RADIO
Welcome to NBA Friday night. We have just seven games on the board with a ton of different options to pay up for. We're looking at Anthony Davis being questionable and a ton of other injuries to pay attention to. While it may not be the biggest slate we've seen, ownership should be spread out as there doesn't seem to be any consensus value to this point. There is value to pay down for, but we have to get it perfect in tournaments if we want to take down some serious cash.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/31/20. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks.
Give me a follow on Twitter @DFSVarney and say hello. Good luck RotoBallers, let's dive right in!
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!
FanDuel DFS Guards
Devin Booker - SG, PHO vs. OKC ($8,900)
Devin Booker has become the only player in NBA history to miss the all-star game after averaging 26+ PPG and 6+ APG. While this match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder isn’t a phenomenal one on paper, but I expect Devin Booker to give Shai-Gilgeous Alexander trouble here as he looks to show the world how big of a snub he was. Narratives aren’t always the most reliable thing to lean on, but they certainly are more reliable in basketball, where someone has the ability to call their own number. In a sport like baseball, for example, you can’t take more at-bats. Booker is already seeing a crazy-high 29.7% usage on the season and he has the ball in his hands every possession. SGA is a known quality defender, but he’s not a better defender than Booker is a playmaker. He’s been on fire of late and I like him to keep it going as an under-owned SG option.
Lonzo Ball - PG, NO vs. MEM ($6,600)
This New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies game is one you can target openly, as we’re looking at a ludicrous 239 over/under with the Pelicans favored by just 5.5 points. The two teams play at nearly identical paces, ranking 4th and 5th in the league at 105.5. While Ja Morant is everything we could’ve hoped for on the offensive side, he’s also exactly what we worried about defensively. It doesn’t help that the Grizzlies play extremely fast, but Morant hasn’t been great defensively and the Grizzlies have ranked 24th against guards. Jrue Holiday is in play here as well, and you shouldn’t be worried about playing two or three of these guys.
Jalen Brunson - PG, DAL @ HOU ($3,600)
With Luka Doncic ruled out against the Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks are a pit of value tonight. I could’ve realistically mentioned four Mavs guards, with Brunson, Curry, Hardaway Jr., and Wright all being worthy of serious consideration in both cash games and tournaments. I’ll ride with Jalen Brunson, who seems to take the initiative when given the opportunity and he’s been over a fantasy point per minute on the season. With Doncic off the floor and Porzingis on, Brunson is sporting a very nice 21.3% usage. That’s behind just Porzingis and Hardaway Jr., who is far more expensive. Hardaway Jr. is also questionable, so this could get even juicier. It equates to 1.04 FP per minute and we can expect somewhere between 28-34 tonight. Brunson is a lock for value and my favorite way to go in the Mavs backcourt.
Consider - Damian Lillard, Monte Morris, Zach LaVine, Dillon Brooks
FanDuel DFS Forwards
LeBron James - SF, LAL vs. POR ($11,200)
You don’t need me to tell you LeBron James is in play, but I do think he’s an exceptional roster of Anthony Davis is eventually ruled out. Davis is currently questionable and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets ruled out for this one. If that’s the case, LeBron is extremely well-rested and has a great match-up against the Blazers. There’s obviously a cloud of tragedy somewhat surrounding this game, and it’s hard to say whether LeBron steps up or just kind of goes with the flow. I do think it’s worth noting that there’s a higher chance of LeBron going absolutely ballistic here than there is in any other regular-season game with the surrounding narrative. If Anthony Davis does end up playing, my love for LeBron James drops slightly, but he’s still a top option at SF and I like the matchup.
Brandon Clarke - PF, MEM @ NO ($5,200)
With Jaren Jackson facing a one-game suspension, Brandon Clarke is one of our safer value plays on the slate. We’re back on this MEM @ NO game and it’s where you should live for the most part in cash games. Clarke has been over 21 minutes in seven straight games and 28 would be a safe projection tonight with the upside for 34. Clarke is extremely productive when on the court and he doesn’t need his name called to put up fantasy points. He thrives in the open floor and this matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans couldn’t be better. Clarke is your top forward value option and he will likely be extremely highly owned. If you’re looking for a GPP pivot, Michael Porter Jr. is cheaper and has as much upside, if not more.
Will Barton - SF, DEN @ MIL ($5,700)
Jae Crowder would be your safest option at SF, but you don’t need me smothering you with Memphis here. With Jaren Jackson out, you get the point that these guys are locked into minutes in a great matchup. We’ll instead focus on Will Barton, who’s going to see big minutes in this matchup. If you simply look at his recent games, you may think his minutes are inconsistent. It’s. not the case. Barton occasionally gets into foul trouble and the Nuggets are willing to roll with the hot hand. Against the Bucks, I am willing to bet Will Barton will see big minutes as he matches their length well and gives them a much-needed scoring punch with Jamal Murray still out. Barton is too cheap over on FanDuel and SF isn’t the most comfortable position to deal with tonight. Barton is solid in all formats.
Consider - Brandon Ingram, Justin Jackson (if THJ out), Kristaps Porzingis, Michael Porter Jr.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Hassan Whiteside - C, POR @ LAL ($8,300)
Last time out against the Houston Rockets was the first game in seven that Hassan Whiteside saw his minutes drop under 31. The Lakers are a team you beat on the inside and we saw Whiteside put up 19 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks in 33 minutes against them earlier this season. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee are great matchups for Whiteside, and he may see even more minutes if AD is ruled in. The Blazers just don’t have anyone else that they can rely on to slow down any big men and Whiteside gives Lillard and McCollum a lot more room with a legitimate threat always there to catch an ‘oop. Whiteside is priced down on FanDuel and he should end up being the most popular play at the position.
Jonas Valunciunas - C, MEM @ NO ($7,000)
We’re typically concerned about one thing with Jonas Valunciunas and it’s him getting enough minutes to pay off. Tonight, it’s not much of a concern. With Jaren Jackson Jr. off the floor, Val is locked into 30+ minutes. He’s by no means going to see a huge allotment as the Grizzlies have other options, but Val will be needed down low for a minimum of 30 minutes. The matchup with New Orleans is a top-five one and we know the kind of upside Val brings to the table. He can put up 55 fantasy points and not a single person would blink an eye. Make sure you have a fair share of GPP exposure to Jonas Valunciunas at C.
Consider - Andre Drummond, Jaxson Hayes
