Fantasy Basketball: NBA Draftkings Top Salary Value Plays 1/2/19

NBA Draftkings /

Hey guys! Welcome once again to the Top Salary Value Plays for our 9 game NBA Draftkings slate! Finally after two back to back 5 game slates, we finally get a deeper slate with more valuable plays to dig through. Lets continue the streak and cash out tonight! Good luck!

NBA Draftkings – The Breakdown

So as usually, with any NBA Draftkings slate, we’re going to look at a players stats, usage rate, previous game stats, the opposing teams defensive stats versus the players position, and their salary. A big part of daily fantasy sports is a players salary. We build our lineups around key players and if they are players like Lebron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, or Giannis Antetokounmpo, then they come along with a hefty price tag. We need a player to hit at least five times their value with their salary to make it “worth it” in a sense but what we really want and need is for it to be around six or possibly even seven times their value.

For example, the other night Russell Westbrook was priced at $10,900 versus the New Orleans Pelicans so we needed him to hit 54.50 fantasy points to return five times his value. Sadly, he did not. This is why we’re switching up the article format and trying to dig even deeper with our NBA Slates.

Now we might not always have multiple players (minimum two) discussed at every position on every article because the NBA has the weirdest schedule this season.

Lets not waste any more time and kick off the research for this 9 game NBA Draftkings Slate. As always though, I will be sticking with Draftkings as I rarely play on Fanduel anymore. Good luck and lets cash out! Also don’t forget to participate in the Free Roll on FantasyDraft which FantasyCPR host daily!

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Kemba Walker vs. Dallas Mavericks

Salary: $9,000 – Needs to score 45 fantasy points or more to exceed value

The injury news has been piling up pretty quick for the Charlotte Hornets as Jeremy Lamb is now questionable and Cody Zeller has already been ruled out. Not only is that a plus sign for Kemba Walker, he also has a great match-up with the Dallas Mavericks. With or without a healthy lineup, Walker has been on a different level this season and Charlotte needs to get this man some help before he leaves town.

The Dallas Mavericks are allowing point guards to average 22 points, 8 assist, and 5 rebounds per game, nearing a double double for most point guards. Like previous stated, Kemba Walker is on a different level this season, averaging 26 points, 6 assist, and 4 rebounds per game. Also in 12 games versus the Dallas Mavericks, Walker has averaged 18 points, 5 assist, and 4 rebounds. In his previous five games, Kemba has returned value three times scoring 55, 47, and 64.5 fantasy points. While he has been dominate with Cody Zeller and Jeremy Lamb in the lineup, if both men are out then Kemba Walker could be in for a great night.

Other Valuable Option

Justise Winslow vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Salary: $6,900 – Needs to score 34.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Now Justise Winslow and the Miami Heat get to face the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight and that screams a pretty good opportunity for Winslow. The Cavaliers are allowing point guards to average 24 points, 8 assist and 7 rebounds. Put that on during a lucky night and a point guard could mess around and get a triple double. The Heat and Cavaliers did face off four nights ago where Winslow recorded 52.8 fantasy points along with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assist. Almost the exact stat line that the Cavaliers allow point guards to average.

Justise Winslow has only faced the Cavaliers 7 times, averaging 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assist. If Justise Winslow repeats his performance from the other night, he’ll easily destroy and exceed his value with his price tag of $6,900, which is an increase from the previous game of $5,800.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Bradley Beal vs. Atlanta Hawks

Salary: $8,600 – Needs to score 43 fantasy points or more to exceed value

I’m probably sounding like a broken record now when it comes to the Washington Wizards but they have had a pretty off season and it just got worse late last week when they announced John Wall would be out for an extended period time. But now it’s Bradley Beal time and his usage is only going up, sitting at 27% right now. He has gone two games back to back of returning value also with scoring 54.8 and 42.5 fantasy points, being priced at $7,800 and $7,900

. The Atlanta Hawks are allowing shooting guards to average 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assist per game, nearing what Beal averages per game. On the season, he is averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assist. But the pace of this game could have a huge impact on Bradley Beal’s performance tonight due to the Hawks averaging 108 possessions compared to the Wizards 106 possessions. It can be at such a fast pace that Beal can either have more opportunities to score or the Hawks are having an on night and leave the Wizards behind.

Other Valuable Option

D’Angelo Russell vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Salary: $7,000 – Needs to score 35 fantasy points or more to exceed value

D’Angelo Russell has a great match-up tonight with the New Orleans Pelicans tonight and can easily exceed his value of just 35 fantasy points. Now, he has only exceeded value in two of his last five games where he scored 20.8, 18.8, 39, 28, and 43 fantasy points. The Pelicans allow shooting guards to average 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assist per game. In a small sample size of just 7 games, Russell is averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assist against this New Orleans team.

The two teams also faced off in October where D’Angelo Russell recorded 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assist. If D’Angelo Russell does have the hot hand and continues what he started in his final game in 2018, the 43 fantasy points, then expect him to dominate against this Pelicans team that could also be without Anthony Davis once again.

NBA Draftkings Top Tier

Luka Doncic vs. Charlotte Hornets

Salary: $7,800 – Needs to score 39 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Riding the hot hand, Luka Doncic is set up tonight pretty well if the injury news for the Charlotte Hornets stays true. Being without Jeremy Lamb and Cody Zeller, it leaves Luka Doncic in a prime spot to have a great night once again. Exceeding value in four of his last five match-ups, Doncic has scored 47.8, 50.3, 42.5, 40.3, and 30 fantasy points. On the season, he is averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assist per game.

Charlotte is allowing small forwards to average 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assist per game. This is also Luka Doncic’s very first game against the Charlotte Hornets so we don’t even have a sample size of even one game to go off of. But being a rookie, this Dallas Mavericks young player is looking like a superstar then anything else. We should see him continuing his hot streak and easily exceed his value tonight.

Other Valuable Option

Kyle Kuzma vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Salary: $7,500 – Needs to score 37.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Playing like a true leading forward, Kyle Kuzma has been stepping it up since the injury of Lebron James on Christmas day. Kyle Kuzma has only faced the Oklahoma City Thunder four times in his career and hasn’t averaged the best with just 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assist. But with a year in the books and some mentoring from the King, Lebron James, we should see something different tonight.

On the season, Kuzma is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assist per game and has returned value in three of his past five games. He scored 48.3, 39.5 and 39.3 fantasy points in those games, creating a nice hot streak for him. The Oklahoma City Thunder do allow small forwards to average 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assist per game. So if Kuzma can continue his streak then there is nothing to worry about with him returning value on the NBA Draftkings slate.

NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Julius Randle vs. Brooklyn Nets

Salary: $8,000 – Needs to score 40 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Yes, I used the same exact photo from the last write up because I believe in superstitions, plus big men versus Brooklyn rules everything here. With the news of Anthony Davis being questionable tonight, plus Nikola Mirotic is ruled out, it’s hard to fade Julius Randle once again. Randle has exceeded his salary value in his last three games, scoring 41, 48.8, and 53.8 fantasy points. He is currently averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assist per game.

In 7 games versus the Brooklyn Nets, Julius Randle is averaging a double double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assist. The two teams faced off in October where Randle scored 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assist. He will need more tonight though to return value but just watch the injury news but even if Anthony Davis plays tonight, Julius Randle should still see enough usage and court time to return his value.

Other Valuable Option

Jayson Tatum vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Salary: $6,300 – Needs to score 31.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Surprisingly, Jayson Tatum is our first true low salary play in this article but it comes with good reason. He gets to face a Minnesota Timberwolves team that he already played well against early this season but they also allow power forwards to average 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assist per game. On December 1st, facing the Timberwolves, Jayson Tatum recorded 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assist. Tatum and the Celtics have had a weird season where the spotlight isn’t just on Tatum this time, with the return of Kyrie Irving, but they are making a run for the top spot in the East.

Tatum has been able to average 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assist so far on the season while seeing around 31 minutes on the court. Both, Boston and Minnesota, play at a medium pace with Boston being at 103 possessions and Minnesota being at 104 possessions per game. This match-up most likely won’t get too out of hand where Tatum will lose opportunities and he should be able to hit his value mark of 31.5 fantasy points.

NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Joel Embiid vs. Phoenix Suns

Salary: $10,600 – Needs to score 53 fantasy points or more to exceed value

What is better then big men facing Brooklyn? Joel Embiid being healthy and facing the Phoenix Suns. Embiid returned to the lineup last night versus the Los Angeles Clippers but now gets an easier match-up but it’ll be hard to do what he did. Embiid recorded a double double with 28 points and 19 rebounds. Besides exceeding value last, the two games before that, Embiid scored 61.3 and 60.5 fantasy points.

More from FanSided

In 5 games versus the Phoenix Suns, Embiid is averaing 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assist. On the season, he is averaging a double double with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assist, close to what the Suns are allowing centers to average against. That stat line for centers versus the Phoenix Suns is 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assist. We should be pretty confident in what Joel Embiid will do against this Phoenix Suns team, but the one downside could be that this game could turn in to a blowout.

Other Valuable Option

Marc Gasol vs. Detroit Pistons

Salary: $7,400 – Needs to score 37 fantasy points or more to exceed value

If you aren’t willing to pay the price for Joel Embiid or want to risk that game being a blowout, Marc Gasol has a pretty good opportunity versus the Detroit Pistons tonight. With a nice sample size versus the Pistons, Gasol has returned value in four of his last five games, scoring 31.5, 42.8, 48.3, 38.8, and 42.5 fantasy points and can easily continue that streak. Also in 19 games versus them, Marc Gasol averages 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assist.

The two teams have yet to face each other this season so we should be in store for a good one. Marc Gasol is almost averaging a double double this season with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assist. The defense of the Detroit Pistons are allowing centers to average 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assist per game. So at a cheaper price, Marc Gasol may be able to return value a lot easier then Joel Embiid and with less risk of a blowout as these two teams play at a similar pace.

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