NBA Tournament Plays - Friday, January 30th
What’s up, Grinders?
There are some huge tournaments going on tonight around the industry, so you have plenty of chances to take down the field and land a big payday.
Over on FanDuel, we have the $300K Slam for a $25 entry, the $200 entry Monster with a $125K prize pool, and the $2 Shot, which has a $150K prize pool.
On DraftKings, we have the $300 3-Ball with a $100K prize pool and the $27 Crossover with a $120K prize pool. For you high rollers out there, they also have a $1000 Qualifier to their $2 Million Dollar Live Vegas Final, and a $1060 GPP with a $100k prize pool!
Over on FantasyAces, there is a $109 FABC Qualifier that awards one seat into their $100K live event in Newport Beach later in the season! This is almost sold out so get in RIGHT NOW if you want to play!
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 nine-game slate.
POINT GUARD
Stephen Curry – With so many looking at Kyrie Irving tonight if LeBron sits (for good reason, I like Kyrie as well), you can really separate yourself from the field by taking Curry. The Warriors play Utah on the road and are favored by nine with a 205 O/U. If this game stays close, Curry has as much upside as anyone at the position tonight, and if Kyrie doesn’t go nuts, rostering Steph could really set you apart from the public.
Jarret Jack – Jack is another guy who is going to be low owned tonight as many players focus in on Kyrie. His price has increased some due to his consistent play, and will likely be off the public’s radar. Jack has five 30+ FPT nights in his past six, with two of those being for 40+. Kyle Lowry has given up big games to D.J Augustine, MCW, and Brandon Knight in the past two weeks, and with Jack playing big minutes in close games (38+ in three of last five), could be a low owned player that can get you 40+ tonight.
Other PGs to consider: Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Michael Carter-Williams, Mario Chalmers, Greivis Vasquez
SHOOTING GUARD
James Harden – If you asked me who is the surest bet to put up 50+ FPTS tonight, my answer is Harden. With Dwight Howard out tonight, Harden will be doing everything for the Rockets tonight in Boston. The fact that this game is on the road, should have Boston hanging around in a competitive game. He has a 35% usage rate with Howard not on the floor this season, and with all the other stars banged up tonight, is my clear #1 player to spend on.
Kevin Martin – There are few better matchups on the board tonight than a SG against the Sixers. Martin played 29 minutes in his first game back against Boston, and will likely go overlooked by some tonight after a long injury absence. The Sixers are the easiest matchup for SGs over the past three weeks in our DvP tool, and Martin should have no issue scoring at will tonight. He took 18 shots in his last game, and should light the Sixers up tonight. His price is only going to go up from where it is now, so use him before it gets too high.
Other SGs to consider: Klay Thompson, Tyreke Evans, Monte Ellis, DeMar DeRozan, Eric Gordon, Jamal Crawford, Danny Granger
SMALL FORWARD
Rudy Gay – Gay has a usage rate of 27.6 on the season when he is not on the floor with Cousins, who is questionable with an ankle injury. The SF position is very weak tonight, with very few guys that won’t kill you chances of winning with a bad game. With Lebron likely out, Gay should have no issues doing anything he desires on offense against Cavs backups, and will be the main offensive weapon should DMC sit. Even if DMC plays, Gay is plenty capable of a great night, as his usage rate drops just slightly to 24.3 when he is on the court with DMC.
Robert Covington – There are very few SFs in the mid-range tonight that you can look at and realistically expect a GPP winning performance from. Covington tops my list for mid-range plays, as he draws the best matchup on the board tonight for SFs over the past three weeks. The Timberwolves play very little defense, which should allow Covington and his well-rounded game to produce easily tonight. He can put up 30+ FPTS anytime he takes the court right now as the second scoring option for the Sixers, and if he gets hot shooting, can get into the 40+FPT range as he will usually have a good amount of rebounds and assists.
Other SFs to consider: Gordon Hayward, Draymond Green, Chandler Parsons, Matt Barnes, PJ Tucker, Joe Ingles
POWER FORWARD
Blake Griffin – Many will breeze past Blake during roster construction tonight, as he will be matched up against Anthony Davis for most of the night. But if you look at the last game these two played against each other, Blake put up a 30 and 7 line, while Davis had one of his most disappointing games of the season. Blake does a little of everything for the Clippers, contributing in points/rebounds/assists every night, playing big minutes, and is likely be under-owned tonight. Davis is also questionable to play tonight, so Blake could get a nice matchup against Ryan Anderson and Alex Ajinca.
Pau Gasol – With Thibs running all of his players into the ground with huge minutes, the Bulls starters have been prone to injuries over the course of the season. Tonight, Jimmy Butler is questionable after playing 49 minutes last night and injuring his knee in the final minutes of a double overtime loss. If Butler sits, Pau becomes a great target with huge upside, and even if Butler plays, he has a great matchup as the Suns have been one of the softest interior defenses all season.
Other PFs to consider: Anthony Davis (if he plays), LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Milsap, Chris Bosh, Jared Sullinger, Thad Young, Nerlens Noel
Editor’s Note: Anthony Davis has been ruled out for tonight’s game.
CENTER
Gorgui Dieng – Dieng looks to be loving his new role as starting PF for the Timberwolves, as Pekovic has returned to play center. The Sixers are the fourth easiest matchup for PFs over the past three weeks on our DvP tool, and giving up the most rebounds per game in that span to the position. Dieng has been a monster on the glass, posting 14+ in three of his past four games, and makes a nice mid-priced option tonight at center.
Hassan Whiteside – The Mavs are simply not the same interior defense we saw to start the season, as the long season takes its toll on Dirk and Chandler. The Mavs are the tenth-best matchup over the past three weeks in our DvP tool, and you simply can’t overlook the upside Whiteside can bring in tournaments. While Chris Anderson is expected back tonight, which will limit Whiteside’s minutes some, Whiteside makes a great GPP target as he has the ability to put up 40+ FPTS even in 25-30 minutes of action.
Other Center’s to consider: DeMarcus Cousins (If he plays), Al Horford, DeAndre Jordan, Joakim Noah, Brook Lopez, Timofey Mozgov