DraftKings NBA Lineup Advice: Friday (1/24)

We have 10 games on the board tonight with a lot of moving pieces. We will do our best to parse through all of them, but it’s going to be extra important to keep an eye on the news this evening.

Guards

Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings

James Harden (PG/SG – HOU): $11,100 at Timberwolves
I can always get behind Harden when he is closer to $11,000 than $12,000, and that is the case tonight. The Timberwolves have added five fantasy points to their opponents’ team totals this year, and they have given up an average return of 5.6x to guards. Harden has the highest upside in the league, and if you can luck into one of his 70 point outputs here, then you’re off to an amazing start.

Andrew Wiggins (SG/SF – MIN): $7,000 vs. Rockets
High-volume shooters are always a bit more attractive when they face the Rockets, as Houston has allowed the third-most shot attempts per game behind the Bucks and Nets. They are also one of the worst defenses for fantasy purposes, and they have given up an average salary return of 5.8x to wing players. Wiggins easily has a 17-plus shot attempt projection tonight, with upside for over 20. If the shot is falling and this game stays competitive, Wiggins has a monstrous ceiling tonight. The T’Wolves are one of my favorite teams on the board, and Wiggins is a good way to get some exposure there.

Kemba Walker (PG – BOS): $7,500 at Magic
This is reliant on the Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum news, who are both questionable at this point. Walker’s shooting struggles continued on Wednesday, and he went 2/9 from the field. He has made just 10 three-pointers over his last four games on 31 attempts. If Tatum and/or Brown miss, that opens up some more shot attempts for Kemba, who could light this price on fire if he has a good shooting night from deep.

Chris Paul (PG – OKC): $7,400 vs. Hawks
The Hawks are a welcome matchup for opposing point guards, as they have added 14 fantasy points to their opponents’ point totals and have played at a really high pace. Paul has also been playing a bit more like his old self lately, averaging 41 DraftKings points over his last five games. He’s a nice, high-floor play with 50-plus point upside, which is just amazing at $7,400. I am all about some Chris Paul tonight.

Tyler Herro (SG – MIA); $4,600 vs. Clippers
The Heat could be the key to the whole slate tonight, with Butler, Dragic, and Nunn all listed as questionable. It seems pretty likely that at least one of those guys will miss, which should open up some more opportunity for Herro. He has been a 0.79 FPPM player for the year, but that jumps up to 0.91 with Butler off the floor. He played 33 minutes in the Heat game on Wednesday, and he scored 25 points on 14 shot attempts, racking up 37 DraftKings points. Keep an eye on the health reports from the Heat guards and lock in Herro if you get the right news.

Forwards / Centers

Andre Drummond (C – DET): $9,500 vs. Grizzlies
Drummond missed Wednesday’s game, but he looks probable to play here. Centers have averaged a 5.5x salary return against the Grizzlies this year, and Memphis is adding 9.5 fantasy points to their opponents’ averages. When Drummond has played more than 25 minutes over the last three weeks, he has scored 62, 62, 47, 54, and 52 Draftkings points, so I’m not sure how you fade that at this depressed price tag. He is one of the best expensive options on the board.

Jonas Valanciunas (C – MEM): $7,200 at Pistons
The truth is that centers have been crushing the Pistons all year long, averaging a 5.97x return on salary in those matchups. Valanciunas has been cruising right along lately, scoring 40-plus DraftKings points in three of his last six, with a 63-point game in there. He has always offered a lot of fantasy points per minute throughout his career, and he is finally getting consistent minute totals in the high 20’s with the Grizzlies. This is a great spot for him to keep up the good vibes.

Robert Covington (SF/PF – MIN): $5,800 vs. Rockets
This is one of the most attractive games on the board, as both teams are projected to score well above their season average at this point in the day. Covington gives you a piece of the game with a moderate price tag attached. He has only been an okay FPPM contributor at a 0.83 point per minute rate, but he has consistently given you 30-plus minutes and 20-plus DK points. This is a great spot for him to have a spiked output, as the Rockets have given up a ton of fantasy points this year, including an average 5.8x return to wing players. I like all of the Timberwolves’ main guys, but Covington gives us some vital salary relief.

Daniel Theis (C – BOS): $5,300 at Magic
This is a higher price for Theis after he went off for 34 DraftKings points on Wednesday, but Enes Kanter should miss this game, so Theis should see his minutes bump up. For the year, he is a 0.91 fantasy point per minute player, so if he can push towards 30 minutes, then he should pay off this price pretty nicely despite the tougher matchup against the slow-playing Magic.

Myles Turner (C – IND): $4,900 at Warriors
It has not been a great fantasy season for Turner, as he’s averaged just 12 points and six rebounds as Sabonis has really dominated the front court for the Pacers. However, this game is all about pricing, and 25-plus minutes at center against the Warriors for $4,900 is something I’m interested in. Turner has gone for 25-plus DK points in three of his last four, and centers average a 5.9x return on their salaries when playing the Warriors. This is a great spot for Myles if you can stomach a little bit of downside.

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Jon Anderson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jon, check out his archive and follow him@JonPgh.