FanDuel & DraftKings NBA Cheat Sheet 1/7/19

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

• Lakers (117)
• Suns (116)
• Grizzlies (116)
• Timberwolves (112)
• Pistons (110)

Lowest Implied Team Totals

• Knicks (104)

Potential Blowouts

• Lakers (-13)

Analysis: Just six games on tap tonight, and some relatively high totals. The Lakers of course have the highest implied total of the night in a home game against the Knicks, but the blowout factor is certainly there. The Suns-Kings game is looking great for fantasy sitting at a 226 implied total, while Memphis and Minnesota are sitting at a 228 implied total. Overall there isn’t a game to avoid tonight, although the Knicks are a team I might avoid outside of one or two plays in a multi-build setting, but other than that lets lock and load.

Injury Report

• Karl-Anthony Towns – Questionable
• Fred VanVleet – Out
• C.J. McCollum – Questionable
• Tristan Thompson – Out
• Elfrid Payton – Questionable
• Marvin Bagley – Doubtful
• Bogdan Bogdanovic – Doubtful
• Norman Powell – Doubtful

Analysis: Some similar injuries from the past week or two, although Minnesota has finally gotten back to full health outside of Karl-Anthony Towns. I am not sure he will rush back, and Gorgui Dieng would be the fill-in option again. Tristan Thompson is out, and that gives us a value in Ante Zizic. The Kings will be without a few names tonight, which will push more minutes to Bjelica and Ariza. C.J. McCollum is still questionable with an illness, and Simmons saw a majority of the run in his place last time out.

Point Guards

• Damian Lillard ($8,900/$9,200) – GPP
• Kyle Lowry ($8,400/$8,700)
• De’Aaron Fox ($7,800/$7,700)
• Ricky Rubio ($7,000/$7,100)
• Ja Morant ($7,000/$6,800) – GPP
• Chris Paul ($6,800/$6,900)
• Derrick Rose ($6,100/$6,400)
• Collin Sexton ($5,900/$6,000)
• Darius Garland ($4,700/$4,800)

Analysis: There are not a ton of high priced point guards to consider tonight, and sticking in the midrange is where I plan to go. Kyle Lowry has a nice price tag if you want to pay up a bit. He is averaging 43 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, with a 25% usage rate. Portland ranks just 20th against opposing point guards as well. Both sides of the Kings and Suns game have plenty of options. De’Aaron Fox has been playing well, and Phoenix ranks 25th against opposing point guards. Ricky Rubio is averaging 33 fantasy points over his last ten games. The Cavaliers point guards are cheap and playing well, I don’t mind rolling with them for some value tonight.

Shooting Guards

• Devin Booker ($8,800/$8,800)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($6,500/$6,800)
• Buddy Hield ($6,400/$7,000)
• Dennis Schroder ($6,000/$6,500) – GPP
• RJ Barrett ($5,100/$5,600) – GPP
• Dillon Brooks ($4,900/$4,900)
• Bruce Brown ($4,800/$4,800)

Analysis: Devin Booker is averaging 40 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, and has a 31% usage rate in that span. The Kings rank 28th against opposing shooting guards this season. Andrew Wiggins is back from a lengthy illness, and he is a decent tournament play if you want to pivot away. SGA, Buddy Hield, and Dennis Schroder all have some upside in good spots for this slate. Especially Schroder against a poor Brooklyn defense. Both Dillon Brooks and Bruce Brown have been averaging over 20 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, and offer up some cheap value. RJ Barrett is a tournament against the Lakers, more due to the 30+ fantasy point upside for a cheap price tag.

Small Forwards

• LeBron James ($10,900/$11,200)
• Kelly Oubre ($7,600/$7,300)
• Carmelo Anthony ($5,800/$5,700)
• Danilo Gallinari ($5,600/$5,800)
• Taurean Prince ($4,900/$5,000)
• OG Anunoby ($4,800/$5,400) – GPP

Analysis: Despite the blowout concern, starting a lineup with one of the big Lakers players. LeBron James is averaging 54 fantasy points per game over the last ten games, with a 29% usage rate. He brings a stable floor despite the blowout looming. There are not a lot of true small forwards to use tonight. Kelly Oubre is playing great basketball, averaging 36 fantasy points per game and shooting 49% over the last ten games. Carmelo Anthony and Danilo Gallinari are two mid range options to consider. If there are cheaper names, OG Anunoby is the value I will look at. He is averaging 22 fantasy points in the last ten games, but it has been a bit sporadic. Jarrett Culver is in play as well.

Power Forwards

• Anthony Davis ($11,600/$10,700)
• Jaren Jackson ($7,200/$7,000)
• Julius Randle ($7,100/$7,300) – GPP
• Richaun Holmes ($6,400/$6,400) – GPP
• Robert Covington ($5,500/$5,900)
• Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($4,900/$4,800)
• Nemanja Bjelica ($4,700/$5,300
• Christian Wood ($4,700/$5,500)

Analysis: Anthony Davis is coming into tonight with some big games of late. Davis should thrive tonight, and projects for over 50 fantasy points. Jaren Jackson is a name I like a lot tonight. He is averaging 34 fantasy points per game in the last ten games, and Phoenix ranks 24th against opposing power forwards. Julius Randle and Richaun Holmes are GPP targets. Randle is in a tough spot, but has a 28% usage rate. Holmes left last night’s game with a sore shoulder and said he would give it a go. There is no guarantee he plays a full game tonight, but the upside is there. Robert Covington is one of the top bargains on the slate, averaging 30.4 fantasy points per game in the last ten.

Centers

• Andre Drummond ($10,300/$9,700)
• Hassan Whiteside (8,900/$8,600) – GP
• Deandre Ayton ($8,100/$8,200)
• Jonas Valanciunas ($6,700/$7,200)
• Steven Adams ($6,500/$6,600)
• Ante Zizic ($3,500/$4,600)

Analysis: Andre Drummond could be in a better spot if Tristan Thompson is ruled out, where he would face Ante Zizic. Both could end up being strong plays. Zizic would see plenty of work if Thompson is ruled out, where Drummond would get an easier defensive matchup. Drummond has one of the higher usage rates on the slate tonight for centers. Hassan Whiteside has a 56 fantasy point ceiling over the last ten games, and is a tournament option only. Centers against Brooklyn continue to be a thing, and Steven Adams is coming off one of his best games. I like his upside again tonight.