Fantasy Basketball: NBA Draftkings Top Salary Value Plays 1/9/19

DraftKings /

Welcome back everyone to another edition of NBA Draftkings Top Salary Value Plays! We’re back to normal today with a full write up on every player mentioned in the article. Last night was a night where we got ruined by a couple of blowouts so Ben Simmons and Steph Curry did not reach value. But tonight, we’re hoping that doesn’t happen once again. So lets dig in to this 10 game slate and see what salary value we can find. Good luck and cash out!

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 10 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!

NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Damian Lillard vs. Chicago Bulls

Salary: $8,800 – Needs to score 44 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Honestly, I almost wrote up Ben Simmons versus the Washington Wizards once again on back to back nights but we know exactly what happened last night, a blowout. So lets focus on the next best man up which is Damian Lillard. Lillard is currently averaging 26 points, 6 assist, and 4 rebounds per game while averaging around 35 minutes. He has yet to face the Chicago Bulls this season, making this their first match-up but they have history. In 11 games versus the Bulls, Damian Lillard is averaging 22 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. In that small sample size, those are some pretty good numbers to see.

The Chicago Bulls are currently allowing point guards to average 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assist per game. But with their current tank season, Damian Lillard has a nice opportunity to go off and exceed value tonight. He hasn’t been the most consistent when it comes to returning value lately but this is the game he should return to normal form.

Other Valuable Option

D’Angelo Russell vs. Atlanta Hawks

Salary: $7,600 – Needs to score 38 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Mr. Ice in his veins, D’Angelo Russell, has a nice opportunity tonight versus the Atlanta Hawks. Going up against the fastest paced team in the NBA, Russell has too low of a price tag. Averaging 18 points, 6 assist, and 4 rebounds on the season, Russell is the highlight of this Brooklyn Nets team.

The Hawks are allowing point guards to average 22 points, 7 assist, and 5 rebounds per game. Russell has a very small sample size against the Hawks but is averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assist. Russell has returned value in four of his last five games, scoring 43, 55.8, 46, 44.5, and 11.3 fantasy points. This is another top play if you don’t play Damian Lillard or even Ben Simmons once again.

NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Jrue Holiday vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Salary: $7,700 – Needs to score 38.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Jrue Holiday is coming off a game where he just faced his own brother but now he gets to face a pretty crappy and slow, Cleveland Cavaliers. Besides playing at the NBA’s lowest pace of just 99 possessions, the Cavaliers are allowing shooting guards to average 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assist per game. On the season, Jrue Holiday is averaging 21 points, 8 assist, and 4 rebounds. Holiday has faced the Cleveland Cavaliers 23 times in his career, averaging 17 points, 7 assist, and 4 rebounds. The two teams just played four days ago where Holiday recorded 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assist in just 27 minutes.

Jrue Holiday’s salary has been a roller-coaster the past week or so, jumping from the high $8,000 to now, $7,700. He hasn’t returned value since December 19th where he scored 59.8 fantasy points off of his $8,600 salary tag. This is the perfect opportunity for him to bounce back though against this struggling Cleveland Cavaliers.

Other Valuable Options

CJ McCollum vs. Chicago Bulls

Salary: $6,500 – Needs to score 32.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

CJ McCollum has been priced pretty low this season but it’s for good reasons as he is not producing like he once was. Maybe a change in scenery would help him but lets not start rumors now. But tonight he gets to face the tank mode Chicago Bulls who he has a good history against.

On the season, McCollum is averaging 20 points, 3 rebounds, and just 2 assist with a usage rate of 26%. He has faced the Chicago Bulls 7 times in his career, averaging 21 points, 4 assist, and 3 rebounds. The pace between the two teams is only a possession difference with the Trailblazers averaging 103 possessions and the Bulls averaging 102 possessions. McCollum doesn’t have a crazy salary value mark tonight with just 32.5 fantasy points, which he has only exceeded twice in the past five games.

NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Giannis Antetokunmpo vs. Houston Rockets

Salary: $11,100 – Needs to score 55.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokunmpo has the perfect match-up versus the Houston Rockets and Clint Capela, who he puts up great numbers against. On the season, Antetokunmpo is averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assist in just 33 minutes. He has faced the Rockets 10 times in his career, averaging 21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assist. But when he’s facing Clint Capela, he is averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assist. The Rockets are also allowing small forwards to average 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assist per game. This just yells a perfect top, lock play in tonight’s NBA Draftkings slate.

The Milwaukee Bucks have been a very dominating force in the Eastern Conference this season and due to that, Giannis Antetokunmpo gets some time to rest. But he has only returned value in two of his last five games, scoring 72, 42, 48.5, 73.5, and 52.5 fantasy points. But tonight, with the match-up that the Greek Freak has, he should easily be able to exceed the 55.5 fantasy points that matches his salary price tag.

Other Valuable Options

Kyle Kuzma vs. Detroit Pistons

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

Kyle Kuzma finally returned from his injury tag last night and there was obviously no minute restriction with him playing 37 minutes. Kuzma gets to face a Detroit Pistons team that he has only faced twice in his young career, averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assist against. With those two games coming in his rookie year and Lebron James being out, Kuzma should see the same amount of minutes once again.

He is currently averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assist while playing around 33 minutes per game. Before his injury, he was doing well at exceeding his value which he did three in his last five games, scoring 48.3, 42.8, 39.3, 11.3, and 23.8 fantasy points. Since he has returned just last night, we should actually see him back to his full value versus the Detroit Pistons.

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NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Anthony Davis vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Salary: $11,500 – Needs to score 57.5 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Focusing on another big man, Anthony Davis is in play against a team that struggles against big men, even with Tristan Thompson back. Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans get to take on the slow-paced Cleveland Cavaliers in what seems to be a favorable match-up. But one thing we should always watch for and expect is Anthony Davis heading to the locker room, we know it’ll come. On the season, Davis is averaging a strong double double with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assist per game. He has faced the Cavaliers 12 times in his career, averaging a double double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and a nice 2 blocks. In those 12 games, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love were the ones guarding him which means tonight should be something very similar.

On the defensive end of things, the Cavaliers are allowing power forwards to average a double double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. In his previous five games, Anthony Davis has returned value in three of those games, scoring 84.3, 47.3, 82.5, 50, and 67.3 fantasy points. We know exactly what we can get with Anthony Davis, the man is a monster and can easily exceed value but we just need him to stay out of the locker-room and the Cavaliers to keep up with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Other Valuable Options

John Collins vs. Brooklyn Nets

Salary: $7,200 – Needs to score 36 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Once again everyone, big men versus the Brooklyn Nets is a must play, so in play is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are currently playing at the fastest pace of the NBA with 108 possessions per game while the Brooklyn Nets are just playing at a pace of 103 possessions. Collins is currently averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assist per game.

The Nets are also currently allowing power forwards to average 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assist. Just facing the Nets three times in his career, Collins is averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds. He should easily be able to keep up that average tonight versus them. In his past five games, John Collins has only returned value in two of those games, scoring 50.5, 36.5, 27.3, 31.8, and 44.5 fantasy points. If you need a cheaper option at power forward, John Collins is that guy because you know, big men versus Brooklyn is always the option.

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NBA Draftkings – Top Tier

Nikola Vucevic vs. Utah Jazz

Salary: $9,200 – Needs to score 46 fantasy points or more to exceed value

Nikola Vucevic has been a man on a roll lately and he has another good match-up tonight versus the Utah Jazz. Vucevic is currently averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assist per game. He gets to face a Utah Jazz team that is allowing centers to average 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assist per game.

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He has faced this Jazz team 39 times already in his career, averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assist against them. The two teams have already faced off this season where Nikola Vucevic recorded a monstrous double double with 15 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assist. So this low price tag of $9,200 where he just needs 46 fantasy points is too easy.

Nikola Vucevic isn’t as consistent as we need him to be but he has returned value in just three of his last five games, scoring 27.8, 52.5, 39.3, 63, and 44.3 fantasy points. The two teams almost play at the same pace but the Orlando Magic play at a pace of 103 possessions while the Utah Jazz play at 102 possessions per game. If Nikola Vucevic plays the same way he did in their first match-up, we honestly have nothing to worry about and he should do exactly just that.

Other Valuable Options

DeAndre Jordan vs. Phoenix Suns

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

Just like big men versus centers, big men versus the Phoenix Suns is the exact same thing which makes DeAndre Jordan in play at the center position. Jordan is averaging a double double with 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 assist per game. The Phoenix Suns are also allowing centers to average 26 points and 16 rebounds per game.

DeAndre Jordan has also faced the Phoenix Suns 37 times in his career, averaging 8 points and 10 rebounds which is nothing to be overly happy about if thinking about playing him. But in their first meeting this season, Jordan recorded 14 points and 15 rebounds which is something to keep in mind. He has also returned value in two of his last five games, scoring 13, 27.8, 41.3, 24, and 42.8 fantasy points. If you need a cheaper option at the center position, I would shoot with DeAndre Jordan tonight even though he has to match-up against the rookie Deandre Ayton because we saw what Jordan did in their first game.

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