Here are the FanDuel NBA picks for January 21st!
It is a light night in the NBA with only five evening games going on. There are still plenty of high priced options to build a winning team. Who are the best options? Let’s take a look at how injuries and price can affect your lineups!
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To finish in the money, you need to choose the best high priced players, and the best cheap options to let you afford some high priced players. I will give you some of each option at each position and let you choose from there.
Here are my FanDuel NBA Picks for January 21st:
Next: There Are Bargains At PG
Point Guards:
Best Bets:
Chris Paul, Clippers ($9,800): With Blake Griffin out, Chris Paul’s production has picked up. A lot. He has more than 50 FanDuel points in four of his last six games, and has eclipsed 40 in seven of his last nine. That makes him a low risk option. If you are looking to spend on a guy, Paul is the most likely to make it worth your investment.
Rajon Rondo, Kings ($8,100): Predictably, Rondo has slowed down from his scorching start to the season, but that doesn’t mean that he is done producing entirely. Rondo is averaging 38 FanDuel points per game over his last eight contests, which is even slightly above his season average. If you can’t afford Paul, Rondo is a suitable fallback option.
Honorable Mention:
Reggie Jackson, Pistons ($7,200): The return of Brandon Jennings hasn’t taken a chunk out of Jackson’s production at all. ‘Mr. October’ is clearly the leader of this team, and has not been below 20 FanDuel points since the second week of December. He has also been above 30 in six of the last ten. He is a consistent 4x producer.
Jrue Holliday, Pelicans ($6,600): His minutes cap is off. Since the cap game off back at the beginning of January, the former All Star is showing signs of returning to form. In eight January games, he has averaged 33 FanDuel points per tilt. That is just a shade above 5x value. Not only that, but he is starting alongside Tyreke Evans with Eric Gordon out for the next few weeks. He is a great play in any format right now, and the price is definitely right in DFS.
If You’re Cheap:
Emmanuel Mudiay, Nuggets ($5,000): Mudiay has quietly put up 23 or more FanDuel points in four of his last five games since missing nearly a month with an ankle injury. Jameer Nelson is hobbled a little bit as well, giving Mudiay even more upside. This output is good enough for close to 4.5x value, making him a very low-risk punt play.
Paddy Mills, Spurs ($3,500): Tony Parker has already been ruled out, but that doesn’t automatically mean production for Mills. The Spurs have shown a willingness to let Kyle Anderson and Manu Ginobili run the show with Parker out. Mills is a high risk with the potential to drop 20 if he starts. Stay tuned to the Spurs feeds if you plan on using him.
My picks: Holliday and Mudiay
Next: Is There A Cheap Option At SG?
Shooting Guards:
Best Bet:
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Pistons ($5,900): If it weren’t for his ejection on Monday against the Bulls, KCP would likely be riding a streak of three straight 34+ FanDuel point games, and four of his last five. He is on fire right now, and is also showcasing his rebounding ability. It is a light night at SG, and you really have no reason not to play him unless you want to go against the grain to try and separate yourself from the pack. Do this at your own risk.
J.J. Redick, Clippers ($5,600): Redick is a pure shooter who does little else, but when he is hot, there are few better. Redick lit up the Rockets for a career high 40 points on Monday, and has 73.8 FanDuel points in his last two games. It is worth seeing if the hot streak lasts.
Honorable Mention:
J.R. Smith, Cavaliers ($4,900): Smith is also almost exclusively a scorer, and with Kyrie Irving eating up more and more minutes, Smith hasn’t played more than 25 minutes in the last three games, meaning he doesn’t have as much time to do damage. He is still hitting 20 FanDuel points per game with the exception of last night’s catastrophe from the field against Brooklyn. He is still a solid pick.
Manu Ginobili, Spurs ($4,600): This is a meaningless regular season game, meaning that the Spurs have no plans of pushing Ginobili past his customary 22-25 minutes per game, but with Tony Parker out, he should see an increase in opportunities, and may even run the point some. He is a nice play against the up-tempo Suns.
If You’re Cheap:
Gary Harris, Nuggets ($4,400): The emergence of Harris is directly responsible for me not recommending Will Barton. Harris has matched or outdone Barton in each of the last six games, and is doing if for $2,300 less. Harris is a really good play right now, and Barton is a huge risk unless injuries strike the Nuggets’ backcourt again.
Devin Booker, Suns ($4,200): Booker has been getting between 25 and 40 minutes per game since Bledsoe went down, but he is mostly dependent on his shooting to be successful. Booker doesn’t offer much else, so if he goes cold, he won’t get you anywhere near what you need from him. Then again, he has topped 30 FanDuel points a couple of times, which makes him a really nice lottery ticket.
My picks: Caldwell-Pope and Booker
Next: Should You Play LeBron?
Small Forwards:
Best Bets:
LeBron James, Cavaliers ($9,800): The King has put up the princely totals of just 25.7, 30.5, 37.9, and 33.9 over his last four games. That is not nearly enough for his enormous price tag. That said, this is a light night, and he is the only SF that has the potential to hit 40 FanDuel points. Do you want to roll the dice?
Rudy Gay, Kings ($7,300): Aside from a clunker against the Pelicans on January 13th, Gay is on a nice little hot streak right now. He has topped 30 FanDuel points in the other six games over that stretch, and is a sure bet to do it again……at $2,500 less than James.
Honorable Mention:
Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets ($7,000): Aside from a clunker against the Heat on the 15th when he went ice cold from the floor, Gallinari has been unstoppable since his return on January 2nd. In the other eight games, he is averaging 36.8 FanDuel points per game. He is one of the few constants in the Denver rotation, making him the least risky Nugget to play in DFS contests.
Marcus Morris, Pistons ($5,200): Morris is not longer hobbled, and has topped 38 minutes in each of his last four games. Predictably, his production has been way up. He has more than 25 FanDuel points in his last three games, and has put up over 35 twice. He is a strong play right now.
If You’re Cheap:
P.J. Tucker, Suns ($4,700): He and T.J. Warren are splitting the minutes nearly right down the middle, but Tucker has done more with them lately. He has topped 2o FanDuel points in nine of his last ten outings. If you feel the need to go cheap at SF, Tucker is your safest option. He could be a sneaky pick if Markieff Morris misses the game. He played 45 minutes after Morris left the game on Tuesday.
My Picks: Gay and Morris
Next: Do You Need To Spend On Anthony Davis?
Power Forward:
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis, Pelicans ($10,300): Davis is “only” averaging 40.1 FanDuel points per game in his four games back since missing time with a sore back. That is not enough for what you have to pay for him. Then again, Davis seems to be getting comfortable again, and put up 47.4 on Minnesota Tuesday night. that is above 4x value, which is hard to get at this price.
Paul Millsap, Hawks ($8,700): Millsap is averaging 40.7 FanDuel points over his last ten games, and that is with two of those clocking in at under 30 (29 and 28.4). Millsap is a low risk option because of his upside, even at this price.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Love, Cavaliers ($6,900): Love has been over 30 FanDuel points in all but three games over his last ten. In the ones that he wasn’t, it was against strong interior teams in Washington, San Antonio, and Golden State. Tonight he has a tilt with the Blake Griffin-less Clippers. It looks like a nice matchup for Love.
Ersan Ilyasova, Pistons ($5,800): Ilyasova has averaged 33 FanDuel points per game over his last five games. It looks like he is finally beginning to realize his potential, and is a solid bargain if he can keep it up. He is cruising along at over 5x value right now!
If You’re Cheap:
Darrell Arthur, Nuggets ($4,300): The rotations of the Nuggets can be maddening, which is why I have shied away from Kenneth Faried. The beneficiary seems to be Arthur, who has played more than 20 minutes in every game since January 3rd, and is averaging 21 FanDuel points in that time. That is 5x value at a cheap price, but the Denver rotation makes it a bit of a risk.
My picks: Millsap and Ilyasova
Next: Who Is The Best At C?
Center:
Best Bets:
DeMarcus Cousins, Kings ($10,700): Cousins is the highest price because he is worth it. Cousins has not been below 40 FanDuel points in January, and is averaging a ridiculous 52.5 FanDuel points per game in that span. He is showing no signs of slowing down. Opt not to play him at your own risk.
Honorable Mention:
Andre Drummond, Pistons ($8,800): Yes, I am still bitter about his two missed free throws against the Bulls on Monday that kept me in 7th place in a big tournament when all I needed was for him to hit one of them to move up to fifth. But as we all know, fantasy sports is no place to hold a grudge. Drummond is still a very good producer, putting up 36.3 FanDuel points per game in January. His poor free throw shooting is the only thing keeping him from being on the same level as Cousins.
If You’re Cheap:
Alex Len, Suns ($4,100): Len is back after missing three games with a sprained hand. He put up 20.1 FanDuel points (5x value) against a good Pacers interior in Monday. If you go cheap at center, Len wont lose you value.
My Pick: Cousins
Next: Is Ish Smith The Real Deal?
Good luck out there!