NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (1/30)

That weekend was wonderful. The NFL treated us with some great conference championships, but the NBA had some gems of their own. That Boston-Los Angeles game on Saturday was one of the best I’ve seen all year, and it was sad to see LeBron James not earn that botched call at the buzzer. That’s the nature of the NBA at times, though, and DFS people are familiar with bad beats of their own. I actually dropped from first to fourth in a DFS tourney about five years ago because of a Darren Collison halfcourt shot on the final heave of a slate, which cost me $7,500, so I understand rough beats! Bad beats are something you have to look past because it’s inevitable for everyone who competes at anything!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

Schedule and Odds

• ORL at PHI (PHI -10) O/U: 232
• LAL at BKN (BKN -8.5) O/U: 231
• SAC at MIN (MIN -1) O/U: 236.5
• WAS at SAS (WAS -5) O/U: 233
• GSW at OKC (GSW -3.5) O/U: 240.5
• DET at DAL (DAL -8) O/U: 230.5
• TOR at PHX (PHX -2.5) O/U: 232.5
• ATL at POR (POR -2) O/U: 236

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

Injury Report

• Luka Doncic (ankle) Questionable
• Joel Embiid (foot) Questionable
• LeBron James (rest) OUT
• Anthony Davis (foot) OUT
• Kevin Durant (foot) OUT
• Devin Booker (groin) OUT
• Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
• Christian Wood (hand) OUT
• Ben Simmons (knee) Questionable
• Jusuf Nurkic (foot) Questionable
• Josh Hart (hamstring) Questionable
• Rudy Gobert (groin) Questionable
• OG Anunoby (wrist) OUT
• Devin Vassell (knee) OUT
• Luguentz Dort (hamstring) OUT

Core Plays

Kyrie Irving (PG/SG – BKN): $10,800 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Irving is one of the most fascinating players in the NBA, and he’s been going nuts since Kevin Durant went down. With KD off the floor this year, Kyrie has compiled a 36 percent usage rate while averaging 1.5 DK points per minute. That’s evident in his recent form, scoring at least 52 fantasy points in five straight games while generating a 62-point average in that span. That’s terrible news for the Lakers, who rank 27th in points allowed.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $8,300 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
We love using point guards against Minnesota. Not only do they rank third in pace and 21st in total defense, but they also surrender the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards. That blistering pace is frightening against the fastest player in the NBA, with Fox averaging over 40 DraftKings points per game. We also don’t mind that Fox finished with 46 DK points in their one matchup earlier in the year.

Clint Capela (C – ATL): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
This price makes no sense. Capela is always a monster when given the opportunity, and we can’t overlook his role right now. Cap has played at least 28 minutes in three straight outings, scoring at least 36 fantasy points in all of those. That’s the per-minute stud we’ve become accustomed to, and those 36 DK points should be his floor with Portland posting a 28th OPRK against opposing centers.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,700 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
It’s unclear if Luka will play, but he’s the best option on the board if he does. The Slovenian is leading the NBA with 63 DraftKings points per game, thanks to his league-leading 38 percent usage rate. The highest-scoring player is a good cash game play against anyone, but he should destroy a Detroit team that ranks 29th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. If he sits, Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr are elite plays.

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
This big man does not get enough credit. Sabonis has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in 25 of his last 26 games, averaging 20 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game in that span. It’s clear Sacramento wants Domas playing a Nikola Jokic-type role, which should allow him to go nuts against this terrible T’Wolves defense.

Bradley Beal (SG – WAS): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Beal this cheap. The sharpshooter is averaging over 36 fantasy points per game this season and is being asked to be the primary playmaker for this Wizards team. That has dropped his scoring a bit, but it’s just a matter of time before Beal starts smashing. His biggest asset is this matchup, with San Antonio sitting last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.

GPP Targets

Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C – WAS): $9,100 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
We were shocked to see that KP would be ready to return here, but this guy was going nuts before his injury. The big man was averaging 42 fantasy points per game, regularly scoring 40-50 fantasy points a night. That should be easy to reach against the worst defense in the NBA, especially since San Antonio surrenders the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. He’s only in here because this is his first game back, but KP would be an elite option if he plays 35-40 minutes.

D’Angelo Russell (PG – MIN): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Watching D-Lo go off in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns has been fun. That has skyrocketed his usage and fantasy production, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game since the big man went down. That makes him a worthy play at just $7K, especially since Sacramento sits 23rd in points allowed and 24th in defensive efficiency. In their last matchup, Russell registered 41 DK points in one of his better games of the year.

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $6,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
This $6,600 price tag on DK is laughable. Gobert has had some down games this year, but he’s still averaging over 33 fantasy points per game. That looks like his floor going forward, with Rudy averaging over 38 DraftKings points per game across his last four outings. That’s no surprise since he’s being asked to do more with KAT out, and we’re not scared about him facing a 24th-ranked Sacramento defense.

Value Plays

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Jones has taken over this point guard job in San Antonio and has remained too cheap all season. Tre has scored at least 24 DK points in 43 of 49 games, averaging 30 fantasy points per game. That’s plenty from a player in this price range, and we expect this youngster to get better the more he develops into this offense. He’s been even better since Devin Vassell went down, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a 20th-ranked Washington defense.

Dennis Schroder (PG/SG – LAL): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Let’s cap things off with a couple of Lakers. It sounds like Lebron James and Anthony Davis will be rested here, allowing Schroder to run the offense. That’s fantastic with how the German is playing, scoring at least 38 fantasy points in three of his last five games. He’s done that damage with LBJ and AD, but it’s scary to think what he could do with all of that usage sidelined.

Thomas Bryant (PF/C – LAL): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Bryant has seen a massive price drop, and it’s easy to understand why. The big man’s role has fallen off a cliff since Davis returned to action, but TB should be looking at a 30-minute starting role here. This guy was a $7K player with that opportunity at the beginning of the month, and we have to assume he’ll be one of the focal points of the offense with those two superstars missing.

Advantageous Pricing

• Clint Capela (C – ATL): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $6,600 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
• Dennis Schroder (PG/SG – LAL): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
• Wendell Carter Jr (C – ORL): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
• Markelle Fultz (PF – ORL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Rui Hachimura (SF/PF – LAL): $4,100 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
• Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $4,800 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
• Deni Avdija (SF/PF – WAS): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Jalen Duren (PF/C – DET): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
• Precious Achiuwa (PF/C – TOR): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel

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