FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice: Friday (1/3)

Tonight’s slate features a six-game main slate which tips-off at 7:00 p.m. EST. After examining the teams on the schedule, the Miami Heat are the only team to operate on a back-to-back after opposing the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.

Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel

Point Guard

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,300 @ WAS
Lillard is coming off a disappointing performance that totaled only 36 FanDuel points, but I wouldn’t worry too much as he’s generally been a pillar of consistency, particularly as of late. Not only is Lillard a consistent DFS threat, but his matchup tonight against the Washington Wizards is a pristine one as they rank 30^th in defensive rating and 3^rd in pace. In what is expected to be one of the pacier contests of the night, both teams will have plenty of opportunities to collect points. Lillard is a solid star-studded option on a night that features some intriguing options.

Lonzo Ball (PG – NO): $5,300 @ LAL
One of the more head-scratching options on a nightly basis is the talented Ball brother. Ball has the ability to stuff a stat-sheet across the board, as evidenced by his 57-point performance that saw him register a 27 real-life point triple-double in his most recent contest. Tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers does present a tough matchup as the Lakers rank 6^th in defensive rating and 17^th in pace, but this game does have a revenge-game narrative for Ball as he returns to the Staples Center.

Shooting Guard

Marcus Smart (SG – BOS): $5,100 vs. ATL
Smart is the first name for which you’ll need to be proactively aware of the injury situation tonight as starting PG Kemba Walker is currently dealing with an illness and is uncertain for tonight’s contest, and SF Jaylen Brown is also dealing with the same ailment, though he’s expected to return after missing one game. If either player is ruled out, Smart likely enters the starting lineup and immediately receives a significant bump in value and playability. Not to mention, the matchup is a strong one for the Boston Celtics as the Atlanta Hawks rank 28^th in defensive rating and 8^th in pace.

Devin Booker (SG – PHO): $8,000 vs. NY
Starting PG Ricky Rubio is listed as probable for tonight’s game, though his status is still worth monitoring as it directly relates to Booker and his usage. Booker is currently on a fantastic four-game stretch in which he scored no less than 41.6 FanDuel points. Booker scored 32+ real-life points in all four of those contests and faces a weak New York Knicks defense tonight which ranks 21^st in defensive rating, but only 24^th in pace.

Small Forward

Gordon Hayward (SF – BOS): $6,900 vs. ATL
Just like his teammate in Smart, Hayward could be a valuable option tonight, particularly if injuries keep Walker and Brown out of the starting lineup. Regardless, the matchup is a tremendous one against the Hawks and Hayward has been relatively productive recently as he’s reached value in three of his last four contests. Hayward gets a big usage boost if either of Walker or Brown are ultimately ruled out.

Carmelo Anthony (SF – POR): $6,000 @ WAS
As you can see, I’ve doubled-down on easy matchups, which is exactly why Melo has found his way onto the lineup. The small forward position presents a handful of strong options tonight, but I elected to pay down at the three-spot and spend premium money elsewhere. Melo is coming off a 33.4-point performance, though he has been inconsistent recently. Luckily for Melo, he has played 31+ minutes in all of five of his most recent contests and benefits from an amazing matchup tonight.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis (PF – LAL): $10,400 vs. NO
Davis’ injury status is always worth monitoring, though he is listed as probable for tonight’s matchup against his former team in the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis has failed to reach value in four straight games, totaling between 42-44 FanDuel points in each contest. Davis’ price tag has slowly decreased, giving him more breathing room for errors and allowing him an easier path to creating value. While the play tonight may seem risky, the Pelicans rank 25^th in defensive rating and 7^th in pace, providing quite an awesome opponent for Davis and the Lakers.

Kyle Kuzma (PF – LAL): $4,800 vs. NO
We aren’t left with much money, which is why I elected to go with Kuzma and double-down on the Lakers at the four-spot. Kuz has been productive in four of his last five games, with one absolute stinker sandwiched in between. Still, as a scoring presence coming off the bench, Kuz doesn’t have the highest ceiling, though he’s generally a safe bet to reach value when his shot is dropping.

Center

Aron Baynes (C – PHO): $4,200 vs. NY
Unfortunately for us, we’re really stretched thin at the center position with not much money leftover. Baynes hasn’t provided much value at all since the return of Deandre Ayton, though that should come as no surprise. Still, Baynes has registered roughly 20 minutes of playing time per game and has a solid matchup against the Knicks, providing us with enough hope he could reach value.

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