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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 31, 2020. Jake Finnen provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
If it wasn't annoying enough trying to wade through these waters the past few weeks with James Harden poor play, tonight we have LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Harden all with huge price tags that are going to force us to invest most of our salary in hopes they have a massive outing. Can't blame anyone for wanting to fade Harden tonight and the more he struggles with his shooting, the more of a nightly risk he becomes.
With Russell Westbrook picking up the slack and putting up consistent numbers, look for Harden to bounce back soon enough, but realistically, it looks like the high-scoring, high-usage nights have taken a toll and All-Star break seemingly can't come quick enough for Harden.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/31/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Coby White - PG/SG, @ BKN ($3,400)
After starting the season playing like someone who was trying to earn a starters spot, Coby White simmered down to the point where he's risky every night. His production came from his ability to hit shots and since he is at a point where his shot isn't falling like he wants, he's struggling to find a strong role in the rotation. That big-play ability is there and his last game against Brooklyn, he posted seven points on 13 shots. Not good, but he added nine assists and luckily DraftKings won't penalize you for horrible shooting percentages.
Malik Beasley- PG/SG, @ MIL ($3,300)
The Nuggets are dealing with too many injuries not to be hopeful about some of their bench players. If Will Barton or Gary Harris miss any time, not only with the Bucks run this game, but Malik Beasley and players like Monte Morris and Jerami Grant all have incredible upside. Beasley's minutes over the past week have been a bit sketchy and most likely the reason for his price, but his usage has been consistently around 20% and before his previous two games, he was on one of his best scoring streaks of the season. The Bucks defense is good, but the Nuggets are too good at finding the open man to fade the "open man" tonight.
Ricky Rubio- PG, vs OKC ($5,900)
The Thunder have been playing extremely well recently, and when looking for point guards, you should be looking at the Ricky Rubio, C.J. McCollum price range. Rubio will give you a little extra value without sacrificing upside, but McCollum is facing a Mavericks defense, that despite good ratings, will not want to deal with the likes of a streaking-Damian Lillard, and McCollum who is basically still retuning from an ankle injury. Regardless, you should be able to get away with Rubio's price here and he shouldn't have that high of an ownership with McCollum's price that similar, this is simply a pivot with a ton of upside tonight.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Caris Levert - PG/SF, vs CHI ($4,000)
We know what Caris LeVert is capable of and his price being so low almost seems criminal. His minutes are at a consistent 22 per game over the past week or two and the few boost in minutes he saw, translated to increased production. LeVert still has it, he's just still only 12 games back from a pretty devastating ankle injury. It might take him another month or two before everything is back to normal, and I mean everything. He should have a near 30% Usage Rate while seeing no less than 27-32 minutes. Since that type of decision seems like it will come sooner rather than later, wait for the right time to invest in LeVert and invest heavily. Tonight, he has a good chance of breaking his projected, but it might not big one of those huge nights for LeVert.
Jae Crowder - SF, @ NOP ($4,500)
Every time I see Jae Crowder as a decent pick, I have to fight over my bias of how much I like him as a player and person, to make sure it is actually a good pick. And being a ginormous Crowder fan, I can admit there aren't many times he's actually a good, stable pick to make. With all this in mind, there is not a small forward playing tonight that comes close to value that Crowder offers on a nightly basis. Yes, it is a toss-up and DraftKings can successfully bank on that with his price. The Grizzlies are hot right now and Crowder spacing the offense is a big part of that. If he hits, he's crushing his projected no problem. If he's struggling, there is a chance he could post a few board and defensive stats, but outside of point production you are asking a lot.
Dario Saric - SF/PF, vs OKC ($3,900)
First off, please take not that Dario Saric is also listed as a small forward for tonight. Anyway, I'll be honest, I don't usually play Saric. He tends to be a bit pricey for his upside, and this season he has really struggled to find that role in the offense like he once did, way back when with the 76ers. He's started nine of the past ten games, which is promising, but those minutes are only coming if he is able to score. The Suns are using him in specific matchups and if he is hitting his shot, they give him a chance. If he isn't, he stuck to 22 minutes in a reserve role. Saric' previous two games versus the Thunder, he posted impressive statlines that are make his price hard to fade.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Jonas Valanciunas - C, vs NOP ($6,300)
Unfortunately, Jonas Valanciunas price is at the point where he becomes risky, but I am not worried about him producing against the Pelicans. Derrick Favors is another great pick since he is cheaper and has just as much upside, but the way things have looked recently, Valanciunas has the rebounding edge and the way he has been able to use his size against anyone, even some of the top rebounders in recent contest make me optimistic for anyone he might face tonight. Hence, why Favors has increased upside as well. Favors tends to use his body in a similar fashion, and when both collide tonight, it's going to be a slow-moving, behemoth battle in the paint for positioning and boards. Valanciunas should break through his projected and have a good game, but he is reaching that point where he won't produce as much as his price entails.
