This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The 71st edition of the NBA's All-Star Game caps off a three-day smorgasbord of events. With a number of players enjoying outstanding seasons, the Team Durant and Team LeBron rosters appear to be stacked almost evenly overall. As customary, that should make the game a highly fertile environment for DFS production, though the amount of talent on the floor at any given time and the uncertainty of minutes for each player always lends a bit of uncertainty to the proceedings.
With just one game on the ledger, we're dealing with FanDuel's single-game contest rosters comprised as follows:
- MVP: (Garners points at 2x the normal rate)
- STAR - (Garners points at 1.5x the normal rate)
- PRO - (Garners points at 1.2x the normal rate)
- Two Utility spots - (Garner points at normal rate)
With the valuation also being different than in conventional FanDuel contests on multi-game slates and top players inevitably headed for heavy rostering, there are definitely strategic elements particular to single-game lineups. Finding key value plays for the two utility spots is undoubtedly vital as it enables you to fill out the multiplier spots with some of the top projected producers.
Slate Breakdown
Team Durant at Team LeBron (-5.5) (O/U: 321.5 points)
LeBron James' team notched a 20-point win over Durant's last season in a game that finished with a total of 320 points. They're a relatively solid favorite again due to what appears to be a slightly more stacked overall roster. It's worth noting recent ASG margins of victory have been all over the spectrum as four of the last eight have seen the winner prevail by double-digits while the other four by eight points or fewer.
The Elam Ending will also be utilized for a third straight year, meaning the fourth quarter will be untimed and the teams will play until one reaches the figure that is the result of adding 24 points to the point total of the team that's ahead at the end of three quarters.
Injury Report
James Harden (hamstring): OUT
Harden is replaced on the ASG player pool by the Cavs' Jarrett Allen, who was selected to Team LeBron.
Kevin Durant (knee): OUT
Durant is replaced on the Team Durant roster by the Hornets' LaMelo Ball and the Celtics' Jayson Tatum is replacing him as a starter.
Draymond Green (back): OUT
Green is replaced on the ASG player pool by Dejounte Murray, who was drafted to Team Durant.
Other players with injury concerns:
Chris Paul, Team LeBron (hand)
Zach LaVine, Team Durant (knee)
Fred VanVleet, Team LeBron (knee)
Positional Breakdown
MVP Candidates
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Team LeBron ($14,500)
Giannis went into the All-Star break on an absolute tear averaging 32.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 blocks across 33 minutes over his last 12 games. He's also produced an excellent All-Star Game body of work, even when playing just 19 minutes last year. Giannis went off for 35 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block over that modest span, and has hit at least 30 points in three of five ASG appearances.
Joel Embiid, Team Durant ($14,000)
Embiid, who just went head to head with Giannis in the last game before the break, is also churning out some eye-popping numbers. The big man boasts career highs in points (29.6) and assists (4.5) for the season and is also showing improved accuracy from distance (36.9 percent) for the second consecutive year. Embiid has posted a pair of double-doubles in two of his three ASG appearances and headed into the break with a stretch of 12 double-doubles across 14 games.
Luka Doncic, Team LeBron ($13,500)
Doncic could turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the slate. The prolific guard got off to a bit of a rough start under new head coach Jason Kidd, which may have partly contributed to him falling short of being named an ASG starter. However, Doncic turned it on in sensational fashion down the pre-break stretch averaging 33.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.0 percent - including 41.2 percent from distance - over his last 15 games. Luka has been underwhelming in his first two ASG appearances with averages of 8.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds across 25 minutes, but this could certainly be the year where he takes center stage.
STAR Candidates
Stephen Curry, Team LeBron ($13,000)
Curry should be fresh after opting to pass up the defense of his Three-Point Contest title, and he comes in with three ASG tallies of greater than 20 points on his resume. The fast pace and lackadaisical defense typical of the game haven't always led to ultra-efficient efforts for Curry as he's shooting just 40.0 percent - including 34.8 percent from distance - over seven ASG appearances, but he naturally offers the ability to pile up production in a hurry with the hot hand.
Nikola Jokic, Team LeBron ($12,500)
Jokic is enjoying another MVP-worthy season averaging 27.7 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.3 steals per 33.8 minutes over his last 15 games before the break. The ultra-versatile big man has been surprisingly quiet in his three previous ASG appearances, largely as a result of playing no more than 19 minutes in any of them. That previous body of work keeps me from putting Jokic in the MVP tier, but his massive upside makes him a great STAR selection.
Jayson Tatum, Team Durant ($12,500)
As noted earlier, Tatum will draw a starting assignment with Durant unavailable. The talented wing isn't having his most efficient season shooting-wise, but is pulling down a career-high 8.4 rebounds and has compiled some massive performances. After a modest ASG debut in the 2020 edition, Tatum broke out for 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and four steals in only 17 minutes last year.
PRO Candidates
Dejounte Murray, Team Durant ($12,000)
Murray has blown away his personal bests in almost every major statistical category this season with 19.9 points, 9.3 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. This marks his inaugural ASG appearance, and it's difficult to predict how players will respond under such circumstances. But given Murray's youth, the possibility he sees extended time as the game unfolds and his undeniable versatility, he's a solid PRO candidate - particularly in tournaments.
Trae Young, Team Durant ($10,500)
Young's aggressive style is a seemingly perfect fit for the ASG environment, though he was just as much a facilitator as a scorer in his debut last year with 10 points and 10 assists. The Hawks' MVP is displaying career-best efficiency this season with 45.6 percent shooting, including 38.3 percent from three-point range. Young's sub-optimal accuracy keeps him from the top two tiers for me, but he's certainly an intriguing candidate for the 1.2x multiplier position.
Utility Candidates
DeMar DeRozan, Team LeBron ($10,000)
For what it's worth, DeRozan arrives at the ASG carrying a hot hand with 37.6 points on 58.3 percent shooting, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds across 38.5 minutes over the last eight games. The stellar numbers are essentially a microcosm of what may ultimately prove to be the veteran's best season yet. And with a 56.0 career shooting percentage in the ASG through four appearances, consider rolling DeRozan out as a value play with plenty of upside.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Team Durant ($9,500)
That description certainly also fits KAT, who posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double across 18 minutes in his first ASG back in 2018 before receiving just 11 minutes in his second a year later. The big man is shooting over 40.0 percent from distance for the fourth time in the last five seasons, and his ability to contribute across the stat sheet makes him a potential bargain at this salary.
