NBA First Look: Thursday, January 29th
There are four games on the schedule for Thursday night.
| HOME | AWAY | VEGAS LINE | VEGAS TOTAL | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando (15-33) | Milwaukee (23-22) | MIL -4 | 207.0 | 7:00 pm EST |
| Indiana (16-31) | New York (9-37) | IND -8 | 184.5 | 8:00 pm EST |
| Memphis (33-12) | Denver (19-27) | MEM -11 | 200.0 | 8:00 pm EST |
| L.A. Lakers (12-34) | Chicago (30-17) | CHI -8.5 | 194.5 | 10:30 pm EST |
Milwaukee
Matchup Preview vs. Orlando:
Pace of Play: 96.2 (Rank: 15)
Points Allowed Per Game: 101.7
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 24
Rebounding Differential Rank: 29
Targets:
Brandon Knight (FD: $7300, DK: $7200 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 26.3)
The Magic have quickly turned into one of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA over the last few weeks. That’s great news for the Bucks’ fantasy appeal. Knight is affordable and offers great upside against the Magic, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to point guards this season.
Khris Middleton (FD: $5500, DK: $5200 / MPG: 25 / Usage Rate: 18.3)
Middleton has now scored at least 23 fantasy points in six of his last nine games. He has proven to have a higher floor than Giannis Antetokounmpo and he has just as high of a ceiling. He offers good value at small forward against the Magic.
Zaza Pachulia (FD: $5500, DK: $4600 / MPG: 23 / Usage Rate: 18.9)
Ersan Ilyasova left the game early the other night and may end up missing some time. That may open a few extra minutes for Pachulia down low. He has been very productive as a starter this season and he draws an elite matchup against the Magic, who are ranked 29th against centers and 25th in rebounding differential.
Orlando
Matchup Preview vs. Milwaukee:
Pace of Play: 96.3 (Rank: 14)
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.2 (Rank: 4)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 2
Rebounding Differential Rank: 20
Targets:
Nikola Vucevic (FD: $9100, DK: $8600 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 25.5)
Vucevic has been on a tear over his last four games. While his price has come up across the industry, he draws a favorable matchup against a short-handed Bucks frontcourt.
Victor Oladipo (FD: $7000, DK: $7000 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 24.3)
Oladipo has really excelled in the up-tempo offense that the Magic are running. He has scored at least 30 fantasy points in six of his last ten games.
Elfrid Payton (FD: $6000, DK: $5600 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 18.3)
Payton has slowly morphed from a tournament-only play to a reliable cash game play. He has scored at least 25 fantasy points in each of his last 10 games and is seeing all of the playing time that he can handle.
New York
Matchup Preview vs. Indiana:
Pace of Play: 95.7 (Rank: 19)
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.3 (Rank: 7)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 10
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5
Targets:
Langston Galloway (FD: $4800, DK: $4300 / MPG: 28 / Usage Rate: 20.7)
The Knicks draw a tough matchup against the Pacers, but there are two terrific value plays to target in this one. Galloway has been terrific as a starter, averaging close to 30 fantasy points per game.
Jason Smith (FD: $4200, DK: $3900 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 20.4)
Smith has also excelled as a starter, scoring at least 24 fantasy points in four of his last five games. At his price point, he’s close to a must start tonight, even against the tough frontcourt of the Pacers.
Indiana
Matchup Preview vs. New York:
Pace of Play: 92.8 (Rank: 29)
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.6 (Rank: 20)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 28
Rebounding Differential Rank: 26
Targets:
David West (FD: $6500, DK: $6300 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 22.5)
West is a very reliable fantasy option every time he takes the floor. He’s basically a lock for 25+ fantasy points. He has the ability to fill up all areas of the stat sheet and is a strong play against the Knicks.
C.J. Watson (FD: $4300, DK: $4300 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 18.2)
Watson has scored at least 22 fantasy points in three of his last four games. With George Hill on a minutes restriction, Watson will continue to see 25-30 minutes of action per game.
Denver
Matchup Preview vs. Memphis:
Pace of Play: 94.2 (Rank: 27)
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.1 (Rank: 3)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 11
Rebounding Differential Rank: 16
Targets: None – This will be a pace-down game for the Nuggets. The Grizzlies are ranked third in points allowed per game this season and the Nuggets are playing in the second half of back-to-back road games.
Memphis
Matchup Preview vs. Denver:
Pace of Play: 98.5 (Rank: 4)
Points Allowed Per Game: 104.1 (Rank: 26)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 23
Rebounding Differential Rank: 8
Targets:
Zach Randolph (FD: $8600, DK: $8200 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 23.8)
Randolph has been on a tear over his last ten games. Not only has he scored at least 35 fantasy points in eight of those games, but he’s recorded a double-double in all ten. He should dominate the interior defense of the Nuggets.
Marc Gasol (FD: $8400, DK: $8000 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 25.1)
Gasol has taken a backseat to Randolph offensively, but he still has the ability to fill up all areas of the stat sheet. He also draws a favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the 6th most fantasy points to centers this season.
Beno Udrih (FD: $4200, DK: $3200 / MPG: 19 / Usage Rate: 19.8)
If Mike Conley is unable to suit up in this one, Udrih would become the premier value play on the short Thursday slate.
Chicago
Matchup Preview vs. L.A. Lakers:
Pace of Play: 97.2 (Rank: 9)
Points Allowed Per Game: 106 (Rank: 29)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 29
Rebounding Differential Rank: 21
Targets:
Derrick Rose (FD: $7200, DK: $7600 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 31)
Although he spells his name wrong (obviously the correct spelling is D-E-R-E-K), Rose makes a fine fantasy option against the Lakers. Not only is he playing his best basketball in the last couple of season, but the Lakers have allowed more fantasy points to point guards than any other team this season.
Pau Gasol (FD: $9500, DK: $9300 / MPG: 35 / Usage Rate: 24.1)
Gasol continues to have a very high floor. He really has been one of the best big men in the East this season. He should be able to dominate the paint against the Lakers. Plus, Gasol will likely have a lot of fans in Los Angeles, as he helped them win a couple of championships.
Joakim Noah (FD: $6500, DK: $6300 / MPG: 30 / Usage Rate: 14.3)
Noah finally broke out of his slump with a big fantasy outing against the Warriors. Hopefully that game was a sign of things to come, as Noah says this is the healthiest he has felt all season. He offers good value at his discounted price point.
L.A. Lakers
Matchup Preview vs. Chicago:
Pace of Play: 95.7 (Rank: 19)
Points Allowed Per Game: 99.4 (Rank: 15)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 12
Rebounding Differential Rank: 7
Targets:
Wayne Ellington (FD: $4800, DK: $4600 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 16.7)
Ellington’s price has come up after his big game against the Wizards. I’m not sure that I want to pay close to $5,000 for him even in a short slate, but with all of the injuries on the Lakers, he is going to see all of the minutes that he can handle.
Jordan Clarkson (FD: $3700, DK: $3800 / MPG: 14 / Usage Rate: 20.5)
Clarkson is one of the top value plays on the board on Thursday. He is coming off of a big game against the Wizards and the Lakers are trying to see if he is a part of their future. He should see big minutes against the Bulls, who have been average against point guards this season.