RADIO
Following a massive 12-game night Wednesday, we’re down to a much more modest four contests Thursday. That naturally narrows our player pool significantly, but even with a couple of big names in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard slated to remain out, there are still some elite names taking the floor.
Additionally, the absence of the Clippers’ superstar duo helps prop the mid-range and value levels significantly, especially considering how well several Los Angeles fill-ins performed Tuesday against the Hawks.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/28/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Damian Lillard, PG – at HOU ($9,700)
Lillard has averaged a stellar 33.3 points, 8.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds while taking a whopping 20.7 shot attempts per game (10.7 per contest from distance) over the first three games he’s played without C.J. McCollum (foot) next to him in the backcourt. The star point guard boasts a 31.5 percent usage rate and averages 1.30 FD points per minute with McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) off the floor this season, and Thursday, he’ll face a Rockets squad he already lit up for 49.5 FD points on the strength of a 32-point, nine-assist, five-rebound, one-steal effort with both of his teammates available Dec. 26. Houston is also ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to point guards (27.7 percent), furthering Lillard’s case.
John Wall, PG – vs. POR ($7,300)
Wall is an intriguing play on the other side of what should be a very competitive Rockets-Blazers matchup. The veteran put up a quick 33.9 FD points over just 24 minutes against his old Wizards teammates Tuesday in his return from an extended COVID absence, and while his minutes are still being built back up, he’s a good candidate to log at least 30 on Thursday. Wall boasts a team-high 35.9 percent usage rate without the traded James Harden next to him this season, which has partly led to him averaging 1.29 FD points per minute under that circumstance. With the Blazers even more generous to point guards than Wall’s Rockets – Portland is allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency (32.1 percent) to ones, as well as the most points per game (30.1) to the position – the former All-Star makes for a strong play at his salary.
Luke Kennard, SG – at MIA ($5,500)
As mentioned earlier, George will miss another contest for the Clippers on Thursday, which should open up a second straight starting opportunity for Kennard. The fourth-year wing performed well with the first unit Tuesday against the Hawks, posting 31.6 FD points with a well-rounded line of 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals. Kennard delivered his strong fantasy tally despite shooting well below his season norms, as he went just 5-for-13 but came into the contest with career-best 48.2 percent shooting. Kennard also boasts a 44.6 percent success rate from deep, and the Heat come in allowing a bottom-10 figure of 38.8 percent shooting from three-point range to two-guards.
Also consider: Stephen Curry ($9,800); Victor Oladipo ($8,300); Andrew Wiggins ($7,400); Chris Paul ($7,400); Reggie Jackson ($5,000); Wayne Ellington ($4,700)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Christian Wood, PF – vs. POR ($9,500)
Wood has declared himself fully healthy for Thursday’s matchup against the Blazers, setting him up to return from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury. The burgeoning big had scored 42.3 to 57.1 FD points in the four games prior to his layoff, and he also hung 51.1 on this same Portland squad back in Houston’s opening game Dec. 26. Wood has been an outstanding source of points and rebounds while also averaging a career-high 1.8 blocks, and he should frequently have his way against the porous defense of Enes Kanter down low Thursday.
Kelly Oubre Jr. - at PHO ($6,300)
Oubre should certainly have a bit of extra juice Thursday facing his former Suns squad for the first time, and he’ll come into the contest with some momentum. The veteran wing is still struggling mightily with his shot overall, but he’s been able to make up for it with contributions elsewhere across the stat sheet and has scored 24.7 to 40.3 FD points in eight of his last nine contests overall. Despite his struggles from the field, Oubre is putting up a solid 11.6 shot attempts per game, and he’s also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest. Phoenix has been very good about limiting overall efficiency against small forwards, but they are giving up 48.1 percent shooting to threes.
Carmelo Anthony, SF – at HOU ($5,200)
Anthony has taken on more offensive responsibility with McCollum out, putting up between 13 and 21 shot attempts in the latter’s first three absences with his foot issue. Anthony also started the Blazers’ most recent game Monday night against the Thunder due to the absence of Robert Covington (concussion), who’s also ruled out for Thursday’s game. That should afford Anthony a solid amount of minutes against one of his old squads, a Rockets team that’s allowed the third-most rebounds (11.9) per game to power forwards. Anthony also boasts a 27.5 percent usage rate with McCollum, Nurkic and Covington off the floor, and he’ll come into Thursday’s contest having scored 27.3 to 39.7 FD points over his last three.
Also consider: LeBron James ($10,700); Anthony Davis ($10,200); Bam Adebayo ($9,200); Serge Ibaka ($6,200); Eric Gordon ($6,000); Mikal Bridges ($5,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Deandre Ayton – vs. GSW ($8,300)
Ayton had rattled off four straight double-doubles going into Wednesday night’s game against the Thunder and boasts a solid average of 1.27 FD points per minute with Devin Booker off the floor this season. There’s certainly a chance Booker, who missed Wednesday’s contest, sits again Thursday, putting Ayton into an even more favorable position than he already would be against a Warriors team playing at a top-3 pace. Golden State also went into Wednesday’s action versus the T-Wolves ranked in the bottom half of league in offensive efficiency allowed to centers (31.9 percent) and giving up the fourth-most rebounds (16.1) per game to the position.
Montrezl Harrell – at DET ($5,400)
Harrell went into Wednesday’s game against the 76ers having scored at least 24.0 FD points in eight of the previous nine contests, a strong stretch of play during which he averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds across 26.0 minutes while shooting 64.3 percent. He logged just 15 minutes against the Sixers on Wednesday due to foul trouble, but he should be set up to once again overdeliver on his current salary Thursday against the Pistons. Detroit has been a prolific facilitator of production for centers throughout the season, and they’ll check in ranked with bottom-five or league-worst rankings in offensive efficiency (34.6 percent), points (22.8), rebounds (17.7) and blocks (3.4) allowed to centers.
Also consider: Enes Kanter ($6,500)
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