Hoop-Dreaming: DraftKings NBA Plays for Sunday 1-15-17 (Late)
Hoop-Dreaming: DraftKings NBA GPP Plays for Sunday 1-15-17
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.
On DraftKings tonight, there is a 3 game slate starting at 9pm EST. The marquee game of the night features the Oklahoma City Thunder (-1.5) visiting the Sacramento Kings. The game is expected to be fast-paced and high scoring and sports two young stars in Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins.
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
Lately the Sacramento Kings have been experimenting with different combinations at the guard position. At times, Darren Collison ($4,100) and Ty Lawson ($4,000) have started alongside each other while also receiving extended playing time with the other on the bench. Tonight, they will both be needed to defend Russell Westbrook ($12,800) and will see plenty of floor time. Whoever turns the ball over more will likely be receiving less minutes.
It is quite ridiculous how even mentioning Russell Westbrook ($12,800) can seem like a broken record. We are witnessing a truly historic and incredible individual season which may never be duplicated. That being said, his salary has risen to a near astronomical level and he basically needs 78 DraftKings points to hit 6x his salary. I’ll be excited to watch but won’t have much of a personal stake in his performance.
For all the attention that Westbrook receives, Mike Conley ($7,200) seems to constantly fly under the radar. He has hit 6x value in 4 of his last 5 contests and his salary has yet to rise accordingly. Even if tonight is the night that the DFS community gravitates towards him, he is still worth rolling out.
Speaking of being overlooked, Victor Oladipo ($5,600) has the potential to breakout at any moment. His combination of length, speed, and streaky shooting will be well utilized tonight against the Kings. As usual, most of the attention will be on Westbrook which will leave Oladipo under-owned.
Small Forwards and Power Forwards
With Nikola Mirotic out again tonight, the Chicago Bulls will rely on Taj Gibson ($5,500) for production in the paint. The Bulls are on the second night of a back to back set, however Gibson is young (enough) to handle the extra workload.
After 3 abysmal outings, Doug McDermott ($3,900) got back on track last night in New Orleans. He is mired in a shooting slump which made last night’s 3-9 shooting effort seem encouraging. Minutes are king in fantasy sports and the minutes will be there for McDermott. He will snap from the slump eventually.
The majority of attention will be on his teammate DeMarcus Cousins, but Rudy Gay ($6,700) is coming off a great game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is far from consistent and heavily relies on his jumpshot but is a great tournament option for those reasons.
If you’re looking to save salary and differentiate your lineup, and of course you are, then consider Matt Barnes ($3,700). At his salary, he provides upside without much risk in case he produces a clunker of a game. On a small night, those who take the biggest risks often reap the biggest rewards.
Centers – The Men in the Middle
Andre Drummond ($7,800) is a firecracker in terms of daily fantasy performances. Foul trouble, poor free throw shooting, and turnovers lead to ugly outings. However, his ability to rack up rebounds in droves and block shots keep him on the radar every night. He often follows up horrible games with outstanding ones. Against the Los Angeles Lakers frontcourt, Drummond is poised for a huge outing tonight.
The Kings will need a strong performance from their star DeMarcus Cousins ($10,200) in order to keep pace with the Thunder tonight. Cousins has seen his price dip lately despite remaining relatively consistent. He has hit 5x his current salary 60% of the time this year. Cousins has a habit of playing up when faced against another superstar and will lock horns with Russell Westbrook tonight.
How often does a backup player have a higher price than the starter? Not very often, but it is currently happening with Enes Kanter ($5,900) who sees himself slightly higher priced than Steven Adams ($5,600). The Thunder have found a sweet spot for their big men rotation and Kanter is the biggest beneficiary. He will go against DeMarcus Cousins whose defensive game has yet to catch up with his offensive game.
Playing against the Houston Rockets, Marc Gasol ($7,100) did not get the boost in production that we expected to see. However, he was instrumental in leading them to a comeback win. Going against the weak interior of the Chicago Bulls tonight, Gasol is in another positive position to perform.
If you are feeling extra lucky today and need the salary relief, look towards Robin Lopez ($4,000) and Cristiano Felicio ($3,200). Both are extremely volatile with their production but have breakout potential due to their abilities to block shots and make steals inside. They are more likely to have a disappointing game than not which makes them excellent targets on a short slate.