NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (2/7)

These next 72 hours could be wild. We already had a blockbuster trade over the weekend, and there are a ton of teams in contention that could make some noise themselves. That has me feeling like a storm is brewing because the league is wide open right now. That can cause chaos for DFS, though, because these rosters are in shambles after trades. We saw that with Dallas and Brooklyn on Monday, but there shouldn’t be too much of that here outside of the Nets.

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

Today’s NBA DFS Lineup Advice

Schedule and Odds

• NYK at ORL (NYK -1) O/U: 228
• ATL at NOP (NOP -1.5) O/U: 234.5
• PHX at BKN (NA) O/U: NA
• CHI at MEM (MEM -6.5) O/U: 233.5
• MIN at DEN (DEN -8) O/U: 235
• OKC at LAL (LAL -7) O/U: 237

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

Injury Report

• Kyrie Irving (trade) OUT
• Kevin Durant (foot) OUT
• Zion Williamson (hamstring) OUT
• Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
• Rudy Gobert (groin) Questionable
• Ben Simmons (knee) Questionable
• RJ Barrett (illness) Questionable
• Steven Adams (knee) OUT
• Jonas Valanciunas (knee) Questionable
• Mitchell Robinson (hand) OUT
• Luguentz Dort (hamstring) OUT

Core Plays

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG/SG – OKC): $10,600 DraftKings, $10,600 FanDuel
SGA had a rough night on Monday with the rest of this OKC roster, but this first-time All-Star was unstoppable before that. The tricky guard is averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 41 DK points in 22 of his previous 24 games. That should be easy to duplicate against the Lakers, who rank second in pace and 27th in points allowed.

Jamal Murray (PG – DEN): $8,200 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Bubble Murray is back and in full force. This stud was slow in his return from ACL surgery, but he’s playing at an All-Star level right now. Murray has scored at least 37 DK points in nine straight outings, generating a 46-point average in that span. He’s also got 54 and 62 DK points in his two most recent outings, and we’ve seen this guy do this for weeks in the bubble before his injury. Facing Minnesota is marvelous, too, ranked fifth in pace and 21st in total defense. In their last matchup, Murray amassed 41 DK points just a few weeks ago.

Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,200 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Fade Thomas at your own risk. With Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, and Seth Curry all missing the last few games, Thomas has had the best stretch of his career. The streaky guard is flirting with a 40 percent usage rate with those guys out, scoring 58 DraftKings points in back-to-back games. That’s genuinely absurd from a $6K player, and Brooklyn needs him to keep doing this with how shorthanded they are right now.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,600 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel
The Joker is the best cash game option on every slate. The two-time reigning MVP is averaging 26 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game en route to nearly 60 DK points. He’s also scored at least 51 fantasy points in all but two games over the last two months and should keep that trend going against the T’Wolves terrible defense. When they played three weeks ago, Joker had a triple-double and 69 DK points!

LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
King James is just 36 points away from being the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. You better believe he will go for that record here, scoring at least 45 fantasy points in 23 straight games. He’s also flirting with a 55-point average in that span and could easily provide a 40-point triple-double if LA wants to make sure this guy breaks the record tonight. Facing OKC is an excellent way to do it, with the Thunder ranked third in pace and 20th in points allowed.

Wendell Carter (C – ORL): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
I don’t understand this pricing with Carter. The big man has been one of the most consistent players in this price range, averaging 32 DK points per game as a starter. He’s also scored at least 26 DK points in 27 of his 31 starts this year, dropping 42 DK points in his most recent outing. You’d think this guy was an $8K player with numbers like those, especially since he faces a Knicks team that’s missing their defensive center.

GPP Targets

Jaren Jackson Jr.(PF/C – MEM): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
JJJ has been a volatile player throughout his career, mainly due to his unpredictable role. The big man has been one of the best per-minute producers in the NBA, averaging 35 DraftKings points across 27 minutes a night. This guy should play 35 minutes a night, and we have to assume that’ll be the case since that’s his exact average over the last three games without Steven Adams. JJJ also has a 42-point average in that three-game stretch, showing that his exorbitant per-minute rates are sustainable in a more prominent role.

Wily Hernangomez (C – NOP): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
This is risky, but Wily would be an elite option if Jonas Valanciunas has to sit. That’ll likely force Hernangomez into the starting center job, likely playing 25 minutes. He started eight games for JV last year, posting a 31-point average across 27 minutes a night. That’s what we saw on Sunday, with Hernangomez totaling 50 DK points across 28 minutes. A duplicate of either of those would be a masterpiece in this sub-$5K price range, and it seems more likely with Atlanta owning a 23rd OPRK against opposing centers.

Naz Reid (PF/C – MIN): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Reid has been a godsend for Minnesota as their third center because KAT and Gobert can’t stay healthy. In Reid’s eight starts this season, he’s averaging 34 DK points per game across 27 minutes a night. He’s also scored at least 52 fantasy points in three of those, and finding a guy with a legitimate 10X upside is ridiculous. Nikola Jokic‘s defense won’t deter us because he’s one of the worst defensive centers in the league.

Value Plays

John Collins (PF – ATL): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Collins in this price range. This guy has typically sat around $7,000 for most of his career and is still averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. That’s all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and it’s just a matter of time before he’s $1,000 more on each site. New Orleans is not a scary matchup either, allowing nearly 120 points across their last 15 games.

Larry Nance Jr.(PF/C – NOP): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Nance has been a great role player for the Pelicans and remains too cheap. The versatile big man has scored at least 25 DraftKings points in six straight games, seeing a massive boost with JV and Zion both nicked up. That’s absurd from a $5K player, and we’re not concerned about him facing a Hawks team that ranks seventh in pace and 22nd in points allowed.

Isaiah Hartenstein (PF/C – NYK): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
It’s about time that these coaches realize that Hartenstein is the best big man on this roster with Mitchell Robinson injured. That’s led to Hartentstein playing 32 minutes a night over his last four fixtures. He’s also generating a 29-point average in that span despite some limited offense, and he needs a price bump. Facing Orlando is outstanding, too, with the Magic allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing big men.

Advantageous Pricing

• Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,200 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
• Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $10,200 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel
• Edmond Sumner (PG/SG – BKN): $4,100 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
• Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $5,100 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts