FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice: Friday (1/17)

We kick off the weekend tonight with a seven-game slate scheduled for tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST. Every team will operate on at least one night’s rest as no team will play back-to-back on tonight’s slate. Keep an eye on the injury report as always, and let’s get into it.

Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel

Point Guard

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,000 vs. POR
With such an extravagant price tag, I can see why some would be worried about rostering Luka at this point. The main positives are the questionable status of power forward Kristaps Porzingis tonight and the Portland Trail Blazers presenting a solid matchup for the Slovenian superstar. The Blazers rank 24th in defensive rating and 11th in pace, which provides the Dallas Mavericks’ players an opportunity to score a bunch of points. To give you an idea of his ceiling, Luka is coming off a 62.5-point performance in which he totaled a 25-point triple-double. Doncic also ranks third in the league in usage rate.

Malcolm Brogdon (PG – IND): $6,800 vs. MIN
Finally returning from an extended absence, Brogdon looks to have picked up exactly where he left off prior to the injury. In his two games back, Brogdon has totaled 44.9 and 35.2 FanDuel points, eclipsing 30-plus minutes of playing time in both contests. That said, the matchup is only average with the Minnesota Timberwolves ranking 15th in defensive rating and fourth in pace. Brogdon’s price has nosedived after peaking in the $9,000’s earlier in the season, providing you with an opportunity to buy-low on a very good player.

Shooting Guard

Josh Richardson (SG – PHI): $5,900 vs. CHI
Since Joel Embiid’s injury, Richardson has largely put together strong performances outside of one stinker against the Dallas Mavericks. Not only has he done well recently, but Richardson has played 33-plus minutes in six straight games. The Chicago Bulls are not the easiest matchup as they rank ninth in defensive rating, but they do rank as an average team in pace at 14th in the league.

Kevin Huerter (SG – ATL): $5,500 at SAS
Thus far, the contest between the Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs leads the night in implied totals. Huerter is coming off an absolute explosion in his last contest, totaling 54 FanDuel points in 38 minutes of playing time. Huerter has developed into an incredibly consistent DFS player, although he usually hovers around value with a capped ceiling. The Spurs rank 20th in defensive rating and 12th in pace, presenting a solid matchup for the Hawks.

Small Forward

Pascal Siakam (SF – TOR): $7,600 vs. WAS
Siakam has yet to fully hit his stride since returning from an extended injury absence, though his first two games back presented us with flashes of the player he was becoming earlier this season. Totaling 26 and 37.8 FanDuel points, Siakam’s playing time is slowly increasing as he gets his feet back underneath him. A matchup against the Washington Wizards could be just what the doctor ordered as they rank 30th in defensive rating and fifth in pace.

Matisse Thybulle (SF – PHI): $4,100 vs. CHI
With Thybulle’s injection into the starting lineup, his production has also increased a great deal. In his last two contests, Thybulle registered 27 and 26 minutes of playing time, eclipsing 21.5 and 28.1 total points in those contests. A defensive savant who relies on blocks and steals for production, Thybulle is hard to predict as he does not rely on his offensive game at all. Tonight’s matchup is a tough one for the Philadelphia 76ers, but the environment doesn’t play a massive factor in Thybulle’s production. The bottom line is, if he is on his defensive game, he’ll produce. If not, he’ll likely put together a stinker.

Power Forward

Al Horford (PF – PHI): $7,100 vs. CHI
No player has flipped the script from irrelevance to stud as quickly as Horford has since Embiid suffered his hand injury. Horford has been incredibly productive in his last four contests, scoring more than 40 FanDuel points twice and more than 32 all four times. Playing a ton of minutes, Horford has chipped in across the board, scoring, rebounding, facilitating, and even producing defensively. The matchup isn’t easy tonight as the Bulls are a solid defense, but the price is simply too low for a player of Horford’s caliber.

Kevin Love (PF – CLE): $7,000 at MEM
If the Cleveland Cavaliers have any chance of winning games these days, it’s because they’re relying on Love to get the job done. Sitting out his last game that was played on a back-to-back, Love should be well-rested and prepared for this contest. The Memphis Grizzlies present a nice matchup, as they rank 21st in defensive rating and third in pace. Not only is the matchup strong, but Love has been incredibly consistent, particularly over his last four games.

Center

Marc Gasol (C – TOR): $5,000 vs. WAS
Another Toronto Raptor, another player returning from an extended injury. Gasol has played in only one game since his return to the court, though he played 31 minutes in the contest and totaled 32 FanDuel points, showing almost no ill-effects. The Wizards have been putrid at defending bigs all season, which provides Gasol with a massive ceiling for tonight’s slate at his reduced-price tag. Play Gasol — and any other Raptors — with confidence.

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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.