A small five-game slate for NBA DFS contests on Tuesday is highlighted by nationally televised games between the Lakers and Knicks and Pelicans and Nuggets. This NBA lineup advice is based on early information and, like every NBA slate, can change as injury reports are revealed.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected back tonight for the Lakers, which might not be a good thing from a DFS perspective. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler’s status leaves Miami in question and Donovan Mitchell’s return to the Cavaliers changes expectations for the rest of the roster.
Here are my notes on tonight’s slate. Projections, ownership and optimal percentages are all courtesy of Stokastic.
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NBA DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (January 31)
Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers
Jimmy Butler is questionable for Miami. If he plays, any of the starters are decent options. If he sits, it benefits most of his teammates, specifically Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Donovan Mitchell’s return for Cleveland makes most of their team unappealing. Jarrett Allen is still reasonably priced and not affected by Mitchell. Allen’s ownership at time of publish is around 14 percent.
Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks
LeBron is questionable but expected to play and Davis is back so nothing looks good from the Lakers.
Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson are top plays, while Isaiah Hartenstein, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes are secondary options. Jericho Sims and Immanuel Quickley are also viable in tournaments.
Los Angeles Clippers at Chicago Bulls
Paul George ($8,900 on DraftKings) is the clear top option from the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard ($9,800) is also appealing. Ivica Zubac is a high-upside, contrarian GPP play.
The Bulls look like normal. The big three of Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are all strong plays. Patrick Williams looks like an unexciting but useful option.
Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks
LaMelo Ball, Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier all look like secondary tournament options. Mark Williams has a huge ceiling at his price, but is always risky because of DNP risk.
Pat Connaughton remains cheap and is extremely popular (40 percent ownership at time of publish). Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are always good plays. It’s a good matchup for Brook Lopez plus the potential for increased minutes without Bobby Portis.
New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray is questionable for Denver. If he’s out, it benefits Bruce Brown and Nikola Jokic, and possibly Bones Hyland as well. If he plays, Murray looks like the best play from the Nuggets followed by Jokic.
Brandon Ingram’s minutes are increasing, which hurts everyone else but makes Ingram somewhat interesting. Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance offer plenty of upside but shouldn’t be played together.
For updated thoughts on tonight’s slate with the latest projections and news, find us on YouTube for Live Before Lock.Â
