The NBA season is in full swing, and DraftKings has released a new Snake Draft fantasy format! Below, we break down strategy for Tuesday’s DraftKings NBA Snake slate.
Visit the DraftKings NBA lobby to view all the available NBA Snake contests!
Favorable Early Round Targets
Nikola Jokic, F/C, Denver Nuggets
Snake Classic Rank: 2nd
Jokic is ranked as the No. 2 player in the snake draft format, but I think you can make a case that he deserves to be drafted first. That honor currently belongs to Giannis Antetokounmpo, and both players have been tremendous fantasy assets recently. That said, Jokic should benefit from the Nuggets being shorthanded. Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, and JaMychal Green are all expected to be sidelined through the All-Star break, while Facundo Campazzo and R.J. Hampton are out due to health and safety protocols. That leaves the Nuggets very shorthanded, particularly in the frontcourt.
Jokic is coming off a monster performance with all five players out of the lineup yesterday vs. the Bulls. He finished with 39 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, resulting in 77.0 DKFP. He also posted a usage rate of 36.2%, and he’s increased aggression as a scorer is a huge plus for his fantasy stock. Jokic is a savant in the other categories – he’s arguably the greatest passing big man ever – so some added production in the points category has given him a significantly safer floor than in years past.
Kawhi Leonard, F/C, Los Angeles Clippers
Snake Classic Rank: 11th
Leonard is in a subpar spot today vs. the Celtics, but this is simply too cheap for a player of his caliber. He’s averaged 1.33 DKFP per minute over the past month, and Kawhi is somewhat surprisingly playing a ton of minutes for the Clippers recently. He’s played at least 37.3 minutes in three of his past six games, and the average margin of victory in the three games where he didn’t hit that threshold is more than 22 points. Basically, if tonight’s game stays competitive, you can expect Kawhi to log at least 36 minutes of playing time.
Leonard is ranked as the No. 11 player in the snake draft format, but his ADP is slightly lower at 8.4. Still, I’d rather draft him than Trae Young (rank 6) and Jayson Tatum (rank 7), who are both coming off the board before him.
Early Round Player to Avoid
Jimmy Butler, F/C, Miami Heat
Snake Classic Rank: 9th
Butler is going to be a boom-or-bust option on today’s slate. He’s ranked as the No. 9 player in the snake draft format, but he’s coming off the board with an ADP of 17.7.
Injury concerns are the big reason for the stark difference between his rank and ADP. He’s currently listed as questionable with right knee inflammation, and the injury was serious enough to keep Butler out of the lineup in their last game. If he doesn’t suit up, you’re going to get a zero in your lineup since there’s no late swap.
You can think about rolling the dice on Butler around his current ADP, but definitely do not take him in the first round in any format. There’s simply too much risk, and there are plenty of other options with similar ceilings that don’t carry the same concerns.
Also, make sure to remove Anthony Davis (rank 10) from your draft boards since he remains out of the lineup. Tonight’s game between the Raptors and Pistons has also been postponed, so make sure not to select any of their players either.
Late Round Flyers
It should be noted that these players are ranked below the threshold of players that would be drafted. This section simply tries to exploit players who are in favorable matchups and are down the rank list.
Derrick Rose, G, New York Knicks
Snake Classic Rank: 44
Rose is being drafted significantly above his rank – he owns an ADP of 29.0 – but that still puts him on the cusp of being undrafted in six-team leagues. That’s a mistake. Elfrid Payton is doubtful for the Knicks, and Rose has started in place of Payton in each of the past three games. He’s absolutely crushed in that role, finishing with at least 29.25 DKFP in all three games. That includes a performance with 42.75 DKFP vs. the Pacers, so he has a solid ceiling tonight vs. the Spurs.
Monte Morris, G, Denver Nuggets
Snake Classic Rank: 87th
Morris has been asked to carry a huge workload for the shorthanded Nuggets recently. He’s played at least 31.1 minutes in four of his past five games, and Morris should be able to provide solid value with that much playing time. He’s averaged 0.77 DKFP per minute this season, and he’s in a nice pace-up spot vs. the Bucks on today’s slate. Milwaukee has played at the fifth-fastest pace this season, while Denver is all the way down at 28th in pace. Denver boasts the fifth-best offense in the league in terms of offensive efficiency, so they can do some serious damage with a few extra possessions.
Brook Lopez, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks
Snake Classic Rank: 98th
Lopez is one of my favorite values on Tuesday’s slate. His playing time isn’t the most consistent, but he has played at least 30.7 minutes in back-to-back games. He should approach that threshold again today in a matchup vs. Jokic, and Lopez has averaged 0.82 DKFP per minute over the past month. He might not possess the highest ceiling, but he can get to 30 DKFP with that much playing time. That’s appealing with your final pick in a 12-team draft.
Visit the DraftKings NBA lobby to view all the available NBA Snake contests!
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.