The matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets is an intriguing one in terms of DFS. None of these players are particularly expensive, and yet both teams have at least a couple of stars that can drop 30 on a good night. Any DFS players who are looking to save some money might want to look at this game where certain players can pop off for cheap.
Cavaliers at Nets Start Em
D’Angelo Russell (Draft Kings Price 5.8K, FanDuel Price 6.5K)
Russell is simply evolving into the leader of this team. He has yet to have a super spectacular game (his season high is 28), but he controls the offense. In his last game against Philadelphia, he scored 22 points off of 60% shooting from the field. Plenty of those 22 points came from contested shots too, so look for him to do the same against Cleveland.
Cam Johnson (Draft Kings Price 6K, FanDuel Price 6.4K)
When Russell drives the lane, Johnson is usually his number-one pass option. He does a lot of work on the offensive side of the ball, whether it’s catching alley-oops or simply getting to the hole when the defense is too busy guarding Russell. It’s due to this quality that he has been getting a solid 15-ish points a night. Johnson makes a great pick for anybody who has a solid DFS lineup already and wants a cheap but reliable power forward.
Darius Garland (Draft Kings Price 7.3K, FanDuel Price 7.6K)
Garland is a great pick-up for DFS for two reasons; he never has a bad game, and he is capable of having a legendary game every night. Looking at his stats on the year, he rarely scores below 15 and often scores over 25. There isn’t anyone on Brooklyn who would lock Garland down, and if they double-team Mitchell that’s better news for Garland.
Cavaliers at Nets Sit Em’
Evan Mobley (Draft Kings Price 8.4K, FanDuel Price 8.6K)
Many fans were excited to see Mobley get into the All-Star lineup, and rightfully so. Sitting Evan Mobley this game has nothing to do with his play, but rather everything to do with the Brooklyn frontcourt offense. They practically shut down Paul George at the same position, holding him to two points all game. Mobley also has two great shooters to pass to, so it’s not like he needs to go up with the ball himself every possession.
Nic Claxton (Draft Kings Price 5.9K, FanDuel Price 6.2K)
Claxton can have a good game here and there, but he mostly scores around 10 points a night. He can still end up with a decent DFS game if he gets double-digit rebounds. Unfortunately, he will be going up against Evan Mobley and Jarett Allen, so it’s going to be tough getting those rebounds. DFS players should have plenty of other options at the center position.
Keon Johnson (Draft Kings Price 4.9K, FanDuel Price 5.8K)
Johnson hasn’t scored at a high level in the time he has been playing. Of course, it’s hard to stand out in a backcourt with D’Angelo Russell because he scores so often. That being said, Johnson isn’t going to get enough looks with the basketball to be relevant for DFS. The offense simply has other options that would rather have the ball.
Cavaliers at Nets Lock
Donovan Mitchell (Draft Kings Price 8.3K, FanDuel Price 8.5K)
The Cavaliers back line is looking like the 2014 Golden State Warriors at the moment. Teams can’t spend too many resources guarding Darius Garland because Mitchell, one of the best scorers in the league, is also on the perimeter. Mitchell can shoot from range and drive to the basket, making him way too much to handle for Brooklyn’s defense.
Cavaliers at Nets Fade
Tristan Thompson (Draft Kings Price 3K, FanDuel Price 3.6K)
While it’s nice to know that a vestige of the Lebron/Kyrie Cleveland Cavaliers era is still on the team, that doesn’t mean he would get lots of game time or opportunities to score. Tristan Thompson is in the latter half of his career, and he simply won’t be on the court enough to produce for DFS. Still, it’s awesome to see he is still on the team.
