We only have four games to break down tonight, but there is a lot to talk about here. There are a lot of injuries between the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans, so those will be our two favorite teams for budget plays. There are some nice stars as well here, but they are more evenly spread across the slate. We are looking at a stars and scrubs style lineup, but none of the players on this slate are $10,000 or more.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 1/24/22 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | N. Alexander Walker | $3,800 | |
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | |||
| Power Forward | D. DeRozan | $9,100 | |
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
The New Orleans Pelicans offer a ton of value with the news that Brandon Ingram is going to be sidelined tonight. We really like getting to Nickeil Alexander-Walker here, as he is very cheap at only $3,800. NAW is averaging 23.2 FPTS on the season, and a few bad games have dropped his price significantly. There should be a few extra minutes for him with Ingram out, along with more usage when he is on the floor.
The bottom end of tonight’s slate looks better than the top, but we still have some great spend-up options to get to. DeMar DeRozan has been taking some crazy high usage lately, as the Bulls are without Zach Lavine and Lonzo Ball. DeRozan has the ball in his hands a lot, and he has scored over 45 FPTS in three straight games. We saw him try and do everything he could in last night’s loss, as he went for 41 real points and 54.25 FPTS. He has an easy matchup against the Thunder tonight, and we are expecting another big scoring performance.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 1/24/22 (using DraftKings Values)
A few of the studs on this slate are too expensive for their level of production. One easy fade for us here is going to be Julius Randle at $9,700. Randle is averaging 41.6 FPTS on the season, and at this price, he needs to show a ton of upside to hit mediocre value. The Knicks play the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, who are a tough defensive squad. The Cavs have one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league this year, so we are steering clear of Randle.
Here Is What Your Get If You Subscribe For $15 Per Month or $99 For The Year…
• A star guard who has been on fire lately.
• Two cheap forwards who should have to play some extra minutes tonight.
• A star center in a dream situation.
• Some general strategy for the slate.
Point Guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – ($5,500 DK) Gilgeous-Alexander has been absolutely crushing lately, averaging 49 FPTS over the past ten days. He has been showing his upside, with 57.3 FPTS in the last game and as high as 65 FPTS in the last few weeks. The Bulls are a weak defensive squad, and tonight’s game should stay close with the injuries. We don’t have many high upside stars tonight, so SGA stands out more then he normally would.
Shooting Guard
Jeremy Lamb – ($4,000 DK) We do not know if Caris LeVert will be available to play for the Pacers tonight, but they will be without Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner. There will be a lot of extra minutes going around, and we saw Lamb play 28 in the last one. He was great with 29.8 FPTS and will be a priority if LeVert remains sidelined.
Cameron Johnson – ($3,900 DK) The Phoenix Suns were already missing their entire frontcourt rotation, and now we also have Jae Crowder out. Johnson should be in for a ton of minutes here, as the Suns are simply running out of options. Johnson is averaging 21.8 FPTS and coming in at a great price tag here, so we like him a lot for value.
Herbert Jones – ($4,700 DK) The Rookie has been playing a ton of run for the Pelicans lately, with 34 and 37 minutes respectively in the last two games. With Ingram out his minutes look fantastic, and he should be able to shoot the ball a little bit more. He is averaging 26.7 FPTS over the past ten days, so any boost with the injuries tonight would make him a fantastic play.
Jonas Valanciunas – ($8,300 DK) Valanciunas has been showing a lot of upside this season, and he looks fantastic with Ingram off the floor. We expect that the Pelicans are forced to look to Valanciunas inside for offense tonight, so the upside for a huge performance is there. The Pacers are a great matchup for him with Turner out, as he should be able to feast on less-skilled centers.
General strategy
One key piece of news we are waiting on tonight is what happens with Caris LeVert on the Indiana Pacers. If he is out the Pacers will remain gutted here, and we are happy going back to Lamb, Kiefer Sykes, or Torrey Craig for value. We are also happy paying for Chris Duarte if LeVert is out, as we know he has a ton of upside. If LeVert plays we will look elsewhere for value, as there is a ton between the Pelicans and Suns.
