RIVAL Fantasy NBA DFS Picks - Fantasy Bingo Strategy and Picks for 1/17/24 and 1/18/24

Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers, and welcome back to our new series covering RIVAL Fantasy Bingo picks for the NBA season! We will be covering how to play and the strategies to win.

Fantasy Bingo is a spin on the classic game Bingo but the goal is to match achievements, not numbers. You will build a DFS lineup for the weekly games to unlock the achievements and fill in those squares. You can win by getting five in a row, all four corners, or an entire card blackout.

The prize pool for the weekly slate is distributed among all of the winning cards. They are broken down in two ways. 56% of the prize pool to cards that have five in a row -- vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. 44% of the prize pool is for cards that just cover the four corners. Also, the prize pool gets larger as more bingo cards are entered. You can have up to 100 max cards all with different lineups created. Check here for the updated rules and scoring.

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RIVAL Fantasy Bingo Strategy

When it comes to Fantasy Bingo and the NBA, the strategy will be different than the NFL strategy. Stacking would go out the window unless the slate is two to three games. Targeting high usage players though is the same. Players who can fill multiple categories on the stat sheet like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Ben Simmons (surprisingly). On top of that, if players are averaging double-doubles or triple-doubles at a good rate, you'll want to get a piece of that pie as the Bingo Cards may call for it.

Targeting defensive players who are logging more than two blocks or steals per game will be needed also. Those appear at a consistent rate on the Bingo Cards. Players like Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid excel at blocks and are averaging more than two per game. For steals, players like Marcus Smart, Donovan Mitchell, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are already recording 2.5 steals per game.

Filling every single category of the stat sheet will be needed as you construct your lineups. Spreading it out between key offensive and defensive players as there is no salary cap for you to be restricted by. Look for games with high totals, teams that play at a fast pace, and players that may get boosts from teammates ruled out due to injuries. You can make your lineups throughout the night but waiting for injury news to rule in will be your best route to go before the first game tips off.

RIVAL Fantasy Bingo Picks

Scottie Barnes vs. Miami Heat

Scottie Barnes has been a bag of inconsistency throughout this season. While he has had some lows, he has put together some strings of good games. Tonight, he gets to face the Miami Heat and it should get him back on track. He secured a double-double versus Boston on Monday with 10 points and 13 rebounds. A double-double is in sight tonight. With facing Miami, they allow opposing forwards to average 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Toronto also gets a slight pace boost as they average 102.7 possessions per game compared to Miami's 100.7.

What makes Barnes an even more intriguing play is his negative play with turnovers. As usual, Rival Fantasy Bingo cards have turnover squares that pop up on more than most cards. Scottie Barnes has had two or more turnovers in the past six games, reaching as high as five. He also brings some defensive upside as he has had more than one steal or block in the past four games. With a double-double upside mixed with the turnovers and defensive stat upside, Barnes makes for a great Bingo play.

Paolo Banchero vs. Atlanta Hawks

Paolo Banchero is in an amazing spot versus the Atlanta Hawks who have struggled against power forwards. They are currently allowing opposing forwards to average 26.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Banchero has already seen Atlanta twice and while the first time wasn't as amazing, he recorded 35 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists versus them on January 7. He even added three steals and one block.

Matching a similar game to Toronto and Miami, Orlando will be in a pace-up spot as Atlanta has the third highest possession per game with 106.1 while Orlando sits at 103.2. Banchero has a usage rate of 29.7% on the season while averaging 22.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. Mixing that with the pace-up spot versus Atlanta and the poor defense versus forwards, he should have an amazing ceiling game to dominate.

Alperen Sengun vs. New York Knicks

Alperen Sengun may have a tall task in front of him, facing off against the New York Knicks but he can rack up the stats easily. Nearly averaging a double-double on the season, Sengun is averaging 21.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. On top of that, he's adding on defensive stats almost nightly. He has recorded at least one or more steals and blocks in the past five games. Sengun also becomes an appealing play due to his turnover stats. In the nine games he has played this month, he has had two or more turnovers. The Bingo cards will love that. With the New York Knicks defense being tough against centers, we could see a nice amount of turnovers come from Alperen Sengun tonight.

Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a tough challenge when it comes to slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo. They are currently allowing opposing power forwards to average a double-double with 22.4 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. Antetokounmpo is average that and more on a nightly basis. He has now recorded a double-double in ten of his last eleven games with three of those being triple-doubles also. On the season, he's averaging 31.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists with a usage rate of 33%.

The Milwaukee Bucks are also playing at the fifth-highest rate for possessions per game with 106 while Cleveland is averaging just 102. This gives Giannis and the Bucks a huge boost and should be able to dominate the entire game. The Greek Freak, just like Alperen Sengun and Scottie Barnes, will also provide upside for any turnover square as he has now recorded four straight games with four turnovers.

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