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    Joel Bartilotta | Tue, Jan 25th 2022, 6:37am EST

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (1/25)

This slate is going to be awesome! We have numerous superstars in fantastic spots, and it’s going to be tough to squeeze all of these guys into your lineup! In any case, we’re going to break down which guys are the best options, so let’s go ahead and get into it!

After a small four-game slate on Monday, we’re looking at nine games for this Tuesday card! It’s usually flip-flopped, but we can’t complain about a tasty Tuesday ledger! One thing we need to talk about is the scoring. There are more bad defenses on display than usual, and it will lead to some massive scores. That means 300 DK points is the minimum you need to zone in on, with 400 points being very much in range!

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Schedule and Odds

  • DEN at DET (DEN -7) O/U: 219
  • NOP at PHI (PHI -9) O/U: 215.5
  • LAC at WAS (WAS -4.5) O/U: 216
  • CHA at TOR (TOR -3.5) O/U: 221.5
  • SAC at BOS (BOS -8.5) O/U: 219
  • LAL at BKN (LAL -3.5) O/U: 226
  • SAS at HOU (SAS -3) O/U: 235
  • DAL at GSW (GSW -3) O/U: 211.5
  • MIN at POR (MIN -3) O/U: 227.5

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

Core Plays

James Harden (PG/SG – BKN): $11,700 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
Harden is going to be in this section every time Brooklyn is home. He was already stepping up in the absence of Kevin Durant, but it’s scary to imagine how much he’ll do with Kyrie Irving sitting home games as well. That means Harden could be looking at 40 minutes, 25 shots, and a 40 percent usage rate. A 30-point triple-double is definitely in play, particularly against a Lakers team that surrenders the most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Dejounte Murray (PG – SAS): $10,000 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Dejounte was my highlight play the last time he faced the Rockets, and we’re going right back to the well. Houston ranks first in pace and dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. That caters beautifully to a stat stuffer like this, with Murray posting a triple-double average over his last three games. He did that and dropped a career-high the last time these two teams played, and it makes Murray impossible to fade.

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,300 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
Speaking of impossible to fade! Embiid has been the best player in the NBA for four weeks now, averaging 56 DraftKings points per game across his last 16 outings. He’s actually scored at least 53 fantasy points in 12 of those, doing that damage in fewer than 33 minutes a night. That’s terrifying for the Pelicans, with New Orleans ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12.500 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
The Joker is the top cash game option on every slate. The big man is leading the NBA with 60.1 DK points per game, scoring at least 41 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That’s the best floor and best average around, making Jokic an incredible choice against a 24th-ranked Pistons defense.

Pascal Siakam (PF/C – TOR): $8,900 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel
Sia hasn’t gotten much publicity, but this guy has been incredible for a month. In fact, Pascal has provided at least 36 fantasy points in 21 straight games, generating a 48-point average over his last 14 games. Playing 40 minutes a night will do that, and it should continue against a Charlotte team that ranks second in pace, 28th in points allowed and 26th in defensive efficiency.

C.J. McCollum (SG – POR): $7,500 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
Using McCollum without Lillard has been a DFS cheat code for years. C.J. has been a stud in his own right, but he leads the team with a 32 percent usage rate when Dame is off the floor. That’s led to a 40-point average in those circumstances, which is on full display when you see that McCollum has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in the last two games without him. We obviously don’t mind that Minnesota owns a 26th OPRK against opposing guards, either.

GPP Targets

Reggie Jackson (PG – LAC): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Jackson is a GPP option because of his volatility, but he’s in one of his patented hot stretches right now! Reggie has scored at least 35 DK points in four straight fixtures, accruing a 45-point average in that span. That’s what you’d usually see from a $9K player, and he should continue to run this offense with Kawhi and PG13 still sidelined. The icing on the cake is the matchup, though, with Washington ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Robert Covington (PF/C – POR): $5,600 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
RoCo was below $4K earlier on when he was struggling, but a hot stretch has him right back where he belongs. The elite defender has at least 27 DK points in eight of his last nine games. Missing Lillard and Lary Nance Jr is a major reason, and he should continue to play 35-40 minutes in this expanded role. Covington hit just one shot in his last meeting with the T’Wolves but still dropped a 32-point performance in a typical RoCo gem.

Ivica Zubac (C – LAC): $5,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
We always like Zoo when his minutes are up, which appears to be the case now. The big man has scored at least 22 DK points in five straight fixtures, averaging nearly 30 minutes a game in that span. He’s also providing a 40-point average over his last three outings, a stupendous total from a sub-$6K player. We also love that Washington surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers as well. Not to mention, they have three centers in their rotation, and that should guarantee Zoo 30 minutes if he can stay out of foul trouble.

Value Plays

Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $6,400 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
It’s wild that Poeltl remains below $7K on DK. This dude has been playing above his price tag all season, averaging 33 fantasy points per game. We love that with his recent form, scoring at least 38 DK points in four straight fixtures. The best part of this is the matchup, though, with the Rockets owning the worst defense in the NBA while surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing centers. Jakob had 32 DK points in their last meeting, despite taking just five shots!

Richaun Holmes (C – SAC): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
It’s been a nightmare stretch for Holmes because of some injury issues, but we’re getting some signs of life! The big man has played at least 24 minutes in five of his last six games, scoring at least 22 DK points in all of those. That’s all you can ask for from such a cheap player, especially a guy who’s has extended stretches of 30-40 fantasy points per game.

Monte Morris (PG – DEN): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
Facundo Campazzo is being exiled in Denver because of his terrible play, and it’s left Morris with all he can handle with Murray out for the next month. Not only is Monte starting at point guard, but he’s regularly playing 30 minutes a night. That alone makes him a good option south of $5K, particularly with Morris posting a 28-point average over his last three fixtures. Getting to face a 22nd-ranked Detroit defense is dandy too!

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

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