The NBA Daily Plays for Wednesday, January 20th breaks down the best Stud, Value and GPP plays at each position for FanDuel and DraftKings daily fantasy sports contests. The Stud & Value plays should be considered relatively chalky and are ideal for cash games. The GPP plays dig a little deeper to hopefully find some low owned talent who could pay off big in a tournament. Make sure you check out our NBA projections page to help in your DFS research. We have also added an NBA Injury News page which monitors all injury news and offers pivot plays to consider if the injured player ends up sitting.
Point Guard
Studs
Rajon Rondo (FD $8,100, DK $8,500) –
Death, Taxes and point guards having their way against the Lakers. Rondo has been playing great all year and I don’t see any reason not to start him against one of the worst defenses vs. PGs in the league. This is going to be a game with no defense from either side, which means fantasy gold.
Values
Isaiah Canaan (FD $3,800, DK $3,700)-
Keep an eye on if Canaan is in the starting lineup again. If he starts against the Magic, he will be a great play for some salary savings. He’s averaging around 25 fpts in his last two games while being a starter and at his price, I’ll gladly take the risk.
GPP Plays
Derrick Rose (FD $6,000, DK $5,800)-
This pick is not for the faint of heart. We all know what Derrick Rose is capable of, but will we ever see him perform at that MVP level ever again? Rose has been pretty mediocre this season and has been injured here and there, but I still have faith! Rose and the Bulls take on the Warriors in what will be a high scoring affair. Rose has a decent matchup against Curry and could be in line for heavy minutes and can easily exceed 5x value.
Shooting Guard
Studs
Jimmy Butler (FD $9,100, DK $8,400) –
Here’s another Bull that I love tonight. Butler has been one of the best players in the league this season and he’s been on fire lately. He will need to really step up if he and his team want to keep up with the Warriors. His price is still pretty reasonable for what he’s been doing lately, and should be one of the first locks in your lineup.
Values
Gerald Green (FD $3,700, DK $4,600)-
Like most value plays, this pick hinges on the health of another player. Dwyane Wade has injuries to both of this shoulders and it really showed last night as he only played 21 minutes and scored only 2 points. If the Heat plan on sitting Wade, Green could be the biggest beneficiary. Keep an eye on the injury report, if Green starts he’ll be a player you’ll want to target.
GPP Plays
Lou Williams (FD $5,800, DK $6,300)-
We all know PGs against the Lakers are a sure thing, and we all should know that SGs against the Kings are also a sure thing. Even though Kobe is playing tonight, I still like Lou Williams more and he’s actually cheaper on FanDuel. He’s averaging around the mid 20s in fantasy points in his last few games, but none of these games were against Sacramento! Like I said in the Rondo blurb, this is going to be a high scoring game that will have plenty of points to go around.
Small Forward
Studs
LeBron James (FD $9,800, DK $9,800)
LeBron just got embarrassed by the Golden State Warriors. I will continue to target LeBron after every loss, especially one like this. One way for people to stop talking about how bad LeBron got beaten is for LeBron to go out and put a beating on someone else. He takes on the Brooklyn Nets tonight and they have no-one that can check LBJ. He is one stud that I will gladly play up for tonight.
Values
Robert Covington (FD $4,800, DK $5,800)-
Continue to target Covington until his price starts to go up. For some reason, FanDuel doesn’t respect RC as his price is darn near rock bottom at the moment. He is getting a ton of minutes and is putting up a hefty amount of shots. As long as he’s starting and getting the minutes, he should be one of the first locks in your lineup.
GPP Plays
Marcus Morris (FD $5,200, DK $5,700) –
Morris gets an excellent matchup against the Houston Rockets and their non-existent defense against small forwards. Since coming back from a minor injury, he has been playing minutes in the upper 30s. He’s averaging right around 25 fantasy points per game since coming back from injury and I can see him exceeding that number in this fast paced matchup.
Power Forward
Studs
Paul Millsap (FD $8,700, DK $8,200) –
The two guys that are priced higher than Millsap are Draymond Green and Pau Gasol. Green’s price is getting a little too high for my liking, especially against a slow paced team like the Bulls. Pau is taking on Green and Warriors and is going to have a tough time getting open. That’s why we turn to ol’ reliable himself, Paul Millsap. Paul takes on a Blazers team that is terrible in the low post, right where Millsap excels. He is a lock for a 40 fpt game and is another stud I would try to fit into my lineups.
Values
Trey Lyles (FD $4,300, DK $5,000)-
Trey has been starting for the injured Derrick Favors and has been playing well. At the moment, Favors is a game time decision and also participated in shoot around this morning. If Favors is unable to go again tonight, Lyles is worth some heavy consideration.
GPP Plays
Julius Randle (FD $5,500, DK $5,400)-
Another Laker!? I know, I know. I’m not happy with myself either, but how can you not play teams that play against the Kings? Larry Nance will not suit up tonight, which means Randle will get as much playing time as he can handle.
Center
Studs
DeMarcus Cousins (FD $10,700, DK $10,600) –
Is Cousins playing? Yes. Ok, I’ll start him. Not only is he one of the best big men in the league, but he gets to take on a Lakers team that’s allergic to defense. Cousins usage is off the charts recently and he could have his best game of the season if he can stay out of foul trouble. I’ll have exposure to Cousins in more than a few of my lineups.
Values
Jahlil Okafor (FD $6,500, DK $6,400)-
Rookie of the Year anyone? Jahlil is really coming into his own lately. He is definitely playing the best basketball of his very shot career at the moment. He isn’t much for rebounding or assists, but the kid can light up the scoreboard. There isn’t a whole lot of value that I like at the center position tonight, but if I had to move down, I’d look no further than Okafor.
GPP Plays
Jonas Valanciunas (FD $6,100, DK $6,200)-
If you’re the one person who doesn’t play Cousins tonight, you might want to take a chance on Jonas. He has been playing great lately and he gets a sweet matchup against the Celtics. The Celtics might actually start leprechauns in their front court as they give up big games to the big men. He’s worth a shot in a GPP if you want to pay up for other studs.
