NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (1/22)

The football season is winding to an end, and you better believe some of those NFL DFS people will gravitate towards basketball. Many still have funds in their account, and it’s a great time to take advantage of some of that dead money here. If you’re reading this, you’re a die-hard and should be well ahead of the field already! I feel revived after a big weekend, so let’s kick things off with a big Monday card!

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

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• MIL at DET (MIL -11.5) O/U: 247
• CLE at ORL (ORL -1) O/U: 215
• SAS at PHI (PHI -13.5) O/U: 238
• MEM at TOR (TOR -6.5) O/U: 227
• CHA at MIN (MIN -15) O/U: 224
• BOS at DAL (BOS -2.5) O/U: 240
• CHI at PHX (PHX -5.5) O/U: 229
• ATL at SAC (SAC -8) O/U: 237

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• LaMelo Ball (ankle) Questionable
• Cade Cunningham (knee) OUT
• Darius Garland (face) OUT
• Evan Mobley (knee) OUT
• Jrue Holiday (B2B) Questionable
• Kristaps Porzingis (B2B) Questionable
• Al Horford (B2B) Questionable
• Zach LaVine (ankle) OUT
• Jakob Poeltl (ankle) OUT
• Gordon Hayward (calf) OUT
• De’Anthony Melton (back) OUT
• Caris LeVert (wrist) Questionable
• Mark Williams (shoulder) OUT
• Dante Exum (heel) Doubtful
• Nick Richards (ankle) Questionable
• Xavier Tillman (knee) Questionable
• Isaiah Stewart (ankle) Questionable
• Zach Collins (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $9,100 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel
It’s wild just how consistent KD has been this season. The Slim Reaper has scored at least 36 DraftKings points in all 34 games this year, averaging nearly 50 fantasy points per game. It’s hard to understand why he’s below $10K with numbers like those, especially against Chicago. Durant dropped 52 DK points in his one matchup with the Bulls!

Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $8,400 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
Edwards is developing into a superstar player, carrying Minnesota to the best record in the Western Conference. The athletic beast is averaging over 43 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 43 DK points in three of his last four fixtures. The main reason we love him is this matchup with Charlotte, sitting 24th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency. In their most recent matchup, ANT amassed 54 DK points in another masterpiece.

Immanuel Quickley (PG/SG – TOR): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
Toronto is undergoing a rebuild, and it looks like they want to build around Quickley. This guy was always a stud in a limited role with the Knicks, regularly playing 30-35 minutes as the Raptors starting point guard since the trade. That’s led to IQ scoring at least 31 DraftKings points in nine of his first 11 games with Toronto, averaging nearly 35 DK points per game with his new team. He also mauled Memphis in their one matchup, scoring 41 DK points in one of his best performances of the year.

Cash Game Considerations

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
Embiid took down MVP last year, and he might get it again if he plays enough games. The big man has established a 50-point floor this season, leading the league with 64.4 DraftKings points per game. That’s hard to fathom, but that should be his floor in this sensational matchup with San Antonio. The Spurs sit 25th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points allowed, with Joel generating a 62-point average against them last year.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
Luka hasn’t played much over the last week, but that was an excellent opportunity to get him healthy for the second half of the season. The Slovenian is second in the NBA with 63 DK points per game, establishing a 50-point floor as well. Facing a team like the Celtics can be concerning, but Luka had 42 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists against them last season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
It’s hard to believe that we have all three of these superstars on this slate, but all of them are safe options in cash games. Giannis has returned to his MVP form over the last month, averaging 64 DraftKings points per game in that span. We love that in this matchup with Detroit, sitting 28th in points allowed and last in defensive efficiency. The blowout potential is problematic, but Giannis is averaging 48 DK points per game against them in their three matchups despite playing just 28 minutes a night. It’s scary to think how that would look across 35 minutes!

GPP Targets

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
Bro-Lo is always an intriguing GPP option because he has a massive upside. The big man averaged nearly 40 DraftKings points per game between November and December, posting a 38-point average across his last six outings. That surge is scary against a team like the Pistons, posting a 26th OPRK against opposing centers. That was on full display when Bro-Lo had nearly 50 fantasy points against them just a few days ago!

PJ Washington (PF/C – CHA): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Washington was battling foul trouble in Charlotte’s most recent game, but we love that he finally started. He’ll have to play big minutes from here on out because Nick Richards and Mark Williams are both on the injury report. We’ve seen Wash play at a $7K level in this type of role in the past, and we’re willing to bet on him returning to that with so many frontcourt players missing, especially below $6,000 on both sites.

David Roddy (SF/PF – MEM): $4,300 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Injuries have obliterated Memphis, but it should force Roddy into a prominent role. That led to him playing 32 minutes in the Grizzlies most recent game, and he’s now cracked 27 minutes 14 times this year. Big Body Roddy is averaging nearly 25 DraftKings points per game when given that opportunity, which is all you can hope for from a player barely cracking $4,000.

Value Plays

Vince Williams (SG/SF – MEM): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
We just talked about all of the injuries in Memphis, and it’s been huge for Williams. He’s been the primary beneficiary, establishing himself as the primary ball-handler since Morant, Bane, and Smart went down. That’s led to Williams scoring at least 26 DraftKings points in six of his last seven games while posting a 33-point average in that span. Toronto is also far from a terrifying matchup, posting a 25th OPRK against opposing wings.

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Jones was finally inserted into the starting lineup two weeks ago, and he’s been tremendous in this expanded role. Tre has scored at least 29 DraftKings points in seven of his last nine games while generating a 33-point average in that stretch. That makes the sub-$6K price tag hard to explain, making him an exciting option against anyone until he sees a price bump.

Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
This is some of the most egregious pricing out there. Lively looks like a stud in the making, averaging nearly 30 DraftKings points per game since taking over as the starting center. That’s unbelievable from a blossoming rookie because he should get better as the season progresses. A matchup with Boston is no easy task, but we expect Lively to play his usual 25-30 minutes to slow them down.

Advantageous Pricing

• Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
• Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Victor Wembanyama (PF/C – SAS): $8,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
• Zach Collins (PF/SF – SAS): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
• Wendell Carter (C – ORL): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
• Xavier Tillman (PF/C – MEM): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
• Naz Reid (PF/C – MIN): $4,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel

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