Joel Bartilotta | Tue, Feb 1st 2022, 7:02am EST

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (2/1)

That Monday slate was crazy. I had a lineup score 375 fantasy points on FanDuel, and it didn’t even cash! That’s the nature of the beast when so many key players are out, and there’s going to be more nights like that as we advance!

After a massive Monday slate, we’re down to just seven games here. I’m happy to see that because some of the scoring has been ludicrous over recent weeks. I also believe this is the sort of slate where the late games will decide things because those final two games could be some shootouts. With that in mind, let’s start with the schedule!

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Schedule and Odds

NOP at DET (DET -1.5)
WAS at MIL (MIL -12)
MIA at TOR (TOR -2)
ORL at CHI (CHI -10.5)
DEN at MIN (MIN -2.5)
GSW at SAS (GSW -3)
BKN at PHX (PHX -7)

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

Injury Report

Nikola Jokic (toe) Questionable
Jamal Murray (knee) OUT
Michael Porter Jr (back) OUT
Bradley Beal (wrist) OUT
Zion Williamson (foot) OUT
Brandon Ingram (ankle) Questionable
Brook Lopez (back) OUT
Jimmy Butler (ankle) Questionable
Kyle Lowry (personal) OUT
Lonzo Ball (knee) OUT
Alex Caruso (hand) OUT
D’Angelo Russell (shin) Probable
Patrick Beverley (ankle) Questionable
Klay Thompson (knee) Questionable
Draymond Green (back) OUT
Kevin Durant (knee) OUT
James Harden (hand) Questionable
LaMarcus Aldridge (thigh) OUT
Deandre Ayton (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Devin Booker (SG – PHX): $9,500 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
Booker would probably tell you he’s the best player in the NBA because he’s playing with more confidence than anyone. He’s taken at least 23 shots in seven straight games, attempting nearly 30 a game in that span. That’s hard to overlook from a sub-$10K player, especially since he’s flirting with a 50-point average in that same stretch. You know that volume shooting will continue against a superstar roster like the Nets.

Kyle Kuzma (PF – WAS): $7,400 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Kuzma has been breaking out all season, and it’s hard to fade him here with Beal expected to sit. Kuz has scored at least 33 DraftKings points in 15 of his last 17 games, averaging over 41 DK points per game in that span. He did most of that damage with Beal, and we believe his shot attempts, usage, and workload will increase here with BB out of the lineup. In his one game against Milwaukee earlier this year, Kuzma collected 39 DK points across just 29 minutes of play!

Wendell Carter Jr (C – ORL): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
It makes no sense why Carter remains below $7,000 on both sites. This dude has been a double-double machine for Orlando, averaging 13.3 points and 10.1 rebounds en route to 33 DK points per game. That alone makes him a good value, particularly with WCJ posting a 37-point average across his last 12 games. He’s crushed his former Chicago team, too, averaging 41.6 DK points per game in their three meetings this season.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,500 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
We’ve said this before, and it still remains. Jokic is the best cash game option in fantasy! He’s leading the NBA with 60.4 DraftKings points per game and has scored at least 41 DK points in all but one game this season. Only a handful of players have a higher average than that floor, and it makes The Joker the best cash game play on every single slate.

Chris Paul (PG – PHX): $9,700 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
CP3 is feeling it right now. The Point God has at least 51 fantasy points in five of his last six games, flirting with a 60-point average in that superb stretch. That’s one of the best spans of his career, and you know he’ll be motivated against the one team that has higher title odds than the Suns. Paul provided 40 DK points in yet another brilliant performance in his last meeting with the Nets.

Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – WAS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
If you don’t already know, Dinwiddie is a fantastic play whenever Beal is out of the lineup. He’s leading the Wizards with a 32 percent usage rate with Beal off the floor, scoring at least 30 DK points in all eight games he’s missed. He’s also got a ridiculous 45-point average in those circumstances as well, which makes it hard to believe he’s still just $6K.

GPP Targets

Kelly Olynyk (PF/C – DET): $5,200 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Kelly just returned from a knee injury and then landed in COVID protocols. He was a stud in his first game back, though, dropping 45.3 fantasy points. That brought his season average up to 28 DK points per game, which is a crazy total from a guy barely cracking $5,000 on both sites. The best part of this is the matchup, though, with New Orleans ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.

Montrezl Harrell (C – WAS): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
With Daniel Gafford being exiled from the rotation in the last game, it looks like the center spot is down to Harrell and Thomas Bryant. We love that for Trez because Bryant is being capped off at 20 minutes in his return from an ACL tear. That means Harrell should play 20-30 minutes at ease, and he’s proven to be a $6K player in that role in the past.

Donte DiVincenzo (SG – MIL): $3,700 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel
It’s weird to see DiVincenzo at $3,700 on DraftKings. This guy has proven to be a $6K player in the past, and it’s just a matter of time before he creeps closer to that. A return from injury has limited his workload, but we love that he’s played at least 24 minutes in three of the last four games. If he does that against a 24th-ranked Wizards defense, he should have no problem providing value at this dirt-cheap price.

Value Plays

Mikal Bridges (SG/SF – PHX): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
I love this spot for Mikal. He’s one of the league leaders with 35 minutes per game, and that’s going to be his floor to oppose James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Facing those high-usage guards puts him in line for a monster workload and a handful of defensive statistics. That’s great news for a guy who’s already rolling, averaging 26.7 DK points per game across his last six outings. In his previous game against Brooklyn, Bridges played 40 minutes and provided 36 fantasy points!

Monte Morris (PG – DEN): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
Morris is one of Denver’s only remaining point guards, with Murray out for the foreseeable future and Facundo Campazzo being removed from the rotation. That’s forced Morris into a 30-minute role, averaging 29 DraftKings points per game across 32 minutes a night over his last eight outings. You can’t ask for any more from a $5K player, and we certainly don’t mind that he faces a 20th-ranked T’Wolves defense, either.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $4,800 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
Looney has been one of the best rebounders in the NBA for a month now. Over the last 14 games played, Loon is averaging nearly 11 boards a game en route to 26 DK points per outing. That’s an exceptional total from a sub-$5K player, and it makes it hard to understand why he’s so cheap. The matchup is the icing on the cake, though, with the Spurs surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Advantageous Pricing

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,500 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
Jonas Valanciunas (C – NOP): $8,300 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG – WAS): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
OG Anunoby (SF – TOR): $7,500 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
Duncan Robinson (SG – MIA): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Chuma Okeke (PF – ORL): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $10,200 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $7,200 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
James Johnson (SF – BKN): $3,900 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel