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FanDuel DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Sunday (1/17)

FanDuel DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Sunday (1/17)

Sundays usually tend to be dedicated to football, but we’re going to continue riding out basketball profits. We have four games on the ledger for this slate, with two games being played during the day. What’s interesting about this small slate is that we have four Western Conference hosts, with only two teams from the east being represented. That always makes for better basketball, so let’s go ahead and get into it!

If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel

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Most Value Per Dollar

Players expected to generate the most value relative to salary.

Point Guard

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Malcolm Brogdon (IND) at LAC $8,800 ⭐⭐⭐ Low
Ben Simmons (PHI) at OKC $8,300 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
George Hill (OKC) vs. PHI $4,500 ⭐⭐⭐ Medium

 

  • Brogdon is always one of the most reliable options out there, averaging 43.2 FD points per game.
  • Simmons should see increased usage with Joel Embiid out, and he’s coming into this matchup scoring at least 44 FD points in back-to-back games.
  • Hill is risky, but he can easily provide 20-25 fantasy points. That’s all you would need from a $4,500 player.

Shooting Guard

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) vs. PHI $8,200 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Buddy Hield (SAC) vs. NOR $5,100 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Eric Bledsoe (NOR) at SAC $4,900 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ High

 

  • SGA has been crushing recently, and we’ll discuss that in the studs section.
  • Hield has the potential to drop 40 anytime he steps on the floor, and it’s crazy that his price is right around $5K.
  • Bledsoe has been a $7,000 player throughout his career, and his early-season struggles could subside here against the worse defense in the NBA.

Small Forward

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Kawhi Leonard (LAC) vs. IND $9,400 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Tobias Harris (PHI) at OKC $7,500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Harrison Barnes (SAC) vs. NOR $5,800 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium

 

  • Kawhi and Harris will find themselves in the studs section.
  • It makes no sense that Barnes remains below $6,000. He’s scored at least 25 FD points in almost every game this season and is averaging 31.4 fantasy points per game for the year.

Power Forward

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Zion Williamson (NOR) at SAC $7,700 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Bojan Bogdanovic (UTH) at DEN $4,300 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Isaiah Roby (OKC) vs. PHI $4,200 ⭐⭐⭐ Medium

 

  • This is a perfect spot for Zion. His athleticism and hustle should guarantee him a double-double against the worst defense in the league.
  • Bogey has been a $6,000 player throughout his career, and we want to ride him until he gets closer to that number.
  • With Horford out, Roby should continue to start for the Thunder. That’s led to him scoring at least 23 FD points in back-to-back games.

Center

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Nikola Jokic (DEN) vs. UTH $11,500 ⭐⭐⭐ Low
Steven Adams (OKC) vs. PHI $5,800 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Dwight Howard (PHI) at OKC $4,400 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium

 

  • Jokic picks up triple-doubles like it’s nobody’s business, and we’ll talk about that in the next section.
  • Adams regularly scores 25-30 FD points, making him a solid value below $6,000.
  • Howard should start for Embiid, making him one of the best punt plays on the slate. In that role on Saturday, he had eight points, 18 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in his best game in years.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

  • Nikola Jokic (DEN) $11,500: This dude is a complete monster, and he’s almost a lock for a triple-double every time he steps on the court. In fact, the big man is averaging 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. That makes him a great pick no matter the price or matchup.
  • Kawhi Leonard (LAC) $9,400: Kawhi is always one of the best options on any slate, but he’s in the best stretch of his season right now. The Claw has at least 43 FD points in three-straight games and did that damage in just three quarters on Friday.
  • Brandon Ingram (NOR) $8,500: Many people don’t consider Ingram a superstar player, but his numbers would say otherwise. He’s currently averaging over 42 FanDuel points per game for the year and should be able to duplicate that against a Kings’ defense that’s allowing over 122 points per game. Yes, that’s the worst mark in the NBA.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) $8,200: Speaking of the Thunder, let’s talk about SGA. This dude has completely taken over this offense and is in the best stretch of his career right now. After a career night on Friday, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 48 fantasy points in four of his last six games. That makes him nearly impossible to fade on a four-game slate.
  • Tobias Harris (PHI) $7,500: With Embiid out, Harris is one of the best options on the board. Dating back to last season, Toby has a 30 percent usage rate with Joel off the floor, averaging 1.4 FD points per minute. That’s a monster rate from someone this talented, and we’re certainly not concerned with him facing the Thunder.

5 Notable Players to Fade

  • De’Aaron Fox (SAC) $7,300: The Kings are in free-fall mode right now, and Fox is going down with the ship. Over his last six games, Fox is averaging just 26 FanDuel points per game, and that really worries us with him facing a Top-10 Pelicans defense.
  • Myles Turner (IND) $7,400: Turner has been an amazing fantasy producer, but one has to wonder how long he can maintain these crazy defensive numbers. He’s averaging 17.1 FD points per game through steals and blocks alone, and that’s simply unsustainable. That really scares us with his 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, which isn’t enough at this price. Not to mention, he has to face one of the best defenses in the Clippers here.
  • Jamal Murray (DEN) $7,000: Something is off with this guy right now. He’s failed to crack 40 FD points in six-straight games now and is averaging just 26 FanDuel points per game in that span. We can’t trust that against a stingy Jazz defense.
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker (NOR) $5,100: While we all saw how impressive NAW was on Thursday, it seems like that was a one-time deal. In a starting role on Friday, he had just 13 FD points and fell back down to earth. That’s very concerning with Eric Bledsoe returning, and he’d be impossible to use if Lonzo Ball returns too.
  • Joel Embiid, Michael Porter, Lonzo Ball, and T.J. Warren: All of these guys will be out for this slate.

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.

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