We have our first larger NBA DFS slate in a little while tonight, with ten games to break down. We have a lot to talk about here, and we are waiting on a few pieces of key news. One thing we know is that our lineup is going to be more of a balanced style tonight, as we have a lot of guys we like in the $6,000 to $7,000 range. Our favorite source of value as of now is the Portland Trailblazers, as a lot of guys are going to see some usage with Damian Lillard taking the night off.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 1/3/22 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | |||
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | N. Powell | $6,500 | |
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | N. Reid | $4,800 | |
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
The Blazers are going to need someone to take the shots tonight, as Lillard joins CJ McCollum on the sideline. Norman Powell is a priority for us here, as we expect him to see some insane usage. Powell has already been showing great upside in the absence of McCollum, and he should be the first option for Portland in this spot. If he has a good shooting night, he could end up as one of the best plays on the slate at $6,500.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are still dealing with a ton of injuries here, and offer a few high-value plays. One priority for us is going to be Naz Reid, who we saw start at center last time for the Wolves. Reid went for 39.75 FPTS in 30 minutes last time, which is not unusual for situations when he starts in place of Karl-Anthony Towns. Reid is way too cheap here at $4,800, as we expect him to crush that price tag assuming he continues to start here.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 1/3/22 (using DraftKings Values)
There is no denying that Steph Curry is one of the best players to ever grace the game of basketball. However, sometimes a great player is just in a bad situation for DFS. Curry is generally too expensive at $11,500 despite the matchup, at this price reflects the better outcomes in his production spectrum. Curry often goes under 40 FPTS, which instantly crushes any lineup that you pay this much for him in. Even a 60 FPT performance is only going to move the needle so much at this price point. Furthermore, the Warriors have a tough matchup against the Miami Heat, so it seems unlikely we watch one of Curry’s explosion games.
Now, what do you get if you sign up now for $99?
• A few cheap guards that have huge upside tonight.
• Two potential priorities based on injury news.
• A stud forward who has been crushing.
• Our thoughts on all the potential news for tonight.
Point Guard
Anfernee Simons – PG ($4,100 DK) Simons cleared the health and safety protocols yesterday, so he could be available tonight. We are not yet sure if he is going to play, so we have to keep an eye on the news. However, Simons is a priority for us if he plays and ends up in the starting unit. Simons has been a great producer when Lillard and McCollum were sidelined in the past, and we expect he starts trying to take on a decent role right away. Simons is way too cheap here, as we know he would typically be at least $6,000 in long runs without the two-star guards.
Shooting Guard
Terrence Ross – ($4,400 DK) Ross played his first game back last time out after clearing health protocols. He did not miss a beat, and the Magic needed him to do a lot with so many of their guards remaining out. Ross played 35 minutes last time, and he crushed with 46.75 FPTS. We saw Ross take 19 shot attempts last game, so the upside he has here is immense for this price tag.
Josh Hart – ($6,800 DK) We really do not know what the New Orleans Pelicans are going to look like tonight, as Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram are both questionable. If they both end up playing tonight there is not going to be much we like getting to from this squad. However, if they both remain out this team becomes a fantastic source of value. We would get to a lot of Hart in that case, as he has shown upside that cannot be ignored. Hart went for over 45 FPTS last game, and he went for 57 FPTS the game before that. He has gone over 40 FPTS over the past five games, so we are not going to let the price tag scare us away here.
Marcus Morris – ($6,000 DK) It was a bit of surprise when the Clippers decided to rest Morris for the last game, but we still want to get to him here if he plays. Morris has been great lately, as he has had to do a lot more with the other forwards sidelined for the Clippers. He has gone over 35 FPTS for five straight games and has gone over 40 FPTS in three of those games.
Christian Wood – ($6,200 DK) Houston, we have a problem. Wood and his teammate Kevin Porter Jr. had an altercation with the Rockets coaching staff last game. The result was Porter leaving the arena and Wood refusing to sub into the game. There is a chance that the Rockets suspend both guys for tonight’s action, which would create a lot of value on this team. However, we must talk about Wood if he is going to play. This price tag is just ridiculous, and he is not injured so we do not expect a limit if he starts. If that is the case, he will be one of our biggest priorities tonight.
General strategy
We want to talk about some of the key news we are waiting on here. The Houston Rockets could provide a ton of value here, as guys like Jalen Green and KJ Martin become huge priorities if Porter and Wood are out. We also must hear what happens with the Portland starting lineup, specifically Simons. Beyond the specific teams we are waiting on, it is also likely some news comes out of left field with a big slate like this. Good luck tonight and have some fun with this one.
