NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (2/2)

I was so happy when writing this injury report. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to write up that report, but we have very little to report! That’s excellent news because basketball is always better when all of the stars are in action.

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

Schedule and Odds

• LAL at IND (LAL -1) O/U: 240
• MEM at CLE (CLE -5) O/U: 226
• MIA at NYK (MIA -1) O/U: 213
• CHA at CHI (CHI -6.5) O/U: 236.5
• NOP at DAL (DAL -4.5) O/U: 225
• GSW at DEN (DEN -11) O/U: 239.5
• LAC at MIL (MIL -4.5) O/U: 230.5

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

Injury Report

• LeBron James (ankle) Questionable
• Zion Williamson (hamstring) OUT
• Tyrese Haliburton (knee) OUT
• Christian Wood (hand) OUT
• Bobby Portis (knee) OUT
• Kelly Oubre Jr.(hand) OUT
• Aaron Gordon (ankle) Questionable
• Steven Adams (knee) OUT
• Mitchell Robinson (hand) OUT

Core Plays

LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,700 FanDuel
King James is just a few days from breaking the scoring title, and you know he will go nuts until then. He’s already been doing that, scoring at least 60 DraftKings points in eight of his last 10 games. He’s also averaging over 60 fantasy points per game in that span, flirting with triple-double averages. That absurd form should continue against Indiana, with the Pacers ranked 25th in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency.

Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $7,400 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
I was shocked to see this pricing. Jimmy Buckets has been playing at a $9K level all season, averaging 42 DraftKings points per game. That’s a tantalizing total from a player in this price range, and we don’t expect the Knicks to slow him down. In their last matchup. Butler collected 30 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists en route to 52 DK points.

Myles Turner (C – IND): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
This Indiana-Los Angeles matchup looks like the most fantasy-friendly matchup on the board. LA is the perfect matchup for a monster like Myles, with Los Angeles ranked 27th in points allowed while surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. That’s scary against this guy, with Turner averaging 36 DraftKings points per game. He also had 45.3 DK points in his last matchup with the Lakers and is clearly motivated against the team that wanted to trade for him.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,300 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
Luka is the safest play on every slate. This guy is leading the NBA with 62 DK points per game, thanks to his league-leading 38 percent usage rate. He’s simply doing everything for this offense and rarely scores below 50 fantasy points. He’s also scored at least 71 DK points in back-to-back outings and is posting a 67-point average in two matchups with the Pelicans this season.

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,300 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
Doncic and Jokic are the best options because these guys never have duds. The Joker has scored at least 56 fantasy points in 19 of his last 23 games, averaging 61 DK points per game in that span. That’s not far off of his season average, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a 26th-ranked Warriors defense. Not to mention, he’s got at least 55 DK points in all five matchups with Golden State since the start of last year.

Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI): $8,900 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
Using centers against Charlotte has been easy money. The Hornets are surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing centers and setting historical averages in that category. That’s bad news against a beast like Vooch, scoring at least 38 DK points in 16 of his last 17 games. Vucevic is also averaging 46 DK points per game in that span, scoring 54 and 55 DK points in his two most recent outings.

GPP Targets

TJ McConnell (PG – IND): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
If Tyrese Haliburton is out again, McConnell is one of the best plays on the board. He’s been starting at point guard in Hali’s absence, scoring at least 31 fantasy points in eight of his last 11 games. TJ is also averaging 36 DK points per game in that stretch, stuffing the stat sheet at ease. We already discussed how much we love this matchup with LA because the Lakers own a 23rd OPRK against opposing point guards.

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $6,500 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
This is a guess, but we expect Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson to be rested in the second half of this back-to-back set. If that’s the case, Poole should be running the show. He typically plays 35-40 minutes and takes 20-25 shots in these circumstances while taking on primary ball-handling duties. Poole is also averaging over 40 DK points per game in those outings and needs to be locked in if even two of those guys sit.

PJ Washington (PF/C – CHA): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Washington has been a regular in the GPP section all season, and it’s easy to understand why. This versatile big man has scored at least 32 fantasy points 20 times this season and has flirted with a 60-point upside. That’s no surprise since he’s stepping up in the absence of Miles Bridges, averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. We expect that to be his floor against Chicago, surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

Value Plays

Jamal Murray (PG – DEN): $7,700 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
It’s strange to call Murray a value play, but this guy will be a $9K player before you know it. That’s what we saw in the bubble before his injury, and he’s finally recapturing that form. Murray has scored at least 33 DK points in 11 of his last 12 games, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in 10 of those. He’s also generating a 42-point average in that span and should thrive here with Golden State posting a 26th OPRK against opposing point guards.

Gordon Hayward (SF – FHA): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
It’s been a rough season for this veteran, but he’s too good to barely be sitting above $5,000. The former All-Star has scored at least 28 DraftKings points in four of his five games since his return from injury. That’s all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and we love that his minute total is creeping back closer to the 30-35 we’ve become accustomed to. Chicago is not a scary matchup either, surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wings.

Donte DiVincenzo (SG/SF – GSW): $5,200 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
If Green, Curry, and Thompson all sit, DiVincenzo should play 30 minutes and be one of the focal points of the offense. If you look at the 22 games DiVincenzo has played at least 25 minutes, he’s averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. That’s terrible news for this disastrous Denver defense, with the Nuggets allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing guards.

Advantageous Pricing

• Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $7,400 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
• Isaiah Jackson (C – IND): $3,400 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
• Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Khris Middleton (SF – MIL): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
• Robert Covington (SF/PF – LAC): $3,300 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel

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