The original 10-game NBA schedule is down to eight, with postponements due to snow in Philadelphia and Washington. All eyes are on Cleveland, where LeBron James $9700 will break in new coach Tyronn Lue. The best value might be Kyrie Irving $6800, as it remains to be seen whether Kevin Love $7200 will be featured or forgotten. The Bulls dropped a 9-point decision in Boston last night despite 28 from Jimmy Butler $8500 and 27 from Derrick Rose $5800. Fatigue could be a factor.
In daily fantasy, the West is often best. DeMarcus Cousins $10700 is in a zone and Rajon Rondo $8400 notched his fifth triple-double of the season on Thursday. Rudy Gay $6800 (heel) is questionable; if he sits again, Omri Casspi $6000 and Willie Cauley-Stein $4300 are stronger plays. Paul George $9000 and Monta Ellis $6900 will keep the Pacers in the game. George Hill $5100 is expected back after missing three games on a personal matter, which will cool off the hot Joe Young $3600. Ian Mahinmi (ankle) is out, so Myles Turner $4100 can extend his superb three-game streak, averaging 23.7 points on 30-for-41 shooting, with 19 boards and eight blocks.
Free $275,000 Contest For New Users
The $275K Sharpshooter is only a $3 buy-in (FREE with your initial deposit at DK) where the top 21,185 finishers (from up to 105,417 teams) win cash. First place gets $20,000. Deadline is 7:00; enter before it fills. You can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
As badly injured as the Suns are, Devin Booker $5000 and Archie Goodwin $3800 (both SG-eligible) will be forced to play 40 minutes. T.J. Warren $4400, Tyson Chandler $4200 and Alex Len $4400 will also be heavily used and could be DFS bargains. Favored by double digits, Atlanta should win the game without overtaxing their stars.
Damian Lillard $9200 and C.J. McCollum $7300 are in attack mode and the Lakers can’t stop them. If Kobe Bryant $5600 rests in this back-to-back, D’Angelo Russell $4900 and Jordan Clarkson $5700 benefit and Lou Williams $6000 could get hot. Julius Randle $5600 will get a third start if Larry Nance Jr. $4900 (knee) needs another night off. In a tight Blazers rotation, Mason Plumlee $5200, Al-Farouq Aminu $5100 and Meyers Leonard $4000 are inexpensive. I’m a bit concerned about a blowout; Allen Crabbe $4200 thrives in that scenario.
Anthony Davis $10000 wasn’t quite as dominant as we hoped on Thursday (“only” 32 points) because Tyreke Evans $7700 had a completely unexpected double-double after a week of knee problems. Norris Cole $4600 starting over Jrue Holiday $6500 was another surprise. It’s a road back-to-back for the Bucks off a tough loss in Houston, but Greg Monroe $7000, Khris Middleton $7300 and Giannis Antetokounpo $7400 are playing well.
Andre Drummond $8900 deserves to be the top-priced center, as Denver is rotating three guys in that spot. Reggie Jackson $7100 vs. Emmanuel Mudiay $5800 also favors the Pistons, but Danilo Gallinari $6900 and Kenneth Faried $5900 are playing well for the Nuggets and Will Barton $5800 is dangerous off the bench.
The sample lineup above is subject to change, of course. Breaking news about injuries, trades or snowstorms can affect player values dramatically. In many contests, entering multiple lineups is both permitted and encouraged.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Rajon Rondo $8400 | Kyrie Irving $6800 | Norris Cole $4600 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8500 | C.J. McCollum $7300 | Devin Booker $5000 |
| SF | LeBron James $9700 | Danilo Gallinari $6900 | T.J. Warren $4400 |
| PF | DeMarcus Cousins $10700 | Anthony Davis $10000 | Julius Randle $5600 |
| C | Andre Drummond $8900 | Alex Len $4400 | Myles Turner $4100 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.