This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Each of the 12 men's basketball teams competing in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics completed their first game over the weekend, producing some expected blowouts to go along with a couple of surprising upsets, highlighted by Croatia's thrilling 72-70 win over Spain, a team viewed by many as the silver-medal favorites.
With each team now turning its attention to the second game of the group phase, DraftKings has multiple contests on tap for the Monday and Tuesday slate, featuring prize pools up to $40,000.
The five-game slate kicks off with the Venezuela-United States matchup (Monday, 5:00 p.m. ET) and concludes with Croatia-Argentina (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET). Only the first matchup of Monday (Serbia-Australia, 12:15 p.m. ET) is excluded from contests, likely due to its earlier start time.
The first wave of games, while still a very small sample, at least provided a feel for how coaches are managing their rotations, allowing us to speculate on some possible value plays for Monday and Tuesday. It's also worth noting that given their status as the heavy favorites of the tournaments, nearly the entire United States roster sits in a higher-priced tier across every position. This makes it essential for DFS players to familiarize themselves with more of the top players from the international squads -- most of whom are lesser names in the NBA or aren't even in the NBA at all -- in order to round out a lineup.
Here are some targets to consider for the five-game slate:
GUARDS TO TARGET
Tony Parker, PG, France (vs. China) -- $6,800
France took an embarrassing 19-point loss to Australia in their Olympic opener Saturday, but that was through no fault of Parker, who was the team's best player. He accumulated 18 points on 6-for-14 shooting in the contest, leading the team in both scoring and shot attempts despite logging only 20:26 of court time. With the French team perhaps needing to win out in order to advance out of the group stage, look for Parker to assume more minutes against China in order to solidify a victory. France looks to be the superior team of the two sides, so Parker should be able to produce in a more efficient manner, while perhaps trading more points for assists.
Mantas Kalnietis, PG, Lithuania (vs. Nigeria) -- $5,200
Kalnietis keyed the Lithuanians' 82-76 win over host Brazil on Sunday, scoring 16 points and dropping eight dimes to go with three boards, a steal and a blocked shot. Perhaps most encouragingly, he led the team in minutes (36:04) by a wide margin, suggesting that he's clearly entrenched as the squad's top point guard. While Kalnietis should see his court time decline slightly in what figures to be a less competitive matchup against Nigeria, it shouldn't hinder his overall production too much. His low price and high floor makes him a worthy choice for the third guard or utility spot on DraftKings.
Manu Ginobili, SG, Argentina (vs. Croatia) -- $7,200
Like Spurs teammate Parker, Ginobili took a lead role for his home country in the Olympic opener. In his team-high 25:32 of playing time, Ginobili racked up 12 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in Argentina's 94-66 win over Nigeria. Though he finished only fourth on the team in scoring, Ginobili still ranked second in shot attempts, and his offensive usage may only increase in what should be a much closer game against Croatia. Moreover, the well-rounded stat lines Ginobili has shown he can produce during his NBA career make him a better shooting guard target than other high-priced options at the position like Croatia's Bojan Bogdanovic ($7,900) or Americans Klay Thompson ($7,00) and DeMar DeRozan ($6,700).
Jose Vargas, SG, Venezuela (at United States) -- $4,600
Vargas hit just 4-of-14 attempts from the field in Venezuela's 24-point loss to Serbia in the opener, but in a weird way, that lack of efficiency is exactly what makes him an appealing low-cost roster option. So long as he can steer clear of turnovers (he committed just one versus Serbia) against a lengthy United States defense, Vargas shouldn't have a problem with turning in a profit based on shot volume alone. Vargas' 14 attempts were four more than anybody else put up for Venezuela, as he showed no hesitation to fire away from downtown when his team was trailing big at halftime. The United States will likely win by an even larger margin than Serbia did, so expect Vargas to continue hoisting three-pointers throughout Monday's contest. He probably won't make many of them, but fortunately DraftKings won't dock him for poor shooting percentages.
Other options: Leandro Barbosa, SG, Brazil (at Spain) -- $6,600; Facundo Campazzo, PG, Argentina (at Croatia) -- $5,100; Krunoslav Simon, SG, Croatia (at Argentina) -- $4,100
FORWARDS TO TARGET
Paul George, SF, United States (vs. Venezuela) -- $7,200
With 25 points and six assists, Kevin Durant was the top dog for the Americans in their 119-62 win over China, but he led the team with just 22:19 of court time. Another blowout likely looms in the matchup Monday with Venezuela, so look for coach Mike Krzyzewski to again distribute the minutes fairly evenly across the roster. That will make it very difficult for Durant to replicate his performance in the opener, as he needed a 10-for-14 shooting day to rack up all those points in the first place. At nearly $2,300 cheaper, George is still the second-most expensive small forward, but he's capable of turning in a similar stat line to Durant at a discount. George will of course have his minutes limited Monday just like everybody else, but he still put up 15 points, three assists and three rebounds in 18:28 against China.
Patricio Garino, SF, Argentina (vs. Croatia) -- $3,300
Garino, an undrafted rookie out of George Washington who will join the Spurs for training camp, opened the Olympics in impressive fashion against Nigeria, tallying 15 points and six boards in 25:10. That minutes count ranked second on the team behind Manu Ginobili, and another big role should be in store for Garino on Tuesday. It will be tough to count on him to come through with another 15-point performance, but he'll still make for a bargain even with a slight downturn in production.
Ike Diogu, PF, Nigeria (at Lithuania) -- $7,700
Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, hasn't appeared in the league since 2011, but remains the centerpiece of the Nigerian national team. The lack of reliable backcourt options on the roster ensures that the offense will run through Diogu, who put up 15 points in the loss to Argentina. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, tripling any other Nigerian player's contribution in that category. Diogu's high usage makes him prone to turnovers, but that will be easily offset if the 32-year-old is again able to achieve the 1.5-point DraftKings bonus offers for double-doubles.
Yi Jianlian, PF, China (at France) -- $6,900
In a similar vein as Diogu, Jianlian proved to be his national team's only saving grace in a blowout loss in the opener. During China's 57-point loss to the United States, Jianlian put up 25 points on 19 shots, doubling up any of his other teammates in both categories. The Chinese team also didn't hesitate to keep Jianlian on the floor even once the game was well in hand by the end of the first quarter, as the big man finished with 30:03 of court time. Another blowout could be in store against France, but that won't keep the Chinese squad from force-feeding Jianlian in the low post.
Other options: Dario Saric, PF, Croatia (at Argetina) -- $6,600; Boris Diaw, PF, France (vs. China) -- $5,100; Mickael Gelabale, SF, France (vs. China) -- $4,100
CENTERS TO TARGET
Pau Gasol, C, Spain (vs. Brazil) -- $9,100
If there's one player worth paying a premium for, it's probably Gasol. With all of the high-priced American studs likely to see restricted minutes in their matchup with Venezuela, Gasol makes for a worthy DFS cornerstone, as he'll face no such limits with Spain looking to get its first win of Olympic play. Gasol will have the misfortune of matching up Tuesday with a quality NBA defender in Nene Hilario, but that won't deter Spain from leaning heavily on their star. Assuming the game remains somewhat competitive, look for Gasol to exceed the 30-minute mark and once again flirt with another big double-double after he recorded 26 points and nine boards in Sunday's loss to Croatia.
Nene Hilario, C, Brazil (vs. Spain) -- $6,400
Hilario isn't nearly as skilled offensively as Gasol, but even he ranks as Brazil's top offensive threat from the frontcourt. That alone should be enough for Hilario to get most of the secondary looks on offense behind Leandro Barbosa, and he's sure to see tons of minutes with few other options on the team capable of defending Gasol. There aren't many attractive DFS options at the center spot, so despite his limited ceiling, Hilario represents a respectable play if you're unwilling to pay up for Gasol.
Other options: Darko Planinic, C, Croatia (at Argentina) -- $2,800
