkic 1.9x Base Multiplier + 50% Champion Boost
Through four games, Nurkic is averaging 13.3 points and 11 rebounds per game including a double-double in 2-of-4 contests so far, and he likely would have made it 3-of-4 if it weren’t for a huge blowout in Game 4. He’s shot 50 percent or better in 3-of-4 games, and that isn’t likely to change in Game 5. Between the high multiplier and likelihood of a double-double thanks to his rebounding abilities, he can turn this into a strong night of play.
Utility 1: Facundo Campazzo 2.4x Base Multiplier
This one is purely a volume play. Campazzo is third on the team in minutes, and he’s fifth in field-goal attempts. Most important though are his assist and steal numbers. He’s averaging 6.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game through four contests. With the amount that he handles the ball, he has more opportunities to rack up points, and his multiplier gives him the ability to turn those stats into bigger nights than someone with a lower multiplier bonus.
Utility 2: Norman Powell 2x Base Multiplier
Powell had a 29-point outing in Game 4, and there is a strong chance that he’s going to regress in Game 5. However, he’s averaging 18.0 points per game, and he gets the shot attempts that allow him the opportunity to put in volume points in a hurry. With C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard getting the majority of the attention, the hope is that Powell is able to slip free for a few looks from downtown.
Utility 3: Michael Porter Jr. 1.8x Base Multiplier
Three points on three shots. That’s what Porter came out with in Game 4. He needs to be aggressive in Game 5 to really give Denver their best chance of regaining the series lead. Porter also adds a lot as a rebounder, as he’s second on the team in rebounds after averaging over seven per game during the regular season. There are other options that might have better multipliers, but the volume Porter is likely to put in is what you’re counting on here.
Utility 4: Nikola Jokic 1x Base Multiplier
If Denver wins this game or is in it at all, Jokic has to have a good night. The lack of a multiplier on Jokic’s points leaves something to be desired, but, with the level of play that he puts out, he can make up for it especially with his production at multiple levels considering he’s averaging 11 rebounds per game right now. If his teammates can hit a few more shots off of his passes, his potential assists could quickly turn into a lot of points on your DFS roster.
