FanDuel & DraftKings NBA Cheat Sheet 1/3/19

Welcome to the wild world of NBA DFS. The final hour to lock can be a tiring with the injury news, but we hope to have you prepared with fill-in options and what to do when scenarios occur. The cheat sheet will fill you in on the top games to target, values, tournament picks, cash game options, and much more. Prices are set for DraftKings and FanDuel, and the focus will be on whatever the main slate is listed as for each site. Pricing is listed (FD/DK). Players with no designated listing are playable in cash and tournaments. Players with designated game styles are for those only.

Vegas Numbers

Highest Implied Team Totals

• Portland (121)
• Boston (117)
• Los Angles (117)
• Phoenix (115)
• Wizards (115)
• Houston (114)

Lowest Implied Team Totals

• Heat (104)
• Magic (102)

Potential Blowouts

• Lakers (-10.5)
• Celtics (-11.5)

Analysis: 

Injury Report

• Bradley Beal – Questionable
• Kemba Walker – Out
• Ricky Rubio – Probable
• Elfrid Payton – Questionable
• Jonathan Issac – Out
• Aaron Gordon – Questionable

Analysis: 

Point Guards

• Damian Lillard ($9,300/$9,700)
• Russell Westbrook ($9,100/$9,000)
• Ben Simmons ($8,500/$8,100)
• Ricky Rubio ($7,500/$7,200)
• Lonzo Ball ($5,300/$6,000)
• Kendrick Nunn ($4,400/$4,400)

Analysis: Damian Lillard is the pay up option to consider at point guard this slate. He has averaged 43 fantasy points per game over his last eight games, and has a 30% usage rate in that span. He gets a Wizards defense that ranks 22nd against opposing point guards this season. The Sixers-Rockets game has one of the higher totals on the slate, and both teams have been good defensively against opposing point guards, however fantasy points should fly around in this one. Ricky Rubio is good to go after leaving last game with a minor knock. Rubio is averaging 36 fantasy points per game over the last ten games. The Suns have a 115 implied total and the Knicks rank 21st against opposing point guards. Lonzo Ball is just a GPP option to consider tonight, the Lakers have been decent against point guards, but there is a lot of fantasy potential loaded into this game. There is a trend on this slate with the Miami names just underpriced in the backcourt. Kendrick Nunn is averaging 23 fantasy points per game over his last ten games.

Shooting Guards

• James Harden ($11,100/$10,900)
• Jrue Holiday ($8,400/$7,400)
• Devin Booker ($8,000/$7,900)
• C.J. McCollum ($7,200/$7,100)
• Jordan McRae ($5,700/$5,800)
• Marcus Smart ($5,100/$5,100)
• RJ Barrett ($4,800/$5,100)
• Tyler Herro ($4,000/$3,700)

Analysis: James Harden is averaging a whopping 61 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, and his usage sitting at 36% leads the position and slate of course. Shooting over 50% in his last ten games, and averaging 1.66 FPPM, he is a fine pay up option. There are some names in the $8,000 range to consider. Devin Booker is one of them averaging 40 fantasy points per game in his last ten, and sitting against a below average Knicks defense. Jrue Holiday and C.J. McCollum are in great spots, although McCollum offers a slight discount. Jordan McRae is averaging over 25 fantasy points per game in his last ten games. He has a 24% usage rate in that span, and has been a bright spot in the Wizards backcourt of late. With Kemba Walker out, Marcus Smart will draw the start and averages over 1.00 FPPM with Walker off the court.

Small Forwards

• LeBron James ($11,400/$11,200)
• Brandon Ingram ($8,600/$8,100)
• Jaylen Brown ($7,500/$7,700)
• Kelly Oubre ($7,100/$6,800)
• Gordon Hayward ($6,900/$7,000)
• Marcus Morris ($5,500/$5,600)
• Troy Brown ($5,000/$5,400)
• Derrick Jones ($4,400/$3,900)

Analysis: I will be looking to build around LeBron James tonight, going up against the Pelicans, who are bottom ten against opposing point guards. James is averaging 1.54 FPPM in his last ten games, and has over a 30% usage rate. In that same game, Brandon Ingram has been playing incredibly well this season, and especially of late. Tougher matchup in this case, but for this game to stay close, Pelicans main options have to play well. This is actually a solid spot tonight, as the Boston names are also in an upside spot. Jaylen Brown averages 1.06 FPPM with Walker off the floor, and a 25% usage rate. Gordon Hayward averages 1.02 FPPM and a 23% usage rate. There are a few cheap names like Derrick Jones and Troy Brown averaging over 20 fantasy points per game in their last ten games.

Power Forwards

• Anthony Davis ($10,400/$10,300)
• Bam Adebayo ($8,600/$7,600)
• Jayson Tatum ($8,100/$8,200)
• John Collins ($7,800/$7,500)
• Julius Randle ($7,600/$7,700)
• Kyle Kuzma ($4,800/$5,200)
• Khem Birch ($4,500/$3,900)

Analysis: Jayson Tatum is one of my favorite plays on the slate. He sees a 36% usage rate and 1.30 FPPM with Walker off the court this season. Toss in the Atlanta matchup and he is in a spot where he can crush. You can of course pay up for Anthony Davis, who is averaging over 50 fantasy points per game in the last ten games. Julius Randle is in a good spot against the Suns, and one of the few Knicks we can really trust. Randle is averaging 40 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, and has a 29% usage rate. Kyle Kuzma is cheaper exposure to the Lakers, and is averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game in the last ten. However there were a few duds worked in. He has an 11 fantasy point floor and 30 fantasy point ceiling in that span.

Centers

• Hassan Whiteside ($9,300/$9,500)
• Joel Embiid ($9,200/$9,400)
• Clint Capela ($7,600/$6,900)
• Deandre Ayton ($7,500/$7,300)
• Mitchell Robinson ($6,600/$5,800)
• Enes Kanter ($5,200/$5,500)

Analysis: Most centers tonight are in a tough spot, outside of Hassan Whiteside. Washington ranks 28th against opposing centers, and are allowing the third most fantasy points per game to the position. Joel Embiid and Clint Capela is going to be a battle, but hard to ignore them on a six game slate. Both are top ten in defensive efficiency against opposing centers, but the upside is still there in GPPs. Deandre Ayton and Mitchell Robinson make more sense for cheaper options averaging over 30 fantasy points in the last ten games. If you are looking for a cheap GPP flyer, Enes Kanter should see 20-25 minutes with a chance to drop a double-double on the Hawks.