Hoop-Dreaming: DraftKings NBA Plays for Sunday 1-8-17
Hoop-Dreaming: DraftKings NBA GPP Plays for Sunday 1-8-17
Thanks for clicking! I am going to be breaking down tonight’s DraftKings NBA action and discussing the various picks that are aimed to help win some money on DraftKings. The picks are mainly geared for GPP tournaments and will carry more risk but also offer more reward. After all, we are seeking to have one of our tickets be the winner amongst hundreds of thousands of other entries.
We have a relatively short slate tonight on DraftKings with only 4 games counting towards the contests starting at 8pm EST. The only game with a low total is the Utah Jazz at the Memphis Grizzlies (-3) with a projected total of 187.5. This is not surprising considering that these are two of the slowest paced teams in the league. The most entertaining game tonight should be in northern California with the Sacramento Kings hosting the Golden State Warriors (-11.5) and this is also the game with the highest point total of 224.
Of course, there are always injuries which will open the door for some players to significantly outperform their salary. Make sure and check Fantasy CPR for other helpful NBA articles. Also, don’t forget to look for lineup changes periodically throughout the day and especially before tipoff. Let’s take a look at tonight’s games.
Point Guards and Shooting Guards
Darren Collison ($4,700) has had a couple of nice outings in his three games. He sandwiched a clunker between games of 41 and 30.8 fantasy points this week. A matchup at home with the Warriors should allow Collison plenty of opportunity to perform similarly. For all the positives that he brings to the table, Steph Curry is quite possibly the weakest defensive link on the Warriors.
Speaking of the reigning two-time MVP, Steph Curry ($9,000) has also had a boost in his production over the last two games with 53.3 and 58.5 fantasy points. His backcourt mate Klay Thompson ($6,400) has been quietly lurking and hanging at roughly 4x value his last couple games after averaging 39.4 over the previous 3 contests. On a small slate, streaky players such as Thompson could be the difference in lineup configuration that is needed.
Kyrie Irving ($8,200) has returned from injury and does not seem to be hindered on the court. Since resting, Irving has dropped 62.8 and 47.3 fantasy points in his last two outings. The Phoenix Suns are a young team and are especially young at the guard positions which should benefit Kyrie. Eric Bledsoe ($6,900) and Devin Booker ($6,200) are worth looks as well since the game is expected to be uptempo and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be short-handed at the wing until Kyle Korver joins them.
Small Forwards and Power Forwards
In case you missed it, LeBron James ($10,200) has been averaging just under 55 fantasy points over his last 6 contests. Some of these games have taken place with either Kevin Love ($8,000) or Kyrie Irving sitting out, and sometimes with both of them resting. LeBron shouldn’t have any trouble with the Phoenix forwards and is in position to deliver another strong performance tonight.
Kevin Love ($8,000) could be used to stretch the floor tonight and the Phoenix Suns are ill-equipped to handle Love if he finds himself open on the receiving end of a LeBron James assist. He is just as likely to drain an open 3 pointer as he is to find a teammate for a better look. Love is more of a flier at this price but the lineup differentiation might make him worth rostering.
Draymond Green ($7,500) has been relatively consistent over the last 3 weeks. He has scored 40+ fantasy points in 6 of his last 9 games. Rudy Gay is not a strong defender and the Kings will be hard-pressed to keep tabs on Green in this game. He should be able to slide in for rebounds, be versatile on defense, and score when the opportunity arises.
Aaron Gordon ($5,600) has seen his salary rise along with his production over the last week. He has had games of 41, 32, and 38 fantasy points in his last 3 games. He will most likely be highly owned tonight due to his matchup and current hot streak. Gordon could be a fade play but his salary might be too tempting for some.
Centers – The Men in the Middle
DeMarcus Cousins ($10,800) will look to keep his consistency going tonight and has the benefit of going against Zaza Pachulia instead of the previous stalwart Andrew Bogut when the Warriors visit. He has averaged over 51 fantasy points a game over his last 7 games and that includes a 30 fantasy point outing against the Miami Heat. Cousins is playing some the best basketball of his career and will be heavily relied upon tonight.
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Nikola Vucevic ($6,800) was on a nice streak until his last couple outings of 32 and 26.5 fantasy points. Prior to that, Vucevic had averaged 41 fantasy points in a 3 game stretch. The Los Angeles Lakers frontcourt is not imposing and Vucevic is in a preferred position of decreased performance going into a positive matchup. Perhaps people will remember his recent stretch and forget about what preceded it. Vucevic is definitely a flier in tournaments tonight.
Marc Gasol ($7,000) is playing well and has scored 41.5, 43, and 35.8 fantasy points over his last 3 games. This may make one’s eyeballs pop up, however, these 3 games were against the Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors, respectively. All 3 of those opponents play at a significantly higher pace than tonight’s game against the Jazz. Gasol should see a dip in production due to less possessions in the game, but on a short slate he might be the difference for an elite lineup.
Thanks for reading and best of luck tonight!
Best of luck tonight and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter for all the late breaking lineup news and roster updates.