DFS NBA Lineups for January 21, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
Each day that there’s a good slate of DFS NBA games, we’ll give you the game totals, spreads, and pertinent injury news for NBA daily fantasy, as well as some players that we’re considering for our lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
We have nine games in the main NBA tonight with Boogie, LeBron, Harden, Giannis, and Jokic all in action. Be sure and monitor any of the injury news that breaks throughout the day, as value plays can arise in a moments notice.
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Chris Paul (thumb)
Blake Griffin (knee)
Rudy Gay (Achilles)
Jeremy Lin (hamstring)
Pau Gasol (finger)
Josh Richarson (foot)
Gary Harris (ankle)
Jeremy Lamb (foot)
Rodney Hood (knee)
Ryan Anderson (illness)
Joel Embiid (rest)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
Nikola Jokic (ankle)
Tony Parker (foot)
Kevin Love (back)
Joakim Noah (ankle)
NBA GAME SPREADS, TOTALS & START TIME FOR TODAY’S GAMES
Nets @ Hornets -12 (7:00p): 219
76ers @ Hawks -9.5 (7:00p): 200.5
Suns @ Knicks -6 (7:30p): 220.5
Bucks @ Heat -1.5 (7:30p): 207
Rockets -1.5 @ Grizzlies (8:00p): 215
Spurs @ Cavs -2 (8:30p): 212
Clippers @ Nuggets -4 (9:00p): 220
Pacers @ Jazz -6 (9:00p): 202
Kings @ Bulls -6 (9:00p): 205
Best NBA Picks for January 21, 2017
DeMarcus Cousins ($10.9k DraftKings, $10.6k FanDuel)
James Harden is still probably the superior cash game option at a reasonable price tag on DK, but I’ll be rolling with Cousins on FanDuel as the obvious top option at center tonight. He was held in relative check by Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies stout defense last night, yet it’s only a matter of time before Boogie starts going full beast mode once again now that Rudy Gay (Achilles) is done for the year. Cousins boasts a 41.7% Usage Rate and averages 1.37 FPs per minute with Gay off the floor this season and he’s going to roll right through Robin Lopez and the Bulls weak interior defense this evening.
Eric Bledsoe ($8.5k DraftKings, $8.3k FanDuel)
The Knicks have been a poor defensive team all year, but they’ve really taken a couple steps backward over the past few weeks. New York coughs up the fourth-most FPPG (41.22) to opposing SGs over the last month and the seventh-most FPPG (49.37) to opposing PGs over the last week, including a huge line to John Wall in a home loss on Thursday. Bledsoe isn’t as refined as Wall, but he’s just as athletic and is creating problems for even the best defensive teams with averages of 20.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 8.3 APG over his last 4 appearances. Give him a look as a great tournament play in this winnable matchup.
Kemba Walker ($8k DraftKings, $7.9k FanDuel)
Bledsoe might have a little more upside, but Kemba is definitely an elite option tonight with the Hornets hosting the Nets league-worst defense. Brooklyn still coughs up the most PPG (114.9) in the NBA along with the most FPPG (51.03) to opposing PGs this season even after they managed to contain the Pelicans offense last night. Since the Nets play at the fastest pace in the NBA, they make for a great target in DFS contests and they’ve been able to keep games close even when they’re serious underdogs. Walker just dropped 32 points over just 29 minutes in a blowout win over the Raptors, so he could still exceed value even if the Nets can’t hang in Charlotte tonight.
Mid Tier DFS NBA Picks
Ersan Ilyasova ($5.8k DraftKings, $5.8k FanDuel)
The Sixers have ruled out Joel Embiid (rest), as he hasn’t played the second half of a B2B all year. With Embiid out, Ilyasova, Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric will also boosts in usage and playing time, with Ilyasova offering the most security as a proven cash game commodity. His price tag has dropped a little since he came up just short of value a couple times last week, but he bounced back from a string of quiet outings with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 40.5 DK points (35.2 FD points) in a narrow win last night. The Hawks are tough on the interior, which makes it easier to fade true centers in Okafor or Noel, yet Ilyasova can do damage from the perimeter and he’s sporting a 25.1% Usage Rate when Embiid is off the floor this season.
Raymond Felton ($5.7k DraftKings, $4.6k FanDuel)
Felton remains slightly cheaper than Austin Rivers ($5.9k, $5.4k) on DraftKings and he is a virtual must play at that price tag on FanDuel tonight. Chris Paul is out for several weeks and that leaves Felton as the most obvious replacement for a Clippers team that depends on a savvy veteran point guard to make the right decisions. He was solid in his first start since Paul’s latest injury and tonight Felton will face a Nuggets team that gives up the second-most FPPG (48.02) to opposing PGs this season and the second-most FPPG (220.78) overall over the last month. This could be another shootout at Staples Center and that makes all of CP3’s potential replacements worth a look.
Bargain Tier DFS NBA Picks
David Lee ($4.8k DraftKings, $4.9k FanDuel)
While he’s a little more expensive than you might hope on the first night since Pau Gasol sustained a thumb injury, Lee is still a great option to consider in what should be a very close game. The Cavs are slightly favored at home and might have a better chance to win if Kevin Love (back) can suit up, but that’s far from a certainty at this point and if Channing Frye starts at the 4, D-Lee should make quick work of him in the post. His high motor and high basketball IQ makes him an obvious candidate to replace Gasol as the Spurs facilitator from the high post and Lee is experienced enough to step up against the defending champs on the road tonight.
Ty Lawson ($4k DraftKings, $4.2k FanDuel)
Lawson returned from a two-game absence to serve as the lone bright spot for Sacramento in a blowout loss at Memphis last night and he’s a very solid value option to consider on DK in a much easier matchup tonight. The speedy PG has developed great chemistry with DeMarcus Cousins and that tandem should make mince meat out of the Bulls revolving door backcourt rotation and slow-footed bigs such as Robin Lopez or Cristiano Felicio. Lawson is averaging 12.8 PPG and 4.5 APG when active this month and he’s fully capable of exceeding value against a Bulls team that coughs up the second-most FPPG (48.81) to opposing PGs over the last month.
Joe Ingles ($4.4k DraftKings, $3.7k FanDuel)
He just exceeded value in an unappealing matchup against the slow-paced Mavericks and Ingles is somehow a few hundred dollars cheaper at near the minimum price tag on FanDuel ahead of tonight’s home game against the Pacers. Indiana is playing with plenty of pace this year and coughing up the eighth-most PPG (106.6) as a result, while the Pacers also happen to give up the most PPG (25.89) to opposing SFs over the last month. Ingles is incredibly efficient and he doesn’t try to do too much, which clearly endears him to the coaching staff and ensures that he’ll get plenty of run with Rodney Hood (knee) on the shelf.
If, Then Player
If Tony Parker (foot) misses a second straight game, Dejounte Murray could continue to make a name for himself as the Spurs fill-in PG. The Cavs have been extremely vulnerable to opposing backcourts recently and Murray has the benefit of playing in a sophisticated offensive system.
