Congratulations to the Pistons and Stan Van Gundy on a stunning comeback in San Antonio to win their sixth straight. They are on some kind of roll. Right until Brandon Jennings $7900 hit that last-second bank shot, I was certain the Spurs would win, and despite the shocking result, remain convinced that Dallas will prevail tonight. Monta Ellis $7200 is reliable and Rajon Rondo $8200 doesn’t have to score to be valuable. Tyson Chandler $6800 will pit his skill and smarts against the youth and athleticism of Andre Drummond $9600.
With almost every team in action tonight, the pendulum swings back from slim pickings to a plethora of choices. Select your 8-man lineup from all 13 games in 7:00 ET contests at DraftKings, focus on five games at 9:00 in Late leagues and/or just three in Later (10:00) offerings. The West is often the best source of DFS value.
Plays of the Day
Open a new account at DK and get a FREE entry for tonight’s $60K Layup — the winner earns $5,000 and 7,600 of 34,500 teams receive cash prizes. Your initial deposit ($5 or more) is matched 100% up to $600 with bonus money, earned a dollar at a time as you play. Compete for higher stakes in the $125K Wednesday Spectacular — $20 to enter, maximum 7,090 teams, top 1,450 get paid and the highest score takes home a cool $20,000.
The 6-sport, $2.7 MILLION January Jam costs $100 per team, but you can win tickets in Satellite contests for $5, $2 or even a quarter. Those tickets let you choose which sport’s Jam final(s) to enter, like the $2 Million NFL Millionaire Maker this coming Saturday, January 10, where someone will win a million bucks. My target is the $500,000 NBA Slam Dunk on January 28. Top prize in that one is $100,000, enough incentive to contribute $2 a day.
J.R. Smith $4400 is dirt cheap — if he makes his Cleveland debut. Trade rules must all be checked off before any of the players involved can suit up. LeBron James is out and Kyrie Irving $8800 (back) doubtful, so it’s Kevin Love $10700 against the Rockets. Tristan Thompson $7000 has a tough battle ahead with Dwight Howard $8600 and James Harden $10200 will be unstoppable. Patrick Beverley $5200 was productive offensively on Monday and Josh Smith $6200 also played well in a loss to the Bulls.
The rule of thumb is six fantasy points per $1000 of salary = 300 FPTS, a very competitive score for your $50K. Anthony Davis $11000 hasn’t ‘earned’ that price in four straight games and may not need to in Charlotte, where a low score seems quite possible.
If the Bucks hadn’t played so hard in defeat last night, I’d like them more in Philly. Brandon Knight $7500 is worth another look but Michael Carter-Williams $9000 and Tony Wroten $6300 might lead an upset. K.J. McDaniels $4900 might have woken up on Monday and Robert Covington $5600 is a well-kept secret.
What’s left of the Knickerbockers must play in Washington tonight and garbage time seems inevitable. John Wall $9800 will slice and dice for as long as he’s needed. Quincy Acy $4100 made my Short List on Monday and double-doubled; though up about 20% in salary, he remains terrific value.
The Celtics have not adjusted well to life after Rondo, including a Dec. 26 home loss to the Nets when Jarrett Jack $6500 was outstanding. JJ will get the start as Deron Williams $5800 (hip) is doubtful. Brook Lopez $7700 is playing much better lately and Joe Johnson $6400 is consistent.
Memphis at Atlanta is an excellent game, perhaps not so much in fantasy. It could be too hard-fought to produce a high score. Zach Randolph $7300 (knee) is possible after missing eight games but Paul Millsap $8700 is the better play. Both Marc Gasol $9300 and Al Horford $6500 are priced right. We have a true tossup between Mike Conley $8300 and Jeff Teague $8300. The Hawks use three guys off the bench — Dennis Schroeder $3500, Pero Antic $3600 and Thabo Sefolosha $3800 — whose real-life contributions exceed their DFS value, but the best bang for the buck is underrated DeMarre Carroll $5600.
The injury report and breaking news are key to the Bulls game. If Derrick Rose $6600 (hip) rests, Aaron Brooks $3700 is a bargain. Taj Gibson $5000 (ankle) and Joakim Noah $7200 (ankle) are ‘probable’, with Nikola Mirotic $5300 gaining value if either is a DNP. Mike Dunleavy $4100 (ankle) is doubtful. Jimmy Butler $8500 and Pau Gasol $9400 might beat the Jazz playing with three guys from the YMCA. Trey Burke $5000 had strep throat on Monday and can’t be 100% recovered.
Ty Lawson $9200 (knee bruise) is probable, Arron Afflalo $5900 is red-hot (27-for-44 in three games) and Jusuf Nurkic $4900 remains way underpriced. Orlando can make it interesting with Nikola Vucevic $8400, Tobias Harris $7000 and Victor Oladipo $5800 all playing well, and rookie Elfrid Payton $5300 gaining responsibility.
It’s a road back-to-back for Phoenix, and Minnesota is desperate to avoid an unlucky 13th consecutive loss. Andrew Wiggins $6400 is looking like a Rookie of the Year, Gorgui Dieng $7300 can outplay both of the Suns’ centers and Thaddeus Young $5900 is a decent price. When Ricky Rubio (ankle) and Kevin Martin (wrist) get back, things will improve up north. Last night Eric Bledsoe $9100 was cold, so Goran Dragic $7400 and Isaiah Thomas $5500 both picked him up and Markieff Morris $6500 was brilliant — 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Though they proved incorrect, maybe the rumors about Reggie Jackson $5100 being traded for Dion Waiters $3900 upset the Thunder on Monday. Kevin Durant $11100 missed 13 of 16 shots, Russell Westbrook $10200 missed 16 of 21 and they lost by 26 to the high-flying Warriors. They can only improve in Sacramento tonight, but DeMarcus Cousins $10700 can be a game-changer when he’s in the mood.
Since a Christmas Day loss in L.A., Golden State is averaging 119 points per game and allowing 95. They might not require individual heroics to beat the Pacers, just their typical unselfish, free-flowing movement. Draymond Green $8500 is a fantasy all-star and Harrison Barnes $5300 broke out of a slump with 23 points on Monday.
The Staples Center belongs to the Clippers but Kobe Bryant $8800 will try to keep his co-tenant Lakers in the nightcap. It was all Blake Griffin $10100 when they last met on October 31 — 39 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST — and neither Ed Davis $5100 nor Carlos Boozer $5600 has a hope of stopping him.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9700 | Jarrett Jack $6500 | Patrick Beverley $5200 |
| SG | James Harden $10200 | Jimmy Butler $8500 | J.R. Smith $4400 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $11100 | Tobias Harris $7000 | C.J. Miles $5000 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $10100 | Nikola Mirotic $5300 | Quincy Acy $4100 |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins $9500 | Nikola Vucevic $8400 | Jusuf Nurkic $4900 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.