Today’s NBA Starting Lineups & Matchups 1/30/20: Jazz Look to End Two-Game Skid in Denver
Contents
Marquee Matchups
There are six games going on around the association tonight, including the double-header on ESPN. Here’s what you should watch.
Toronto Raptors (33-14) at Cleveland Cavaliers (13-35)
- Toronto is one of the hottest teams in the league, with eight consecutive wins heading into tonight’s matchup.
- In their last matchup on New Year’s Eve, the Raptors blew out the Cavs to the tune of a 117-97 victory.
- The Cavs are just 2-8 in their last 10 games and 6-18 at home.
Charlotte Hornets (16-31) at Washington Wizards (15-31)
- The Hornets and the Wizards are currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Charlotte is 11th, while the Wizards currently sit at 12th.
- Davis Bertans and Devonte’ Graham did battle in their most recent matchup, with the Latvian scoring 33 and Graham finishing with 29, but the Hornets came away with the 114-107 win.
- The Hornets are 2-8 in their last 10, but their recent win over the Knicks kept them from reaching an almost month-long skid that was one loss away from double digits.
Philadelphia 76ers (31-17) at Atlanta Hawks (12-36)
- This will be the second game in the regular-season series between the 76ers and Hawks, with Philadelphia winning the first matchup 105-103.
- The Hawks currently have the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 12-36 and second-worst in the NBA.
- For a more in-depth look at this game, read our matchup preview.
Golden State Warriors (10-38) at Boston Celtics (31-15)
- The Celtics have recently dropped to fourth in the East, but they are just 1.5 games away from the number two Raptors.
- This will be the final game in the regular-season series between the Celtics and Warriors. The Celtics are 1-0 with their 105-100 win back in mid-November.
- The Warriors have lost 14 of their last 15 games and currently own the league’s worst record.
Sacramento Kings (17-30) at Los Angeles Clippers (33-14)
- The Kings will be looking to avenge their December loss to the Clippers 105-87 in a game where Richaun Holmes had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
- The Clippers are right back where they want to be at second in the West and within striking range of the Lakers for first place.
- Paul George, who has missed the last eight games due to a hamstring injury is listed as probable, as is Patrick Beverley.
Utah Jazz (32-13) at Denver Nuggets (32-15)
- The Jazz have tumbled out of second place after losing to the Spurs last night. They are now in a tie for third in the West with tonight’s opponent, the Denver Nuggets.
- The Nuggets have a laundry list for an injury report heading into this game, with starters Paul Millsap and Jamal Murray both out.
- For a more in-depth look at this game, read our matchup preview.
Today’s Lineups
Top Predicted Performers
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid has a projection of 49.8 points on FanDuel for tonight. At a $9k salary, I fully expect him to stand out tonight and perhaps even surpass his projection considering he will be playing a Hawks team whose front line is decimated by injuries, likely leading to him being guarded by John Collins. In the one game against Atlanta this season, Embiid had 36 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and a block. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he’ll be a nightmare for the Hawks.
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Considering Leonard comes into tonight’s game after being off for four days, I expect him to have a big impact. For his $10.5k FanDuel salary, he is projected to finish with 48.2 fantasy points. Considering he’ll likely be guarded by both Harrison Barnes and at times Nemanja Bjelica, he should have an advantage. Leonard has also finished with at least 60 fantasy points his previous four games.
Potential Duds
Ingles is a starter for Utah once again as the Jazz bring Mike Conley off the bench. Ingles struggled against San Antonio yesterday and considering he’s on the second game of a back-to-back and played 30 minutes last night, there’s a good chance he won’t meet his projection of 23.71 points. He’s been stuck at 15.4 points the last two games.
John Collins is always a great fantasy value grab, especially with his ratio of 4.97 fantasy points per $1k. He has a salary of $7.4k and is projected for 36.6 points, but I expect he’s in for a tough matchup tonight. Not only are the Philadelphia 76ers are a tough defensive team, he’ll likely be tasked with defending Joel Embiid all night and have Embiid draped all over him on the other end.
For more fantasy basketball information, view our NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Projections page.