Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – Friday, January 4th: Buy George!

Welcome to the first edition of Yahoo NBA DFS GPP Picks from FantasyCPR. I have recently written some content for NFL and PGA on Yahoo Fantasy, and with they buzz they have recently created for their product my hope is that more and more of you will eventually venture over there. 

In this almost daily piece, I will go over some players to target for the guaranteed prize pool (GPP) tournaments for today’s Yahoo NBA action. They will be broken down into tiers, and I will highlight my top plays position by position. Following all the targets on the last slide, will be the FantasyCPR staple sample lineup.

Writing this article for me will be fun because I love playing on Yahoo. I was writing cash plays for FanDuel, but I have to admit I was not doing great over there, and having a really hard time adjusting to their new drop score format. If I don’t want to play there anymore, I definitely do not want to write about it. Our guy Thunder Dan does a great job with the FanDuel GPP plays, and he has you covered there, and with Yahoo gaining steam in the industry, I will happily make the switch. I will still cover PGA for FanDuel, and will finish the NFL season, but personally I am done playing NBA there.

So the good thing about these GPP’s on Yahoo first of all is the fees. They had been running free money guaranteed tournaments through the Holidays, but those appear to be gone for the time being. They do have a $10 no management fee tournament nightly. Any tourney with no rake is a plus, but make it a 10-max and cap it and 10,000 entries and it is absolutely perfect in my opinion. If you like to multi-enter but not an insane amount, this site is for you. Even the $.25 GPP’s are 10-max, so there is fun to be had for all bankrolls.

Before we get to the targets for today, let’s take a quick look at tonight’s 10-game slate, and see if we can get an idea of what to expect tonight.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – Slate Overview

Looking at this massive slate, the first thing I notice right away is that I am going to want some pieces from both late games, as is usually the case. The Lakers will host the Knicks, and the Los Angeles will continue to be without LeBron James who is already ruled out. Kyle Kuzma also injured his back on Wednesday and his status is up in the air for this one. If we get word he is ruled out early enough, there will be plenty of Lakers value to sort through.

In the other late game, the Trail Blazers will host the Thunder, and this should may be my overall favorite game to target. Russell Westbrook is always in play but this is an incredible spot for Paul George, who has been one of the best players in the NBA as of late. Both teams are 7-3 in their last 10 games, so my guess is this one comes down to the wire.

Everyone’s favorite Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in action tonight as well, as the Hawks will travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks. While the over/under is high at 230.5, there is no chance this game stays close. The Bucks are currently 14-point favorites, and I bet that will be an even larger margin by the time this is published. Normally I do not put much credence into potential blowouts, but they can have some merit at times. With 10 games on the slate, and much better spots elsewhere, this is one of those times, and this whole game is a fade for me if possible.

Last but not least, we have another game to target out west, as the Suns will host the Clippers. These teams in December, and went to overtime where the Clippers came out on top 123-119. This one boasts a game total of over 230, so it should offer some fantasy goodness.

There are plenty of awesome individual targets today as well, so it won’t be all about the stacks tonight. Without further ado, let’s get to those targets!

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – 1/4/19

Point Guard:

High Tier – Russell Westbrook – $52

For a 10-game slate, the initial thought would be how am I going to decide between all of these studs tonight? Surprisingly, I don’t think it is too tough tonight, as there are only three players over $50 in my sites tonight, and it should be easy to roster at least two of them.

For me it all starts with OKC, and Russell Westbrook. OKC has been hot, and Russ and Paul George have both been playing lights out over the last week or so. Westbrook notched his second straight triple-double on Wednesday, posting 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists which was good for 56.2 YP’s (Yahoo Points). He has also eclipsed 60 YP’s in two of his last four games, and I think it is safe to expect between 50 and 60 here once again against Portland.

Mid Tier – Terry Rozier – $17

Early news is good news when it comes to NBA injury reporting. We found out early that Kyrie Irving would miss Wednesday game with Minnesota with a scratched cornea, and he has already been ruled out for tonight’s action against Dallas. That means Terry Rozier will pick up another start and will likely play solid minutes, as he was able to post 43.1 YP’s against the Wolves on Wednesday. This is chalk I don’t want to fade below $20, and I will likely have a ton of Rozier tonight.

Low Tier – Dennis Smith Jr. – $11 

DSJ has had a rough year. He recently returned from a wrist injury about a week ago, and finally showed some life against the Hornets in Wednesday’s blowout. He only played 22 minutes which is a little bothersome considering his minutes are trending the wrong way since his return, but he scored 18 actual points and was able to finish with 35.5 YP’s, crushing value. I personally am wondering why the minutes are at less than 25, when he was he played closer to 30 in his first two games back. Either way, still at near minimum price, DSJ figures to be at least slightly popular tonight.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – 1/4/19

Shooting Guard:

High Tier – Devin Booker – $39

I think we are going to see a ton of Brad Beal ownership tonight, and every night the Wizards play for that matter as long as John Wall is out, but I don’t think he is the right play if you are spending up at shooting guard. The Wizards will play the Heat in Miami, and with a game total of just 214, this projects to be one of the slower games on the slate. I would much rather pivot to a cheaper Devin Booker today, and get some exposure to that Suns/Clippers game, which boasts a nice 231 game total.

Mid Tier – Josh Hart – $16

I will likely be paying down here at shooting guard for the most part, and Lakers value is going to be the theme. We know The King is out, but if Kyle Kuzma is forced to miss this game as well then we could get some really cheap Lakers playing big minutes. Regardless of the status of Kuzma, Josh Hart is a near lock for me.

Hart is a guy that has seemed to excel when filling in for injured players, but he has always been an afterthought when this team is healthy. In the last three games, Hart has eclipsed 30 YP’s, while playing between 34-39 minutes per game. He finally got a price bump up from the minimum $10, so my hope is that most pass on him. A short-handed Lakers team against an abysmal Knicks team should be an interesting, high-scoring game, and I certainly will at least target the Lakers value here.

Low Tier – Alec Burks – $12

Burks struggled on Wednesday against the Heat, but he had really been consistent for a solid couple of weeks before the recent dud. He was consistently playing minutes in the high 20’s and putting up decent numbers for a near minimum price player. The problem is, Burks is pretty much just a shooter, and that doesn’t help those bottom line fantasy numbers being a one-trick pony. However, the Cavaliers will welcome the Utah Jazz to Cleveland tonight, a team who he spent his first eight seasons in the NBA with everyone’s favorite revenge narrative to consider.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – 1/4/19

Small Forward:

High Tier – Paul George – $50

“By George I think we’ve got it!” I have no idea why I think of that stupid quote every time I want to play Paul George, but we’re all a little weird like that so no big deal. Anyways, PG-13 finally gained some elite status on Yahoo by joining the $50 club. It is amazing to me that “other” sites continue to price him lower than he should be, with the season he is having to this point. I am not going to say much on George here, other than the fact that the Trail Blazers will likely have a tough time stopping his game, and I don’t care if he was $55 today I would still play him.

Mid Tier – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – $12

There really isn’t a whole lot to choose from in this mid-tier here today, so let’s dig up two solid values instead. Caldwell-Pope will be more of a play if Kuzma misses this game, as he was the player who filled the void and started the second half after Kuzma left Wednesday’s game with an injured back. He filled in admirably, scoring 25 points and notching 36.6 YP’s in 34 minutes of action. It was only the third time KCP has played over 30 minutes in a game this season, but tonight will likely be his fourth with if Kuzma is forced to miss.

Low Tier – Derrick Jones Jr. – $11

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has given some run to Jones Jr. over the last two games, and after the game on Wednesday against Cleveland, admitted that Jones has now taken Wayne Ellington‘s place in the immediate rotation. It started against the Timberwolves five days ago, when Jones was able to muster up 31.8 YP’s in just 25 minutes of action. He followed that by playing 31 minutes in the destruction of the Cavs on Wednesday, and cracked the 30 YP threshold once again. I think I like KCP a hair more as this one seems a bit riskier, but if Kuzma plays for the Lakers this is my quick pivot.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – 1/4/19

Power Forwards:

High Tier – Giannis Antetokounmpo – $55

Proceed with caution. I never thought I would say that about the Greek Freak, but do the Hawks have any shot of staying in this game? The Bucks could possibly be the best team in the NBA, as winners of eight of their last 10 games. What is interesting to me is about this, is that they have done it with Antetokounmpo playing over 35 minutes in a game just twice in that span. My point here is that what they are doing is working to win games as far as their rotation goes, so why play Giannis any extra minutes that aren’t necessary.

This looks likes a great recipe for a team that wants to win a championship, but it may hurt Giannis’ overall fantasy ceiling on a daily basis depending on opponent. He can do plenty of damage in three quarters or even a half for that matter so I am not saying he is a complete fade, but I think his ceiling is very limited in this situation.

Mid Tier – Noah Vonleh – $21

While Enes Kanter has fallen out of favor in New York once again, newcomers Noah Vonleh and Kevin Knox continue to improve, and look like they actually want to be out there. This price is pretty fair, but the way Vonleh has been getting after it on the glass over the last six games has me interested. In games that have stayed somewhat close in that span, he has played right around 35 minutes per night, and is locking up double-double’s in points and rebounds consistently. If I need a forward in this price range, I will likely be going here tonight.

Low Tier – Jeff Green – $16

We know John Wall is out, now news has broken overnight that Markieff Morris will also be out 4-6 weeks, and leaves the Wizards in a short-handed situation similar to the one the Lakers are in. If the Wizards were not playing the Heat, this would be value stack city, but I am curbing my expectations a bit on this one. Green should be locked into 30+ minutes though, and he will shoot when he has the opportunity. Trevor Ariza is likely the better forward play from this team, but not for $5 more in my opinion.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – 1/4/19

Centers:

High Tier – Nikola Vucevic – $41

Vucci Mane versus the big KAT in Minnesota tonight, and with all the Minnesota injuries, I am actually surprised I didn’t make this article all about them tonight. Both centers look like great options tonight, as both have been solid as of late. Neither defend very well either, so this could very well have the makings of monster games for both. With Vucevic being $8 cheaper than Towns, this seems like a no-brainer to me. He has been kind of sporadic as far as YP’s go, but has gone 40+ in four of the last five games, including that massive 74 YP game against the Raptors right before the New Year. Towns has been better without a doubt, but I think Robert Covington being out will hurt this team tremendously.

Mid Tier – Thomas Bryant – $20

Wizards players are getting price bumps finally, and $20 for Bryant seems a bit absurd. But for another guy likely locked into big minutes, I beg to differ. Bryant is a guy who never really gets run, but has been around a long time. I can remember back when he played for the Lakers, and would come in and dominate, then never play more than 20 minutes. In fact, he is very Boban like in that sense. Either way, Bryant has eclipsed 40+ YP’s in two straight games while playing 35+ minutes, and it seems every time he plays close to 30 minutes or more, he is good for 40+. This price isn’t scaring me off quite yet, as the Wizards just lost another big man in Markieff Morris to injury.

Low Tier – Luke Kornet – $14

It seems as though Yahoo is picking up on bumping up the salaries of the minimum priced guys, slowly but surely. The Knicks have lost eight in a row, and maybe the only bright spot over the last week or so has been the play of Kornet. This could likely be a flash in the pan situation as the Knicks will likely go back to Kanter at some point, but Kornet has managed to be right around 30 YP’s in three straght games.

Yahoo NBA DFS: GPP Picks – Sample Lineup – 1/4/19

The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.” 

PG – Russell Westbrook – $52

SG – Josh Hart – $16

G – Terry Rozier – $17

SF – Paul George – $50

PF – Jeff Green – $16

F – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – $12

C – Thomas Bryant – $20

Util – Luke Kornet – $14

Thank you for giving this a read, and I hope you come back again! You can find me on Twitter with the link at the top of the page. We have TONS of FREE content here from many incredibly talented writers at FantasyCPR, and new stuff to check out constantly. Stick around and come back often as have articles post all throughout the day! Good luck at your grind!