Capping off tonight's NBA Play-In doubleheader, the ninth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (-5.5) host the 10th-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with eyes on an impending matchup against the Timberwolves on Friday night. Relative to preseason expectations, it's a bit surprising to see both teams in this Play-In, as many thought the Pelicans could have locked up a spot within the top six of the Western Conference, while the Thunder were looked at as a lottery team.
For SuperDraft players searching for NBA DFS lineup advice, we've constructed our favorite lineup for tonight's prime-time matchup. We've opted to roll with a high-upside Champion in a plus matchup, as well as a volatile floor spacer with the goal of hitting it big. Alongside them, we've selected three stable players we think make for a well-rounded lineup capable of padding your DFS bankroll at the end of the night.
SuperDraft offers salary cap DFS contests, but the majority of its tournaments feature no restrictions like caps or tiers. The strategy involves points multipliers — the higher a player's average fantasy score, the lower their multiplier. The lower their average fantasy output, the higher their multiplier. A winning lineup will feature a good mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.5x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers.
MORE PELICANS-THUNDER: Betting preview
Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft contests: Made three-point shot (+0.5 points), rebound (+1.25 points), assists (+1.5 points), steals and blocks (+3 points), double-double (+1.5 points -- max one per player) and triple-double (+1.5 points -- max one player). Additionally, your Champion player gets his point total increased by an additional 50 percent.
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SuperDraft NBA DFS Picks: Pelicans vs. Thunder
Lineup consists of a Champion player scoring an additional 50% of its multiplier and four FLEX players. Lineup must include players from at least two different teams. Draft all of your favorite players based on their multiplier value with no restrictions.
Champion (50% more points): C Jonas Valanciunas, Pelicans (Multiplier: 2.4x)
We'll take a bit of a gamble and roster New Orleans' center Jonas Valanciunas as our Champion, thinking the big man can exploit a relatively undersized Oklahoma City frontcourt. Even though Valanciunas has seen his minutes decrease from 30.3 minutes per game in 2021-22 to just 24.9 minutes per game this season, we think he gets more run tonight with the Pelicans season on the line. Oklahoma City's interior defense is exploitable, ranking below the league average in opponent two-point percentage defense (55.3 percent), which could result in the seven-footer having his way as a scorer and rebounder.
UTIL: SG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (Multiplier: 1x)
Even though his multiplier is just 1x, we have to roster OKC's do-everything lead guard in a win-or-go-home situation. SGA's one of the purest scorers in the Association, averaging 31.4 ppg (fourth in NBA) to go along with 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. In four games against New Orleans this season, he's been even better, averaging 33.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Expect a similar output from one of the game's most-utilized players (31.8 usg).
UTIL: SF Trey Murphy, Pelicans (Multiplier: 1.7x)
With a multiplier of 1.7x, we think Murphy turn could in a respectable performance as the Pelicans' starting wing. He's enjoyed a strong end to the regular season, averaging 22.6 points over his past 10 games, shooting 52.7 percent from the field while canning 3.8 threes per game. Against a league-average Oklahoma City perimeter defense allowing opponents to connect on 35.8 percent of their triples (35.8 percent), Murphy has a chance to make three-plus threes on Wednesday night. Add in his ability to get to the rim and exploit a subpar Thunder interior defense, Murphy makes for a valuable DFS play.
UTIL: SG Isaiah Joe, Thunder (Multiplier: 2.15x)
Joe's volatility as a three-point specialist could pay dividends tonight, especially with a 2.15x multiplier attached to his name. He's been one of the most consistent floor spaces in the NBA this season, connecting on 40.9 percent of his triples while attempting 5.4 threes per game. New Orleans does boast the league's best opponent three-point field-goal percentage (33.9 percent), but Joe's still going to hoist up a high number of threes when in the game. He's only made seven-of-21 triples in three games against the Pelicans this season, but he had one game where he hoisted 11 triples, splashing in four of them.
UTIL: SG CJ McCollum, Pelicans (Multiplier: 1.35x)
We know what we're going to get with McCollum, so rostering the veteran combo guard gives us some stability in a lineup where we've opted for upside with a big night in mind. CJ's been as consistent as it gets this season for New Orleans, entering the Play-In having played 75 games this season and averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Look for McCollum to have his hands on the ball a lot as one of the team's go-to scoring options, giving him a chance to score close to 30 points in a game that should be fast-paced (over/under 226.5 points).
