NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (1/29)

This is a fascinating slate to start the week. We have 12 games in action and some brilliant matchups to discuss. The one game we really want to exploit is the Washington-San Antonio matchup. Those bad teams and horrific defenses should lead to a goldmine for DFS, and it’ll be a focal point of this article. With that said, let’s get started by looking at the schedule and odds!

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

• LAC at CLE (LAC -1.5) O/U: 225
• NYK at CHA (NYK -6) O/U: 224
• NOP at BOS (BOS -8) O/U: 232
• PHX at MIA (MIA -4) O/U: 229
• UTA at BKN (UTA -1) O/U: 233
• LAL at HOU (HOU -1) O/U: 225
• WAS at SAS (SAS -4) O/U: 242
• MIN at OKC (OKC -3) O/U: 226
• SAC at MEM (SAC -8.5) O/U: 227
• ORL at DAL (DAL -5) O/U: 228
• MIL at DEN (DEN -4) O/U: 241
• PHI at POR (PHI -9) O/U: 225

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

Injury Report

• Anthony Davis (Achilles) Questionable
• LeBron James (old) Questionable
• LaMelo Ball (ankle) Questionable
• Kyrie Irving (hand) OUT
• Julius Randle (shoulder) OUT
• Darius Garland (face) OUT
• Evan Mobley (knee) Questionable
• Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) Questionable
• Jusuf Nurkic (thumb) Questionable
• Al Horford (neck) Questionable
• Ivica Zubac (calf) OUT
• Luke Kennard (knee) Questionable
• Ben Simmons (back) Questionable
• Gordon Hayward (calf) OUT
• Mark Williams (shoulder) OUT
• Mike Conley (hamstring) Questionable
• Zach Collins (ankle) Questionable

Core Plays

Jalen Brunson (PG – NYK): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
It was already tough to fade Brunson with the way he’s been balling, but it’s impossible with Randle out. That means Brunson’s usage will rise even higher, posting a 31 percent usage rate with him off the floor. We’ve also seen JB score at least 56 DraftKings points in three of his last five games, posting a 48-point average since mid-November. The matchup is the icing on the cake, with Charlotte posting the worst defensive rating in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama (PF/C – SAS): $8,900 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
We all know that this kid will be the best player in the NBA soon because he’s already a Top 20 player at the age of 20. He also just had his minutes restriction lifted last week, scoring at least 49 DraftKings points in 10 of his previous 11 games. That’s wonderful against a team like Washington, ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and last in points allowed.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C – SAS): $8,100 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
What’s happened to this Memphis team is sad. They’re missing Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Steven Adams, but it’s allowed JJJ to take over. He’s got his usage rate north of 30 percent with this new-look roster, averaging nearly 25 shots per game over the last two weeks. That type of role is excellent against Sacramento, sitting 20th in points allowed. We saw Jackson score at least 33 DK points in all three matchups last year, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,800 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
With Kyrie Irving out for the foreseeable future, Doncic is the best option in DFS. He was already on the brink of that with Irving, averaging 65 DraftKings points per game. He’s also scored 76 and 102 DraftKings points in his two most recent outings, averaging over 70 fantasy points per game when Kyrie has been out this year.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,400 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
Everyone talks about Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid for MVP, but don’t forget about Giannis. The former MVP has established a 50-point floor over the last month, averaging 65 DraftKings points per game in that span. He’s also scored at least 80 DK points in two of his last four fixtures and should be hungry in a matchup with Jokic. That was on display when he scored 54 fantasy points in three of their last four matchups.

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,300 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
The Joker is a two-time MVP and has been the safest option in DFS for five years now. The big man has averaged at least 60 DraftKings points in all those years, posting a 61-point average this year. He’s also established a 50-point floor, scoring at least 57 fantasy points in seven of his last eight outings. He will also be motivated in this matchup with Milwaukee, scoring at least 61 fantasy points in three of their last four meetings.

GPP Targets

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – WAS): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Poole has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA, but he’s still an intriguing GPP option. This guy has flashed a 60-point upside and can still go off with 30-35 minutes and 15-20 shots. It’s even more likely for him to go off against a team like San Antonio, sitting 25th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points allowed.

Josh Hart (SF – NYK): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
With Randle getting ruled out, Hart could be the starting power forward for the Knicks. We love that because Thibs always plays his starters massive minutes and has given Hart a 40-minute workload in this type of role in the past. In the 18 games that Hart has played at least 30 minutes, he’s averaging 29 DraftKings points per game. That’s scary for Charlotte, surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

John Konchar (SG/SF – MEM): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Konchar has been a regular in this section recently, which will remain the case with how shorthanded Memphis is. We already mentioned all the players they’re missing, forcing JK into the starting lineup. He’s scored at least 27 DK points in three of four games since receiving this expanded role, which is all you can ask for from a $5K player. Sacramento sitting 20th in total defense only adds to his intrigue.

Value Plays

Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
DG has been in this article more than any player all year, and it’s easy to understand why. The Wizards center has seen his role skyrocket throughout the year, averaging 34 DraftKings points per game across his last 20 outings. He’s doing that damage across just 28 minutes a night, but we’ve seen him play 30-35 minutes whenever he stays out of foul trouble. That shouldn’t be an issue against the Spurs, surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Cam Thomas (SG – BKN): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
It can be tough to trust Thomas, but we can’t overlook the sharpshooter if he remains in the starting lineup. We saw Cam collect 46 DK points across 41 minutes in a start over the weekend, and he has his five highest-scoring games of the season as a starter. He scored at least 46 DK points in all those and needs a price bump if this role continues.

Tre Jones (PG – SAS): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
We saw Tre move to the starting lineup a few weeks ago, and he’s been fantastic since the promotion. Jones has scored at least 27 DraftKings points in 10 of his last 12 outings, generating a 33-point average in that span. That’s an absurd total from a sub-$6K player, and we couldn’t ask for a better matchup than Washington. They’re allowing the most fantasy points to opposing point guards this year. Don’t be afraid to use Tyus Jones in the same game because these brothers should go off against one another!

Advantageous Pricing

• Victor Wembanyama (PF/C – SAS): $8,900 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuelJrue
• Nick Richards (C – CHA): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Cody Martin (SF – CHA): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Kawhi Leonard (SF/PF – LAC): $8,200 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
• Caris LeVert (SG/SF – CLE): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – MIL): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
• Walker Kessler (C – UTA): $4,600 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
• Caleb Martin (SF – MIA): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
• Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
• Naz Reid (C – MIN): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
• Taurean Prince (SF – LAL): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Amen Thompson (SG/SF – HOU): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
• Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel

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