Draftkings Head To Head Strategy

When it comes to daily fantasy NBA lineup construction, a huge chasm separates cash games from large-field NBA tournaments. If you use the same draft strategy across both categories, you’re almost guaranteed to see poor results. Cash games and tournaments are different animals. They need to be treated as such.

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If you’re new to daily fantasy sports, you might be wondering what the term “cash games” means. We’re referring to double-ups (50/50s) and head-to-heads (H2Hs). In such contests, half the field wins – typically twice the buy-in less the fantasy site’s rake.

Cash games are often neglected by novice daily fantasy players. Most newbies are drawn to the 6-figure prize pools that are up for grabs in large-field tournaments at FanDuel and DraftKings. The irony is that double-ups and head-to-heads are easier to win. The key is knowing how to leverage the quirks posed by those two contest formats.

That’s what you’ll learn on this page. Read on for 7 actionable tips for building fantasy basketball lineups that trounce your competition in cash games.

Nfl Draftkings Picks

#1 – Focus On Creating A High-Floor Lineup

The ideal roster for fantasy NBA cash games is one that has a high floor. The floor gives you a sense of security. It gives you confidence that your lineup will post a minimum number of points.

The floor isn’t etched in stone, of course. It’s based on projections, which, in turn, are based on data. The more data you have, the more confident you can be in your projections. The idea is to build an element of safety into your roster, thereby lowering your risk.

You need to draft high-floor players who have solid track records. You’re not interested in guys who post 30 points one night, and 10 points the following night. You want predictability. You need players whom you can count on to be productive.

#2 – Build Upon A Solid Foundation

In the same way a house must be built on a strong foundation, so too should your NBA daily fantasy roster. That means finding a few highly-skilled starters who play a significant number of minutes in each game. Not coincidentally, you’ll find that those same starters usually turn in solid performances night after night.

Most of the players who fit that bill are studs. Here, we’re talking about guys like LeBron James, Curry, Trae Young, Anthony Davis etc. If they’re playing, you can count on them to deliver points.

Note that studs tend to command high salaries. But assuming they play a lot of minutes, they’ll usually give you your money’s worth.

#3 – Look For Site-Specific Scoring Opportunities

The two largest daily fantasy sites are FanDuel and DraftKings. There are slight differences in the way both sites award points in basketball contests. For example, DraftKings gives you a bonus if one of your players scores a double-double or triple-double.

Think about how you might exploit that aspect of DK’s scoring system.

Suppose you need a center and you’re trying to decide between Jokic, Towns and Adebayo. You notice that Adebayo has not only logged 40+ fantasy points per game, but also ranks high in rebounds. By putting him in your lineup, you stand a good chance of earning extra points on DraftKings for a double-double.

Keep your eyes open for similar opportunities afforded by your favorite fantasy site’s scoring system. They could give you the edge you need to finish in the top half of your field.

#4 – Watch Out For Blowouts

Blowouts can be a boon if you’re competing in a guaranteed prize pool tournament. But they’re bad for business if you’re playing double-ups and head-to-heads.

Here’s the reason…

In a GPP event, you have to take risks if you want to win. Picking the same starters as everyone else only ensures you’ll post a similar score. You need to stand out from the pack. One strategy is to use Vegas odds to identify predicted blowouts, and then draft bench players from the favored teams in the hopes those players will get more floor time. More time equals more scoring opportunities.

Why might those bench players receive more time on the court? Because the starters are likely to be pulled early from the games.

It’s a risky strategy. There’s no way to tell when a starter might be pulled. Consequently, there’s no way to tell how many minutes the bench player who replaces him might get to play. But in a GPP, taking risks comes with the territory.

In a cash game, that’s a terrible approach. Remember, you want a high level of predictability. That’s why you build your roster on a strong foundation made up of a few studs. The problem is, in a blowout, those studs are likely to get pulled, reducing your roster’s scoring opportunities.

The lesson? Avoid blowouts when you’re competing in cash games. You can learn more about using Vegas odds to help you identify value here.

#5 – Pay Up For Scoring Consistency

This tip is an extension of a point I’ve danced around thus far: you don’t need to take as many risks in 50/50s and H2Hs as you need to take in GPPs. You’re not looking for players who might unexpectedly turn in a show-stopping performance. On the contrary, you’re looking for guys who are consistent on the floor.

For example, consider Anthony Davis. He tends to play 35+ minutes in each game. When he’s on the court, he tends to fire off a fair number of field goals and sink more than half. He’s also consistent in rebounds and blocks.

If you add Davis to your roster, you can be relatively certain he’ll produce. His track indicates as much.

Now take a look at Mike Conley. He’s a good player, but far less consistent than Davis. His number of minutes played falls across a broader range; he fires fewer field goals and is less consistent in making them; and while he can be an effective rebounder, his production in that area is irregular, and thus unreliable.

Conley might make a good pick for a large-field tournament. If he has an awesome night, he could carry your roster to the top of the field. But he poses too much risk in a cash game, where consistency and predictability are your friends.

#6 – Check For Last-Minute Starter Injuries

Injuries happen a lot more often in professional basketball than many fantasy team owners realize. If you neglect to check for last-minute injuries, you might see one of your starters warming the bench come game time. That’s a disaster if you’re competing in a 50/50 or head-to-head.

For example, suppose you drafted Zion Williamson for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz. He currently has a jammed left thumb and bruised right hand. The NBA injury list mentions that Williams plans to keep both of his hands on ice so he can TRY to play tonight.

That’s a huge gamble. If it turns out that he’s unable to take the floor, your roster will suffer.

Make sure you’re aware of the latest player injuries going into the evening’s tip-off. It only takes a moment to check the most recently-updated injury list.

#7 – Realize That Not Every Value Play Is A Bargain

If you’re going to put a few studs on your roster (ref. to tip #2), you’ll need to pick up a few value plays as well. That’s the only way to build your lineup under the salary cap. The challenge is being able to distinguish between players who offer real value and players who only appear to do so.

What constitutes “real value” in daily fantasy basketball? The 2 biggest factors are salary and scoring consistency.

In order for a player to qualify as a value play, he must have a lower salary than is warranted by his track record. An example would be a player scheduled to replace a starter who was recently injured. If the fantasy site hasn’t yet adjusted the replacement’s salary to reflect the extra minutes he’ll have on the floor, he might pose a fantastic value.

We’ve already covered scoring consistency and the reason it’s important in NBA cash games. But it’s worth adding a few additional notes.

First, don’t be bamboozled by the numbers listed in the “FPPG” column at FanDuel and DraftKings. They won’t tell you whether players are consistent from one game to the next.

For example, consider LaMarcus Aldridge of the Spurs. Over the last 10 games, he has scored between 10 and 37 points. That’s a huge gap. You don’t want him on your roster when he’s having an off night.

Of course, a player’s ability to sink a consistent number of field goals in each game isn’t the only thing to worry about in daily fantasy basketball. He might excel in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. But a quick glance at Aldridge’s rebounds over the last 10 games shows a similar lack of consistency.

Not every value play is a good bargain.

A lot of novice daily fantasy team owners mistakenly assume that a low salary combined with a relatively high FPPG number reveals a great value. But those two figures rarely tell the whole story.

Last Thoughts On Daily Fantasy NBA Lineup Construction

The tips I’ve outlined above should become part of your draft strategy for NBA double-ups and head-to-heads. Incorporate them into your routine. For example, get into the habit of identifying studs, reviewing the latest injury report and checking Vegas odds for projected blowouts. Complete those tasks every time you enter a 50/50 or H2H.

With time, they’ll become second-nature to you. You’ll be able to build your NBA rosters more quickly and enjoy greater success competing against others for a chance to win real cash prizes.

Keep On Reading

This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.

On DraftKings, there are mainly two types of contests available, the Head-to-Head (H2H) or 50/50 contests and the Guaranteed Price Pool Tournaments (GPPs). Depending on the type of contest you enter, the team of players you select should vary.

H2H contests are simple, you beat the one person you play against, and you nearly double your entry fee. In 50/50 contests, if you finish in the top half of the field, you nearly double your entry. When selecting players for these contests, be very conservative. You do not have to have a perfect lineup. The goal is to get solid production from all of your players. You should target players that are very consistent from week-to-week.

In GPP contests, you have to go big, or you will be going home empty handed. These contests only pay out if you finish around the top 20 percent. You should select lineups for GPPs with a much different approach compared to your H2H and 50/50 teams. In his most recent article, Joel wrote about some GPP strategies. Your main goal is to be a contrarian and go for players with a ton of upside that will not be heavily owned. When you use this strategy, you will hit on underused and over performing players; however, you will also land a ton of duds. GPP contests are not for the weak-hearted. You must prepare to fail more than you will succeed, but when you do succeed, you can win a ton of money.

Below, I look at some players that I feel best fit each strategy. For the H2H and 50/50s, you should target the most consistent players, and the GPP selections should be guys that are capable of huge games and the occasional dud. These selections are for the early part of the season, not just the first game.

Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks are the easiest for me to classify. Generally, I move all of the pass heavy quarterbacks into H2H and 50/50s and all of the running quarterbacks to my GPPs. Rushing yards and touchdowns provide a ton of fantasy value for quarterbacks, however, they can be very sporadic. This makes running quarterbacks very valuable in GPPs, because of their high variation from week to week.

H2H and 50/50 Targets

Peyton Manning ($10,100) – Manning is a very consistent player and makes a great H2H and 50/50 play. His very high salary does worry me, so only play him if you can find a lot of value at other positions. You should be able to do this week one, but it will be harder after that.

Drew Brees ($9,700) AT HOME – Brees plays much better at home. In 2013, he averaged 32.2 fantasy points per game at home and 18 fppg on the road. When Brees is playing at home, get him into your H2H and 50/50s.

Matt Ryan ($7,900) – Ryan is a solid value at $7,900 and should be a pretty consistent performer in 2014. If you can't afford Brees or Manning, Ryan provides a reliable quarterback option at a more reasonable price.

GPP Targets

Cam Newton ($8,400) – Newton is the ultimate GPP play at quarterback. If you can get him into your lineup when he scores a rushing touchdown, you will have a nice foundation for success. If he runs for two touchdowns, you will be looking really good.

Johnny Manziel ($6,300) – This is, of course, contingent on Manziel becoming the starter at some point. If Johnny Football can start a game, he has the potential for some big point totals. He will certainly struggle some and put up major duds, but his running ability should create some very strong performances.

Running Backs

The running back position DraftKings is very similar to that of season long fantasy. The first ten or so running backs are very consistent, but after that, there's ton of uncertainly. For this reason, I tend to spend on the running back position in H2H and 50/50s; however, the best running backs have very high salaries, so you may have to go for some of the second-tier guys. I like to go for more value plays in GPPs, and mix in a couple high salaried running backs (just in case they go off).

H2H and 50/50 Targets

Le'von Bell ($6,700) – Bell had an extremely consistent year in 2013. He played 13 games and scored at least 10 fantasy points in 12 of those contests. He is helped by his pass catching ability (45 receptions). With DraftKings point-per-reception format, running backs that catch passes on a regular basis are very reliable.

Chris Johnson ($5,100) –Johnson is a steady player at a reasonable price. He should have a pretty pedestrian season in 2014, but it should be very consistent week-to-week.

GPP Targets

Jamaal Charles ($9,000) – Charles is a consistent player, but at $9,000 he's too costly for H2H and 50/50 contests. However, his high price may benefit you in GPPs, forcing you to use lower salary players that may be under owned. Charles showed his big game ability last year with a 62.5 point game in Week 15. If you didn't have him in your lineup that week in a GPP, you had almost no shot of finishing in the money.

Chris Ivory ($4,300) – Indications out of Jets camp say that Ivory will be their goal line back. If he retains this position, he will be a perfect GPP play. He will have some terrible games of under 10 yards rushing and no touchdowns, but he may mix in a couple two touchdown performances. This will make his ownership very limited. If you can get him into your lineup for one of his big games, you will have an advantage over your competition.

C.J. Spiller ($6,200) – Spiller is the ultimate running back play for GPP contests. He has some very bad games (nine games under 10 points in 2013) and some solid performances (three games over 20 points). Because of his big-play ability, he can accumulate fantasy points very quickly.

How To Win Draftkings Nfl

Wide Receivers

I split wide receivers into two groups the short-pass/high-reception guys and the big-play/lower-colume players. The players with high receptions tend to be more consistent and make for better H2H and 50/50 plays, while the big-play receivers make better GPP plays.

H2H and 50/50 Targets

Antonio Brown ($7,500) – Because Brown catches a ton of passes (110 in 2013), he makes a great H2H and 50/50 play. Brown scored more than 10 fantasy points in all 16 of his games last year.

Draftkings Strategy Nfl

A.J. Green ($7,400) – Green is very consistent for a wide receiver, scoring at least 10 fantasy points in 15 of his 16 games. He brings a nice blend of big-play ability and high reception totals. I would not rule him out of your GPP contests.

Kendall Wright ($5,700) – Wright proved last year that he can be a consistent player, scoring between 9.9 and 18.8 fantasy points in 11 of his 16 games, and scoring less than 9.9 points only three times. He only had two touchdowns last year, so his ceiling is limited for GPP contests. However, if he can combine his high reception totals with a few more touchdowns, he could become a viable GPP play.

Brandin Cooks ($4,500) – Cooks is only a rookie, but I expect him to get close to 100 receptions this year. He should become the top short option for Brees, in an offense that loves to throw short.

GPP Targets

Dez Bryant ($7,800) – Dez had a monster season last year, but he did also put up some stinkers. Out of his 16 games, he produced four games of less than 10 fantasy points.

Cordarrelle Patterson ($5,800) – Patterson is the perfect example of a guy that you want in GPPs, but do not want in H2H and 50/50s contests until he can prove to be a reliable pass catcher. He had some monster games last year, but he also had a ton of duds. He is the ultimate big play type of guy.

T.Y. Hilton ($5,500) – In 2013, he had games of 40.1, 34 and 29.5 fantasy points, but he also had nine games of less than 10 fantasy points. The Colts added Hakeem Nicks and will get Reggie Wayne back from injury; those players should move Hilton back to his role as Andrew Lucks' big-play receiver.

Tight Ends

Outside of the top four or 5 players at the position, tight end is a very touchdown dependent position. This makes most tight ends very inconsistent. You must decide if you want to go with a stud tight end or go with a value option. Below are a couple of value options that should be considered based on the contest you enter.

H2H and 50/50 Target

Greg Olsen ($4,700) – Olsen is consistent for a mid-priced tight end. He scored more than 10 fantasy points in 11 of his 16 games last year. However, he scored more than 20 points only once, so his upside is limited and he does not make a great GPP play.

GPP Target

Vernon Davis ($4,800) – Davis had some monster games last year, including a 41 point game in Week 6 against the Cardinals (reminder - play tight ends against the Cards this year), but he had some duds of five, 1.2 and zero fantasy points as well.