Friday, Jan. 31 is wrapping up the work week with a seven-game main slate for all the big daily fantasy sites. Before you lock in your NBA DFS lineups and NBA DFS picks on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and FantasyDraft, make sure to check out check out Awesemo’s NBA DFS rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS Picks, including LeBron James, Dallas value plays and more.
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Also, be sure to read Chris Spags’ Switch and Hedge for more NBA DFS picks and analysis.
NBA DFS Picks: Prime Time Players
LeBron James: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
DraftKings $10.300, FanDuel $11,200, Yahoo $55 Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 40.2%, FanDuel 32.3% Yahoo Fantasy 18.2%
There is no doubt that the Staples Center will be a very emotional scene on Friday night. Setting that aside, the Lakers are playing a team allowing 116.4 points per 100 possessions over their last 15 games for the third worst defensive efficiency in the league.
Additionally, Los Angeles last played on Saturday in Philadelphia. Though they have been through an emotional wringer, that is giving their bodies a chance to rest.
From an analytical standpoint, LeBron James is coming into tonight as one of the three most highly projected fantasy scorers depending on your DFS site and/or projection source. There is a non-zero chance that Anthony Davis is out with his sore glute. Even if he is in, this is a good matchup for the Lakers as Portland is not equipped to stop any of Los Angeles’ main offensive options.
If Davis is out, Kyle Kuzma becomes an interesting value option. On the other side, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Hassan Whitside are all in play. Keep in mind that Carmelo Anthony is away from the team, so that leaves 15.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 14.1 field goal attempts and 32.5 minutes that need to be filled.
NBA DFS Picks: Good Value
Jalen Brunson: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
DraftKings $3,800, FanDuel $3,600, Yahoo $10 Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 58.6%, FanDuel 49.9% Yahoo Fantasy 45.0%
This is just a gimme with Luka Doncic not making the trip to Houston after aggravating a sprained ankle in practice. That means there will be 32.8 minutes, 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 20.5 field goal attempts that need to be replaced tonight. We have seen this play out before when Doncic was injured two minutes into a game against Miami on Dec. 14, along with missing the four subsequent games.
In 603.3 minutes without Doncic, Jalen Brunson sees a 2% usage increase and a 10% increase on his fantasy production to one point per minute.
Though he only played 15.2 minutes in the game where Doncic was hurt, he started three of the four where he was out with 31-plus minutes in three of those games. The other game he did not play in the second quarter as the reserves ended up building a double-digit lead in Philadelphia, but he did close out the victory and had 24.6 minutes.
Can we look to anyone else?
Delon Wright and Seth Curry are also fine discount options. The wildcard will be J.J. Barea who has played in just 14 games this season. The 35-year-old veteran has been dealing with injuries suffering a torn Achilles last season and an elbow injury this season. Dallas hosts Atlanta tomorrow night, so it would make sense to see Barea tonight if he plays in either game.
Rounding out the full picture, Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 1.35 fantasy points per minute without Doncic which is 0.2 per minute to the positive side. He missed 10 games due to injury and in the five games back he is averaging 25-ish minutes and 27 fantasy points. I would be surprised to see more than 30 minutes from Porzingis tonight, particularly with a very winnable game at home tomorrow.
Yahoo Fantasy Discount Dandies
Kyle Anderson at NO – $10Â
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope vs. POR – $10
Rajon Rondo vs. POR – $10
If you haven’t signed up for Yahoo Fantasy DFS, click this link and use the promo code Awesemo when making your first deposit and you will be eligible for $30 of free play, which Yahoo will match through the first $30 of your deposit (this bonus will be received in Yahoo Sports Rewards Points, aka YSRP, which can be used to enter any paid contest immediately).
NBA DFS Picks: Risky Value
Ricky Rubio: Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder
DraftKings $5,900, FanDuel $5,500, Yahoo $26 Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 32.2%, FanDuel 39.4% Yahoo Fantasy 12.4%
Just say no. Since dropping 25 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists with five combined blocks/steals in New York against the Knicks, Ricky Rubio has been league average at best. The minutes have been there at 31.1 over his last six games. Sadly, he is down to 0.78 fantasy points per minute. The Thunder guards are all good defenders, so he is in a tenuous situation again tonight.
NBA DFS Picks: SuperDraft
Zion Williamson: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 1.6x multiplier
Jonas Valanciunas: Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans – 1.45x multiplier
Jalen Brunson: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets – 1.95x multiplier
Our standout SuperDraft recommendation for today is Zion Williamson who is still in play even with a multiplier that is no longer at the maximum. Jonas Valanciunas will be manning the paint in that same matchup without Jaren Jackson Jr., who is serving a one game suspension. This is the third game in four days for Memphis, but Valanciunas should still be in the 28-30 minute range barring foul trouble. Finally, we have Jalen Brunson who was detailed in the above Good Value section.
If you haven’t signed up for SuperDraft DFS, click this link and use the promo code Awesemo when making your first deposit of at least $100 and you will be eligible for $20 of free play. That will be provided in SuperDraft Cash which can be used to enter any paid contest immediately.
Final Thoughts
Remember that we will be expanding the coverage tonight until 7:30 p.m. ET for SuperDraft which is locking with that game set.
As has become the new baseline, we are also looking at a lot of moving parts based on news updates so be sure to tune in to the Deeper Dive/Live Before Lock shows on YouTube, Twitch and Periscope beginning at 5 p.m. EST tonight for all of the up-to-date information.
As always, you can reach out to me in Awesemo.com Premium Slack or on Twitter @EMacDFS if you have any NBA DFS questions about DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo or FantasyDraft.
Good Luck NBA DFS Gamers! ~ EMac
If you haven’t signed up for SuperDraft DFS, click this link and use the promo code Awesemo when making your first deposit of at least $100 and you will be eligible for $20 of free play. It will be provided in SuperDraft Cash which can be used to enter any paid contest immediately.
