Excited is the word that comes to mind. Seven letters that bring forth a sense of elation I have not felt in a long, long time. Tonight, my friends, the NBA returns. With the whole world focusing on Game 1 of the World Series and the football gurus pouring over statistics to come up with this week’s rankings the small fish in the big pond such as myself are ready for some basketball. I also am possibly being slightly pretentious in assuming that if you are taking the time to read this then you are as well.

So, who am I? Let me answer that. I am a guy just like yourself who is looking for an edge to try and buy new bunk beds for my kids, clothing for my beautiful wife, and the pride of being able to tell people that this does really work and it can be done. So if you are not familiar with me let me tell you a little about The Real Jerry Colvin…

I grew up in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s and my father worked for a company that built some sort of doohickey for fighter jets during the cold war. The benefit of him being a big wig of sorts was tickets. Tickets to the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, and, yes, the team that was pretty much non-existent at the time the Clippers. As a result I spent most of my childhood and teenage years collecting sports cards and wondering why girls didn’t think 1959 Topps Sandy Koufax cards were cool. Needless to say I had an awesome card collection but remained a virgin a long time. Although I was not the re-incarnation of Ron Jeremy I was his modern day equivalent if one was too exist in the sports card world. While kids traded 1983 Robin Yount cards I was saving my allowance for cooler things like a 1954 Topps Al Kaline rookie card. So what the hell does any of this have to do with daily fantasy basketball? I am getting to it, trust me. We only have three games so we have time.

Finally around the early 90s my cousin introduced me to fantasy basketball on Yahoo. I could not believe how awesome the concept was to be able to build my own team and manage it for a chance to win a digital trophy. What is more amazing is that I did this despite the fact I actually had a girlfriend. Over the years I had many girls come and go but my love for fantasy sports has not faltered.

With the invention of the daily game, every night for a few minutes I feel like I did when I was a kid and opened that pack of cards and revealed the hidden gems within. For a few minutes I am on top of the world with all the DFS kings before me kneeling at my feet begging me to retire so they can win again. My lineups will reign supreme and FanDuel and DraftKings will feature me in commercials jumping up and down. Or, maybe I get my enjoyment out of writing articles like this for the average guy who wants to compete but does not have the time to do the homework.

With all this being said I am honored to bring you your first Fantasy Alarm DFS Playbook Pro NBA position coach of the season. I promise not to bore you to death with meaningless intros every time I write this article but I will do my best to ensure my advice brings you victory each and every time we take the court together. It’s going to be a long season, we will walk this path together. Good Luck.

Guards

Stephen Curry, GSW – This one is like stealing candy from a baby. You got two high-powered offenses both playing at an incredible pace of game with an expected point total of 215. On a day like today with three games, Curry should be highly owned and for a good reason, he averages almost 24 points per game and is an absolute assists machine.

Jimmy Butler, CHI – The Butler did it? Well we certainly hope so. Tonight we are banking that Derrick Rose will not be 100 percent. This should open up Butler to more scoring opportunities facing a Cleveland team that averaged almost 43 points allowed to the guard position versus the Bulls last season. Just be advised the Butler needs a break now and again.

Klay Thompson, GSW – Well you can probably already see a theme developing here. Golden State versus New Orleans is the obvious game we want to attack and what better soldier than Klay Thompson. He averaged almost 22 points per game last season and knocked down 239 buckets from three-point range.

Reggie Jackson, DET – It seems as though at some point another writer has written about a Reggie Jackson in October. But I nominate this Reggie for Mr. October this year. He is one of the most undervalued players in the fantasy world. When given the chance he has huge upside and is capable of putting up huge numbers. Atlanta allows its fair share of points to the guard position and Jackson should see a bunch of them.

Mo Williams, CLV – On a night when you want to get those huge, must-have players it is always good to find mid-priced value. Williams is that very being by definition. He is averaged priced across the industry with a price reflective of a healthy LeBron James. We already know that tonight that is not the case. Although LeBron seems like the Terminator and cannot be stopped age eventually sets in for us all. Believe me, I grunt every time I bend over now. I am only 42. Can you imagine the wear and tear on a body running back and forth and jumping to and fro all night? Probably not good. With LeBron more than likely not playing to his potential Williams should see increased production which is good for your wallet. Value versus price. Great example here.

Kyle Korver, ATL – If you have read any of my MLB Playbook Pro stuff or hitting coach articles you may be familiar with the “my guy” theory I impose. Korver is much like my Chris Colabello in baseball. I go to him quite often due to the price versus reliability. Korver most nights gives you what you pay for and sometimes even more.  Atlanta plays at an above average pace of game and loves to spread the ball around which can make it difficult to determine where the love will fall but Korver usually gets his share.

Kent Bazemore, ATL – With Thabo Sefolosha losing the starting job to Bazemore he becomes a great value play across the industry. You get a starter for the minimum price. Until the price point catches up this should be a good train to ride. He had a few big games last season when given the chance and could provide that same upside for next to nothing.

Forwards

Anthony Davis, NOP – Davis is without a doubt the No. 1 play on the day. I am not going to get crazy here trying to explain how great he is. That is like trying to tell you Mike Trout knows how to play baseball or Tom Brady is an OK quarterback. On a night with three games Davis should be 100 percent owned.

Draymond Green, GSW – We continue on in our assault at that monster game of the evening. Both the Warriors and Pelicans play at a very fast pace of game. This equals more shot opportunities. There is no reason why Green can’t get at least a double-double tonight. The more exposure to this game in cash games the better. Money is green…coincidence? Maybe?

Paul Millsap, ATL - I believe I wrote earlier that Atlanta likes to spread the ball around a lot which at times can make it difficult to pinpoint which players to take. This one is pretty easy. Atlanta forwards combined to average over 60 points per game versus the Pistons last season. The rosters look similar. I expect that to continue.

LeBron James, CLV – Ok, most nights I love me some LeBron. Considering he is all banged up I cannot see them killing him to win the first game with a whole season ahead of him. He is however LeBron James and that in itself on a small slate makes him impossible to leave off this list. He is a beast when healthy which at this time he is not. I would use him in GPP games only, if at all.

Harrison Barnes, GSW – This is another one of “my guys”. I cannot tell you many times due to his low price I have used him. It actually still amazes he is near the bottom pricing wise. He has double-double capability on a nightly basis and plays in the highest powered of offenses. He has been red hot in the preseason scoring over 20 points per game. This is a great value play for a guy who plays 36 minutes per-game.

Nikola Mirotic, CHI – Mirotic is another player who has been playing well this preseason. He put up 14 points in 19 minutes Friday versus the Mavericks. With the Bulls a little banged up his production should stay at a high level as long as he gets the minutes. For the price he is a good play in GPP games.

Dante Cunningham, NOP – Anytime you have a player in a game with a high expected point total like 215, who also happen to be nine point underdogs, you have a recipe for a shootout. The Pelicans play at just a high of pace of game as the Warriors and Cunningham is starting for the near minimum tonight. Great play across the board in CASH and GPP.

 Centers

Al Horford, ATL – With only three games we are limited at the Center position. I am a big fan of Horford. It always seems that most nights when I play him I am happy – providing the matchup is right. Like tonight. The Hawks average over 100 points per game versus the Pistons and I see no reason why that will not continue tonight. Opening night? Three games? Lots of TV exposure? Guys are going to show off.

Andrew Bogut / Festus Ezeli, GSW – Ok, here is the deal on this one. For obvious reasons I have already discussed I like pretty much the whole Golden State team. At the Center position taking in value versus cost versus production I like Al Horford in the one spot and Andrew Bogut in the two. If Bogut is unable to play well or does not start then Ezeli becomes the top play of the day at the center position for the minimum salary. He could be worth a flyer regardless in GPP in the off chance Bogut starts and cannot continue.

Andre Drummond, DET – With limited options, of course, Drummond is in play. The problem is Detroit likes to slow the game a little and that can lead to less production. I am not saying they cannot score, I just see better options for the price. Drummond is a good play just not my favorite. For the record he is on fire in the preseason, racking up four consecutive double-doubles.

Anderson Varejao, CLV – With Timofey Mozgov all banged up Varejao is going to see some playing time. A wild card here but he has fared well in preseason averaging almost 10 points per game and six rebounds. A high risk GPP play only.