NBA Tournament Plays: Friday, January 16th
There are some huge tournaments going on tonight around the industry – there’s the $225K Slam on FanDuel for a $25 entry, the $200 entry Monster with a $100K prize pool, and the $2 Shot, which has a $150K prize pool.
Over on DraftKings, we have the $300 3-Ball with a $110K prize pool and the $27 Crossover with a $120K prizepool. For you high rollers out there, they also have a $1000 Qualifier to their $2 Million Dollar Live Vegas Final!
On FantasyAces, there is a $109 FABC Qualifier that awards one seat into their $100K live event in Newport Beach later in the season!
It’s a great time to be a player in the NBA DFS landscape, and with so much money to be won tonight, let’s jump right into some GPP plays for the upcoming 13-game slate.
POINT GUARD
Michael Carter-Williams – MCW is going to have a big night if Wroten sits again. Without Tony Wroten, his usage rate climbs considerably, as he is the only ball handler the Sixers can trust. He played 41 minutes and put up 43+ FPTS in his last game with Wroten out, and should see that again in what should be a much closer matchup than anticipated, considering both Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis look very doubtful to play for the Pelicans. The price is also reasonable around the industry, as MCW had a few bad games in the past two weeks.
Rajon Rondo – You are not going to win a GPP on a huge slate like tonight without two PGs that absolutely fill the stat sheet. Rondo should be fresh since he was rested last game, and he gets an enticing matchup at home against the Nuggets. The Nuggets have been struggling defensively over the past three weeks, clocking in as the fifth worst team in our DvP rankings in that span against PGs. Rondo can stuff the stat sheet in every category and should be relatively low owned tonight.
Other PGs to consider: Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, John Wall, Mo Williams, Shaun Livingston
SHOOTING GUARD
Tyreke Evans – If Jrue and Davis both sit tonight, Tyreke is in line for a monster night. He took over the starting PG spot in his last game and nearly had a triple-double with an 18-8-9 line. He saw a minutes bump as well, playing 40 minutes, nearly six minutes over his season average. As if you needed any more reasons, he gets to take on the Sixers tonight, who are the fifth worst against PGs (which is what Tyreke will be tonight if Holiday remains out) in our DvP tool on the season, and second worst over the past three weeks. He will be a very popular pick, but I won’t be fading him, as everything is pointing to a huge performance.
Eric Gordon – See Tyreke Evans above! With both Jrue and Davis looking very unlikely to play, I have no issues stacking the Pelicans backcourt tonight. Gordon is reasonably priced, and should see a few extra shots with both of those guys out. The Sixers are the worst team at defending the SG position this season, giving up over 41 FPTS a game to opposing SGs.
Other SGs to consider: Eric Bledsoe, Klay Thompson, Monta Ellis, Bradley Beal, Jamal Crawford, Wayne Ellington
SMALL FORWARD
LeBron James – It looks like LeBron decided over his injury break that he is going to start taking over offensively. He has 33 and 36 actual points in his past two games, and even on a back-to-back against the Clippers (no travel – they were in LA last night vs. the Lakers), he is my top target at SF tonight. Durant is very similarly priced, and makes a great top tier option as well, but I’m leaning toward LeBron.
Andrew Wiggins – Wiggins has scored 20 or more actual points in seven of his last eight games, while averaging just over 38 minutes in his last five. With the Timberwolves struggling to maintain a healthy roster, there is simply no one to compete with Wiggins for minutes and shots right now. His price has risen, but is still a tad under what it should be right now for a player putting up these solid numbers. With both of these teams in the top-six in pace, this game should provide ample opportunity for Wiggins to shine.
Other SFs to consider: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Gordon Hayward, C.J. Miles, Wesley Johnson (with no Kobe), K.J. McDaniels
POWER FORWARD
Ryan Anderson – Anderson is likely to be thrust into the starting lineup tonight against the Sixers, who give up the second most three-pointers per game in the NBA. Pair that with Anderson having the 11th most three-pointers made this season, and you have a top-tier GPP play, as Anderson should easily see 30+ minutes if Davis sits. The Sixers also are the worst ranked team (on our DvP tool here on RotoGrinders) at limiting FPTS to the PF position. A perfect storm is brewing tonight for Anderson to easily outproduce his season averages.
Taj Gibson – Noah has been declared out for the Bulls tonight, which means you need to take a hard look at Gibson. Taj has shown big upside this year when put into the starting lineup, and should have no issue dominating a weak Celtics interior defense, which ranks third worst in our DvP tool against PFs this season. Both Taj and Anderson will be very popular tonight due to their price and uptick in minutes, so you may want to consider fading one or both of them at the PF spot and instead roll with some of the names below.
Other PFs to consider: Blake Griffin, Pau Gasol, Zach Randolph, Greg Monroe, Derrick Favors, Markieff Morris, Kenneth Faried, Marreese Speights, J.J. Hickson
CENTER
DeMarcus Cousins – If you are playing multiple lineups in a GPP tonight, you would be crazy to not have some DMC exposure. He has back-to-back-to-back 60 FPT games, and even with plenty of star power available tonight, he is easily my highest projected scorer. The Kings will likely be without Rudy Gay, which should increase DMC’s contributions across the board. With many players opting for value centers tonight, DMC can really set you apart if he puts up another huge performance.
Alex Len – Len has been flying under the radar over the past two weeks, and has clearly earned his starting spot in the Suns rotation. He has played 29, 31, and 37 minutes over his past three games, and has two 30+ FPT nights in that span. A matchup against the Timberwolves is not scary, as they are the ninth worst team over the past three weeks against centers on our DvP tool. He should be much lower owned than Kaman/Whiteside/Nurkic, while giving you just as many if not more minutes tonight in a good matchup.
Other Centers to consider: Marc Gasol (especially if Conley is out), DeAndre Jordan, Gorgui Dieng, Tyson Chandler, Mason Plumlee, Rudy Gobert, Chris Kaman