RADIO
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Hope everyone enjoyed Championship Sunday yesterday, but now it's back to basketball-only for two whole weeks. To begin, we have an eight game slate, tipping off at 7:30 pm EST for the FanDuel Main contests.
What can we learn from Vegas as of this morning? Well, the clear-cut game stack favorite, as I see it, is the Bulls in New Orleans. That game has a monstrous 226 over/under and just a 6.5 point spread (Pelicans favored). That game should be fairly popular in tournaments for obvious reasons. Outside of the obvious, the Timberwolves at Clippers looks like it has game stack potential as well, but no line has been posted, which I am guessing is due to the uncertain status of Jimmy Butler. Outside of those two games, the Wizards at Mavericks, Suns at Bucks and Blazers at Nuggets have appeal as well. They all fall in the 211-214 over/under range, and none of the spreads raise any concerns, as they're all under four points.
Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/22/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too. Let's get to it, shall we?
FanDuel DFS Guards
Shabazz Napier - PG, at DEN ($4,300)
Napier finds himself in a nice position to beat his price implied value in Denver this evening. His price has come down drastically in the past 10 days, dropping nearly $2k, and while some of that is warranted (his ultimate ceiling isn't likely to be reached with Damian Lillard back), he has shown the ability to give us value and plus-value with Lillard healthy. His 0.93 Fanduel point per minute mark is an impressive one, and his 20% Usage rate gives him good upside - especially relative to those in this price tier. Denver is no slouch defensively, but Napier will take on a unit with much less defensive prowess than the one Lillard will face.
Eric Bledsoe - PG, vs PHX ($8,300)
We have a revenge narrative, folks! And we have big opportunity with Giannis Antentokoumpo sidelined. Together, they make for a strong path to fantasy points tonight, in the form of Eric Bledsoe versus his former team, the Phoenix Suns. Bledsoe normally plays big minutes, but he's seen a Usage rate and minutes increase in the Greek Freak's absence, and that trend should continue tonight. I have him pegged for 35+ minutes and a Usage rate percentage around 30%. Those are real attractive figures, then consider the fact that this game will be high-flying and devoid of defense on the Suns' end, and we have the profile of a strong point guard in this game context.
Also Consider: Ricky Rubio - PG, at ATL ($5,400); Milos Teodosic - PG, vs MIN ($4,800)
Tyreke Evans - SG, vs PHI ($8,000)
Tyreke has grossly under-performed in his last two games after giving us plus value games of +7 and +8 in the two games prior. The silver lining to the disapointing games is that his price has dropped $400, and perhaps most importantly, the matchup is a good one. This is not only a pace up game for Tyreke and his Memphis teammates (the Grizzlies 103 point projection is 4 points higher than their season average), but it's also a strong matchup for shooting guards. Philadelphia has struggled to defend the two-guard spot this season, and as such, it's a nice rebound price for Tyreke at a price point that's easier to afford.
Also Consider: Justin Holiday - SG, at NOP ($5,500); Tyrone Wallace - SG, vs MIN ($4,400)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Josh Richardson - SF, at HOU ($6,300)
With the news that Jimmy Butler is out, Richardson steps in as my top cash/value pick for the position. Richardson's price has been steadily increasing over the past two weeks, but it isn't too high that he can't give us value or plus value. A look through his most recent 10 games revealed he's paid off his price eight times in that stretch, and he can do so even when his Usage rate is below his season average of 17.4%. Josh has the ability to stat stuff, particularly with his defensive prowess. He racks up more steals than any other small forward on the slate, and seeing as this is a pace-up game for Miami, there should be ample opportunity for steals. Goran Dragic is currently Questionable as well, and the news of his absence would open up even more Usage rate and ball-handling for Richardson, which certainly raises his ceiling.
Also Consider: Denzel Valentine - SF, at NOP ($4,900); TJ Warren - SF, at MIL ($7,000)
Anthony Davis - PF, vs CHI ($11,500)
The power forward position is pretty interesting tonight, because we have more high end players than usual and many happen to be in good matchup situations. The question, then, becomes not "do we spend up at power forward?' but rather, "who do we pay up for at the four?" Davis is in perhaps my favorite position among big men tonight, because the matchup is strong, the Bulls defense is terrible (they rank 24th in overall defensive efficiency) and this game features one of the highest point projections of the night. Davis should not only be a safe route to value, but he provides GPP upside as well in this game context.
Also Consider: Lauri Markkanen - PF, at NOP ($6,300); Taj Gibson - PF, at LAC ($5,600)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Marcin Gortat - C, at DAL ($4,700)
Gortat has struggled a little of late, but the issue has been more about a lack of minutes than a lack of production during his court time. Against the length of Dallas, I have him projected for 27 minutes tonight. If he sees that amount of court time, he should smash value in Dallas this evening. For the season, he has a pretty strong 0.9 FanDuel point per minute mark. Part of his success (and what ultimately creates his floor) is his rebounding prowess. He's not the rebounder he once was in his younger days, but his days of pulling down double digit boards aren't over. Dallas happens to be the worst rebounding team in the league, so I like the opportunity tonight for Gortat.
Also Consider: Marc Gasol - C, vs PHI ($7,900)
