Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Lineups For January 14th

Jan 7, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) stretches to keep the ball inbounds during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is back in full swing with ten games on tap for tonight. I am hoping for better results than last night. The Hawks sitting Paul Millsap at the last minute, and the awful games of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love hurt my chances of placing.

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Here are my FanDuel lineups for January 14th:

Point Guards:

Bargains:

Elfrid Payton, Magic ($5,200): Payton is still going through his share of growing pains during his rookie season, but he has had flashes of brilliance. The Magic are committed to getting him around 30 minutes a night, which makes him a good play based on his matchups. Tonight, Payton gets to take on the Rockets who have been average against opposing guards. Payton did well against an above average Bulls team his last time out, so I am comfortable playing him tonight.

Brandon Jennings, Pistons ($8,100): Jennings gets the Pelicans tonight, who have defended opposing guards well. That said, Jrue Holliday is out tonight, which moves Tyreke Evans to the point and opens the door for Eric Gordon at SG. Holliday is a stronger defender than Gordon, so there may be a few more holes than usual. That and Jennings has been on a roll lately. His fantasy points have increased in each of the last five games. He torched a solid Toronto perimeter for 34 points and ten assists on Monday. He could have another good night tonight.

Worth The Cost:

Stephen Curry, Warriors ($10,600): Curry now has five straight games of over 40 fantasy points, and two of those have been in the 50’s. In fact, he racked up 43.9 fantasy points last night in just 29 minutes. Don’t worry about the Warriors possibly blowing out the Heat tonight. Curry has shown that he can put up big numbers even in limited minutes.

Kyle Lowry, Raptors ($9,600): Lowry just keeps put up good fantasy numbers. Even against teams that defend well. He is matchup-proof at this point. The only possible concern is that the Raptors may limit his minutes against the 76ers.

Risky Play:

Jarrett Jack, Nets ($6,500): Jack has really only had two good games out of his last five. Tonight, he also faces a Memphis team that defends opposing guards very well. I love his upside, but you might want to pass on Jack tonight.

My Lineups:

A: Jennings and Lowry ($17,700)

B: Curry and Jennings ($18,700)

Next: Don't Overpay At SG

Jan 10, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Orlando Magic guard Devyn Marble (11) dunks over Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake (25) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Guards:

Bargains:

Eric Gordon, Pelicans ($4,800): When healthy, Gordon is a very good scorer. He seems to have shaken the rust off from his absence, scoring 21 points against Boston on Monday. The Pistons are a pretty good defensive team, but I still see Gordon knocking down some shots.

Devyn Marble, Magic ($3,700): With Tobias Harris out and Evan Fournier a game time decision, the signs are pointing to Marble earning a third consecutive start. He has scored 22 fantasy points in each of his first two starts against good teams in Chicago and Portland. Tonight the Magic face another good team in Houston, so expect somewhere in that area again.

Worth The Cost:

James Harden, Rockets ($10,700): The Magic are a little beat up, and they weren’t a great defensive team anyway. Harden has not been over 50 fantasy points in 2015, but tonight provides him with a great opportunity to do so.

Monta Ellis, Mavericks ($7,500): Ellis torched the Kings last night for 55.8 fantasy points. Tonight he gets to take on a Denver team that has been very liberal in giving up points lately. They have allowed opponents to score over 100 in eight of their last nine games, and in ten of their last 12. This is right up Ellis’s alley, since he is a great shooter. I wouldn’t expect 55 fantasy points again, but I would be surprised if he weren’t in the 40’s.

Risky Play:

Evan Turner, Celtics ($6,000): No one really knows which way the Celtics are going to go on a game-by-game basis. Turner looks like a great play in the wake of the Jameer Nelson trade, but can we trust that the Celtics will actually play him enough? Over the last six games, he has played anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, with no rhyme or reason separating each game. He looks like a good buy, but proceed with caution. You likely won’t know his usage until the game is underway.

My Lineups:

A: Ellis and Gordon ($12,300)

B: Gordon and Marble ($8,500)

Next: Lots Of Potential At SF, But Not Much Proven

Jan 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) celebrates after making a three-point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Small Forwards:

Bargains:

Jae Crowder, Celtics ($4,600): One would thing that with his superb performance against the Pelicans on Monday that Crowder would get an extended run again tonight. With the team seemingly committed to playing Evan Turner at PG, that leaves SF wide open with the trade of Jeff Green to Memphis. Crowder was exceptional in his first chance to fill the void, and is a good play tonight against the Hawks.

Trevor Ariza, Rockets ($5,500): Ariza has struggled with his shot lately, but has still scored over 20 fantasy points in all but one of his last 11 games. His contributions across the board mean that he is a relatively low-risk option. Who knows, maybe he can find his shot tonight against the Magic, who are beat up at the SF position. If he does, those 20’s will turn to 40’s awfully quick.

Worth The Cost:

Draymond Green, Warriors ($8,300): Green was an aberration last night. He only plucked one rebound, one steal, one block, and three assists in his 24 minutes in the blowout against Utah last night. However, he did score 15 points. That made him far less valuable than what he has been lately since rebounds and assists are worth more than points. That said, he has a great matchup against the struggling Luol Deng and the Heat tonight.

Risky Plays:

Gerald Henderson, Hornets ($5,400): Lance Stephenson is slated to make his return to the court tonight. It is not clear exactly how many minutes Henderson will lose due to this, but it gives us all a cause for concern on the FanDuel circuit. Henderson had turned into quite the bargain while Stephenson was out. I want to see just how much it affect Henderson’s minutes before I feel comfortable taking Henderson again.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Nets ($3,700): Bogdanovic has racked up 43.7 fantasy points in two games upon his return to the starting lineup. Those numbers are not great, but when you factor in the lack of great options at the positions and how cheap he is, you see Bogdanovic could be a very good sneaky play. His matchup against Memphis makes me somewhat nervous, but as long as he hits 15 fantasy points, you should be okay.

My Lineups:

A: Ariza and Crowder ($10,100)

B: Green and Crowder ($12,900)

Dec 13, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets center J.J. Hickson (7) gets a rebound during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Power Forwards:

Bargains:

J.J. Hickson, Nuggets ($4,400): Hickson has averaged 27 fantasy points per game since the trade of Timofey Mozgov. The Nuggets are easing Jusuf Nurkic along, meaning that Hickson has great short-term value in all leagues, and in daily leagues in particular.

Amir Johnson, Raptors ($5,100): Johnson has been back on the fantasy radar with solid performances against the Celtics and Pistons. Tonight he gets to take on the undersized 76ers up front, and should see some success so long as he gets between 25 and 30 minutes per game. Given the way he has played lately, he should have no problem reaching that threshold.

Worth The Cost:

Paul Millsap, Hawks ($8,000): There are seven players at the position that cost more than Millsap tonight, and I trust Millsap more than all of them except for Zach Randolph. Anthony Davis gets the monsters in Detroit. Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge face off against each other. Gasol gets the Wizards, who have been very good up front lately. Tim Duncan gets Charlotte, but he has not played more than 26 minutes in a game since January 3rd, and is in the second night of a back to back. Greg Monroe has to tangle with Anthony Davis. That leaves a rested Paul Millsap, who gets to feast on the Boston frontcourt that has been abused for much of the season. He might be able to score more than all of those guys in front of him at a much lower price.

Zach Randolph, Grizzlies ($8,400): Randolph mugged the Suns on Sunday, playing a whopping 42 minutes in that one. It is safe to say that he is back to full strength, and he has a very good matchup against the Nets tonight.

Risky Play:

Kenneth Faried, Nuggets ($6,600): Faried is by far the most talented guy in the Denver frontcourt, but he can still fall victim to coach Brian Shaw’s rotations. Shaw goes with the hot hand, and if Faried starts slow, his minutes usually end up in the low 20’s. If he starts fast, we have seen him score in the 50’s. I hate the rotations, but love the matchup, so do what you will with that information.

My Lineups:

A: Millsap and Faried ($14,600)

B: Millsap and Jared Sullinger ($14,700): The Celtics want to see who they can build around, so Sully is getting a chance to prove himself. His big last game should assure him some good playing time tonight.

Next: The Next Big Thing Is Still Cheap

January 11, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) dunks to score a basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Center:

Bargains:

Hassan Whiteside, Heat ($5,200): It should only be a matter of time before he supplants Chris Anderson. Whiteside had another strong showing last night, and now is averaging 31 fantasy points per game in his last seven games despite only averaging 22 minutes per game in that span. If he were given a full game to showcase his talents, he could come close to a triple-double with his shot-blocking prowess. He has blocked 23 shots in seven games, blocking five twice despite not playing more than 27 minutes. When will the Heat come to their senses and let him run wild?

Jusuf Nurkic, Nuggets ($5,200): Nurkic is still producing despite only playing 22 minutes per game. He has been over 20 fantasy points in each of his last seven games, going over 30 in four of those contests. His minutes should gradually increase, but even at his current playing time, he is worth starting in daily leagues because of his low price.

Worth The Cost:

Al Horford, Hawks ($7,300): Horford was the one-man gang for the Hawks last night with Millsap, Jeff Teague, and DeMarre Carroll all resting. All he did was respond with his first career triple double in just 29 minutes on the court. Tonight with Millsap back, Horford likely won’t put up huge numbers, but I still love his matchup against the Celtics.

Risky Play:

Nikola Vucevic, Magic ($9,200): Vucevic has back to back 50+ fantasy point games, but has to take on Dwight Howard and the Rockets tonight. Expect the numbers to drop, but how much? If he is still in the 40’s, he is worth playing, but anything below that, and you will likely be disappointed.

My Lineups:

A and B: Whiteside ($5,200)

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