injury report
- Luka Doncic (heel) OUT
- Kyrie Irving (Trade) OFF
- Kevin Durant (foot) OUT
- Christian Wood (Hand) Questionable
- Kyle Kuzma (knee) OUT
- Bradley Beal (hamstring) Doubtful
- Yusuf Nurkic (Wade) OUT
- Keldon Johnson (ankle) Doubtful
- Ben Simmons (knee) Doubtful
- Devin Vassell (knee) OUT
- Bobby Portis (knee) OUT
- Stephen Curry (leg) OUT
- De’Aaron Fox (personal) Questionable
- Kevin Porter Jr. (foot) OUT
- Marcus Smart (ankle) OUT
- Tre Jones (foot) Doubtful
- Seth Curry (adductors) OUT
- John Wall (ABS) OUT
- Spencer Dinwiddie (Trade) OFF
- Dorian Finney-Smith (Trade) OFF
Core plays
Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Sabonis had their worst game of the season on Sunday, but we’re willing to overlook that ugly blowout. The big man has been averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game over the past month and has scored at least 41 DK points in 27 of his previous 29 games. That total should be easy to reach against Houston, as the Rockets are 25th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency. That’s great as he should see usage increase with Fox, especially since Domas is averaging 22 points, 14.5 rebounds and 12.5 assists in his two matchups with the Rockets this year.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG – DAL): $6,400 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
So who will be shooting for Dallas? Luka Doncic and Christian Wood are both likely to be out, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith are shipped to Brooklyn. The acquisitions won’t be here in time and it should force Hardaway to 40 minutes and 20 shots. He will also see some extra ball handling and it will be difficult for THJ not to add value in this type of role. We also don’t mind that he faces a 26th Utah defense.
Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
Brooklyn was the other half of that trade, and it’s going to force these roleplayers into some robust roles. Brooklyn will be without Durant, Irving, Curry and possibly Simmons, leaving Cam as one of the offensive focuses. With this weekend opportunity, Thomas scored 58 DraftKings points in just 29 minutes of play! We’re not expecting that again, but even half of it would make Thomas a tremendous value.
Cash Game Considerations
Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $12,100 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
The Greek Freak is always one of the best cash game options on any board. Giannis has scored at least 40 DK points in all but two games this year, averaging 59 points. He’s been even better lately, scoring at least 71 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He beat the Portland defense in their only matchup this season, delivering 37 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI): $9,100 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Vooch has been quietly a cash game monster for the past month. The big man has at least 40 DraftKings points in 15 of his last 16 games, averaging nearly 50 Fantasy points per game over that span. That’s incredible from a player in this price range and should continue into this matchup. Spurs rank last in points allowed and defensive efficiency while yielding the fifth-highest fantasy points to opposing centers.
Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
It will be fun to watch Poole take on point guard duties with Stephen Curry for the foreseeable future. Poole leads the team with a 35% utilization rate, with the former MVP stepping off the floor. Stroke minutes, shot attempts, and ball-handling duties make Poole one of the best games on the board, especially when Oklahoma City allows the third-most fantasy points for opposing point guards.
GPP Goals
Jalen Green (PG/SG – HOU): $6,900 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Green and the rest of the Rockets were terrible in their last game, but we’re expecting this kid to go insane when Kevin Porter Jr. is sidelined. With KPJ gone this year, Green leads the team with a 31% usage rate. He was also bowling before his last injury, averaging 34 DK points per game in his last 24 games. It’s not that Sacramento is scary either, as they rank 22nd in the defensive efficiency rating.
Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Pöltl in this price range. He’s been awful all January, but he showed us why he was a $7,000 player this weekend. The big man has at least 36 DraftKings points in three of his last four games, for an annual average of 31 points. That’s all you could ask of a $6,000 player, and his offensive role should increase with Vassell, Johnson and Jones all bootlegged. In his last matchup against Chicago, Poeltl scored 48 DK points in one of his best games of the year.
Robert Williams (C – BOS): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
It’s weird to see Williams under $6,000 on both sides as he’s playing a full allot of minutes. Rob-Will has played at least 30 minutes in three of his last four games and has been an $8,000 player in this type of role in the past. He’s struggled a bit this year, but we think it’s great that he has at least 26 DK points in six of his last eight games. The encounter with Detroit is the icing on the cake, with the Pistons ranking 29th in defensive efficiency and points allowed.
value plays
Malik Monk (SG/SF – SAC): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
With Fox likely to miss another game, Monk is likely to be the main playmaker for this team. He leads the club with a 31% utilization rate when Fox is off the ground and has scored at least 26 DK points in four straight games. He’s also averaged 32 points during that span and should thrive with Houston, who owns a 27th OPRK against opposing guards.
Josh Green (PG/SG – DAL): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Someone in Dallas needs minutes to gobble up, and that looks like one of the few guards left. Green has played at least 27 minutes in eight straight games and has at least 19 fantasy points in six straight games. We’re expecting this to be his bottom with half that roster missing, and we genuinely think Green could be in for a career night with an expanded role against one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
Drew Eubanks (C-POR): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Eubanks was tough for Jusuf Nurkic in his first few games, but we’ll look at the larger sample size. The big man averaged 28 DK points per game over 28 minutes a night in his 31 starts for Nurk last year and has shown flashes of that off the bench this year. That would be an absurd sum from a $4,000 player, and Portland will need big minutes from him against one of the biggest teams in the NBA.
Advantageous prices
- Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG – DAL): $6,400 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
- Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
- Deni Avdija (SF/PF – WAS): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
- Walker Kessler (C-UTA): $5,400 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
***
Joel Bartilotta is a featured author at FantasyPros. For more from Joel see his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
