Hope you cashed at DraftKings last night. Most winning teams had Kevin Durant $10700, Russell Westbrook $10200 and Kawhi Leonard in their lineups, but Dion Waiters $5000 (1-9) and Serge Ibaka $6900 (foul trouble) were costly mistakes.
Tonight there are a dozen games to choose from, instead of just two. Every day is a whole new DFS season with a unique set of challenges. A score of 250 fantasy points, very profitable yesterday, is unlikely to get a sniff this evening. Seven superstars have salaries above $10000, but for various reasons, you could use none of them and aim for a balanced roster instead.
Plays of the Day
Open a new DK account and get a FREE entry for the $65K Layup — the top score earns $5,000 and 8,375 of 37,375 teams receive cash prizes. They will match your initial deposit 100% ($5 to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash as you play.
The Fantasy Basketball World Championship has a million dollar first prize, to be awarded March 23. There are only 40 seats in the Final; finish first in a Qualifier to win a spot, including a 5-day VIP trip to Las Vegas (worth $55,000) plus $7,000 in cash, even for last place! Join a Super Satellite contest tonight for just $2.00 where you can get into an upcoming $20 Qualifier by finishing first or second among a mere 23 teams.
The $2.7 MILLION January Jam costs $100 per team, but you can win tickets in Satellite contests for $5, $2 or even a quarter. The $500,000 NBA Slam Dunk on January 28 has a top prize of $100,000.
The Thunder rolls into Washington after sweeping the Florida teams. It’s the third game in four nights for Durant, Westbrook and company, who might also be looking ahead to Atlanta on Friday. The Wizards are a slight favorite; John Wall $9200 should be inspired but Marcin Gortat $5900 offers more bang for the buck and Paul Pierce $4500 can still turn it on in big games.
A rematch between the Rockets and Warriors makes the second half of the national TV doubleheader even better. The league’s best backcourt led the way to a 131-106 rout in Houston on Saturday and Klay Thompson $7700 had a career-high five blocks while holding James Harden $10800 to just 12 points. Unless Kevin McHale has some new tactics up his sleeve, this one could be similar. Stephen Curry $10200 is too good for Patrick Beverley $5200 to slow down. Dwight Howard $7900 is a good bet for a double-double.
Complacency is the main obstacle for the Hawks as they seek a 14th consecutive win. The Pacers have dropped five straight and opposing guards are killing them, so Jeff Teague $8200 could run wild. Hard to believe that Kyle Korver $5100 isn’t more expensive. Indiana has trouble scoring, as reflected in the sub-200 over/under line.
A healthy LeBron James $10700 has put the Cavaliers on his back lately, but he’s not 100% after missing Tuesday’s practice with flu-like symptoms. All five starters hit double figues in an impressive defeat of the Bulls on MLK Day; J.R. Smith $4900 and Timofey Mozgov $4900 are way more affordable than Kyrie Irving $9000 and Kevin Love $9500. The Jazz have virtually no chance, though Rudy Gobert $6300 was the lone standout (13 PTS, 18 REB, 4 BLK) in their latest defeat.
Portland at Phoenix is a lot less exciting without LaMarcus Aldridge $9600 (thumb) but Damian Lillard $9500 will play 40+ minutes if he can keep the Blazers in the game. Wesley Matthews $5700 will also be heavily used. Instead of a timeshare at C between Chris Kaman $4400 and Meyers Leonard $3200, I expect both to get extra run. Alex Len $4800 will play a lot more in that scenario than he did in the last two games, but the Suns rely mostly on Goran Dragic $6900 and Eric Bledsoe $8600. Their bench is also deeper.
Among the more lopsided tilts is Dallas at Minnesota. The Wolves will soon improve when three injured starters return; Kevin Martin $4800 (wrist) and Nikola Pekovic $4500 (ankle) are true game-time decisions but not recommended just yet. Monta Ellis $7100 and Tyson Chandler $6300 are solid plays, Dirk Nowitzki $6400 is over an illness and if I were Rick Carlisle, I’d give Rajon Rondo $7400 a much-needed night off and start Devin Harris $3800. As always, stay on top of breaking news.
While the Raptors prevailed (barely) over Milwaukee on Monday, their recent slide does not bode well in Memphis against one of the best in the West. Don’t bet on a high score, but do consider Marc Gasol $8400 and double-double machine Zach Randolph $7700. Many of us assumed Jeff Green $5000 would start at SF; instead he’s an offensive-minded sixth man.
Miami at Charlotte also figures to be low-scoring. The Heat lost at home last night, and the Hornets might get Kemba Walker $9300 (knee) back. Al Jefferson $7300 logged a tentative 25 minutes off the bench in his first game after missing three weeks with a groin strain. Luol Deng (illness) and Hassan Whiteside (ankle) are out.
The Pistons played well enough against Atlanta to suggest they can beat Orlando. Andre Drummond $8400 (13 PTS, 18 REB) and Greg Monroe $8100 (16 PTS, 20 REB) were outstanding. Brandon Jennings $7900 must relocate his shooting touch after a 1-for-10 in that loss. Opposite number Elfrid Payton $5400 is improving rapidly; he joins Victor Oladipo $6900 and Nikola Vucevic $8700 as cornerstones for the Magic and that trio averages just 22 years of age.
Somehow, the 17-24 Nets are still in a playoff position (8th in the East) but there’s talk of trading Jarrett Jack $6300 and Brook Lopez $6400. Sacramento is a much better team in DFS than real life, with DeMarcus Cousins $11100 capable of dominating if he’s fully recovered from that ankle sprain. 22 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks on Monday would suggest that he’s close. Rudy Gay $7700 (knee) has a very high pain threshold and Darren Collison $7000 is a lot more effective when all three are on the floor.
Anthony Davis $11100 (toe) is probable after missing three games, so New Orleans should handle the Lakers. Jrue Holiday $7600 (knee) is officially questionable, but I’m betting Tyreke Evans $8400 will start again at PG. Who knows about Kobe Bryant $8500 anymore? He did make the trip but is always a GTD; he did dish out a career-high 17 assists (plus 19 PTS and 6 REB) in his last appearance six days ago.
The Knicks won a game on Monday at home against the severely wounded Pelicans but are 2-19 on the road. Philadelphia is 3-16 at home. We could joke — this game depends on which team is more determined to lose — but tanking is a front office strategy. Athletes want to win; I’ll pick youth and enthusiasm in the form of Michael Carter-Williams $8400 and Nerlens Noel $5300. Of course, if Carmelo Anthony $8800 wants to, he can drop 40. Bargain-hunters note that PG-eligible Langston Galloway $3600 scored 21 points in a start at SG on Monday.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Damian Lillard $9500 | Jeff Teague $8200 | L. Galloway $3600 |
| SG | James Harden $10800 | Klay Thompson $7700 | J.R. Smith $4900 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $10700 | Carmelo Anthony $8800 | Dorell Wright $3000 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $11100 | Zach Randolph $7700 | M. Speights $4200 |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins $11100 | Marcin Gortat $5900 | Meyers Leonard $3200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.