NBA DFS Playbook: January 18

On a two-game slate, we have to include Curry here, but again it’s just GPP only to get a little exposure but I am fading him in my main lineup. Curry is off the injury report and does have a good match-up against Detroit, but he’s also shooting 42.6% from the field in his last six games. With that being said, it’s still hard to knock Curry’s potential as he is averaging 42 DK points per game over that stretch and 47 DK points for the season with 26.3 points per game. 

Talk about the ultimate bounce back game for Russell coming up after he scored just seven points on two of nine shooting in 22 minutes on Sunday. Thanks to 12 assists, Russell still finished with 30 DK points (also in spite of five turnovers) and tonight he gets the Knicks who are playing for the second straight day. Prior to Sunday, Russell was just two points away from four straight games of 20-plus points, but there can be some variability in his performances. 

The intention tonight is for Cunningham not to get ejected. From a performance perspective, Cunningham has had three strong shooting games in his last four, and that consistency is the next step in his development. Cunningham is still going to shoot a ton, and in his last five games, we seeing that improvement as he is shooting 45.8% from the field. 

The problem with Burks is when he doesn’t look for his shot. That was the case yesterday as he took just four shots in 26 minutes of action, but it was a rough game all around for the Knicks. Generally, Burks fills the box score on the boards, but he has been hit and miss in the assist department as the Knicks, and had three straight games of double digit scoring prior to yesterday. This is a GPP only option for the most part as Burks’ usage and production can fluctuate on a nightly basis. 

Poole is back to the bench, but he scored 22 and 20 points in his last two games as Golden State has been shorthanded. Even as the first man off the bench, Poole is going to get his shots for the Warriors, so he’s worth taking a lot in GPP lineups. 

It might not be pretty, but Beverly will likely get to a 5x return as he gets 25 to 30 minutes of playing as a starter for Minnesota. On some occasions he struggles offensively, but can fill the box score and he has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games. 

Keep in mind Cunningham isn’t going to get ejected tonight, but he’s priced fairly and will get a good amount playing time for Detroit. In four games over the past eight days, Joseph is averaging a solid 13.5 points and five assists per game on his way to 5x value. 

After scoring a combined five points in his two prior games, Quickley bounced back with 12 points yesterday while also adding seven assists. At this price, I’m perfectly comfortable hoping for a repeat tonight as in his three games before his mini-slump, Quickley finished between 26 and 29 DK points. 

It might not be pretty, but Hayes usually catches my attention based on his price and the fact that he starts for Detroit. In his last five games, Hayes has averaged 20.1 DK points per game, and that does get us past a 5x return. 

After going for 30 points, Edwards took a step back with just nine points against Golden State, but he is averaging 22.2 points per game, so I’m not concerned about his offensive production. I’m willing to just write it off as an aberration with Edwards taking just eight shots as in his previous nine games, he didn’t take less than 16. 

Thompson’s workload has increased slightly, 23 on Sunday, but more importantly, he’s going to keep on shooting. He is coming off a 13-point performance against Minnesota on Sunday, but Thompson took 14 shots as he continues to work the rust off. 

The first swingman off the bench for Minnesota, Beasley is coming of a 16-point effort, and I’ll take his offensive upside in a GPP lineup as he is averaging 12.3 points per game this season. 

The rookie tends to get a decent amount of playing time, and with it we get a few three-pointers along with a handful of rebounds and assists. Yesterday, that was good for 18 DK points (16 points in his last five games), and it’s hard to argue with the price. 

Barrett has been turning up the heat as of late playing with a new found aggressiveness while attacking the hoop. Over his last five games, Barrett is averaging 25.2 points per game with 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and it’s hard to ignore what he is doing. 

While Bey is coming off a rough performance with just eight points and two rebounds in 29 minutes of action, he isn’t going anywhere for Detroit with Jerami Grant sidelined. Quite simply, the Pistons need Bey and the forward is still averaging 15 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and the playing time will be there. 

No Draymond Green has benefited Porter from a playing time perspective, and what I like here is that he has developed a nice floor where we aren’t simply reliant on his offense. Despite averaging just 22.5 minutes in his last two games though, Porter is averaging 10.5 points, eight rebounds, and five assists so we don’t necessarily have to worry about the playing time here.

McDaniels took 12 shots in 21 minutes off the bench on Sunday, so that makes him the perfect GPP option for the price. The problem, is that the forward only made four of those shots, but that’s what keeps his price down. His effort on Sunday was still good enough for 20 DK points, which puts us over the 5x mark. 

Randle isn’t exactly cheap tonight, but there are limited options to spend your cash on and he’s still going to finish with one of the higher point totals of the night. With the Knicks getting blown out yesterday, Randle only played 31 minutes but he still finished with a solid 18 points and 10 rebounds despite shooting six of 16 from the floor. If we establish that as a floor for a Knicks team that is motivated to bounce back tonight, 40 DK points as a starting point still isn’t too bad.

Lyles has benefited from expanded playing time as of late for Detroit with Jerami Grant injured and Isaiah Stewart struggling. With that being said, Lyles is averaging 24.5 minutes in his last five games and he has come close to 5x on DK over that stretch with 15 points and seven rebounds per game. 

I want to look Kuminga’s way tonight based on his price, talent, upside, and recent production, but we do have to keep an eye on his playing time tonight. While Draymond Green is still out, Golden State is healthier tonight so we might see a diminished role for the rookie. At the same time, his price is right and it’s hard to ignore his 19.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over his last three. For now, keep this as a GPP only with the playing time uncertainty. 

Before scoring just one point in 15 minutes of action on Sunday, Jackson was in double figures in each of his four previous games. Given the price, that is enough for me to put Jackson on my GPP radar. 

It doesn’t get cheaper than Gibson tonight, and if Nerlens Noel is out again tonight (it looks that way), he’s going to get around 15 to 20 minutes of playing time. In 19 minutes yesterday, Gibson finished with one point and six rebounds, so this is really a GPP flier to fill out your roster if you run out of salary cap space, but he is generally active when he is on the court. 

Towns is as good a choice as any to direct a large amount of your salary cap too tonight. He is averaging 24.6 points and 9.3 rebounds a game this season, and Towns hasn’t finished below 42 DK points in his last 10 games so we are getting some consistency here as well along with your upside. 

In his last five games, Robinson has averaged 28 minutes a game and he is playing at one of the highest levels of his career. At this point, that might not be saying too much, but Robinson is flashing confidence and aggressiveness while also benefiting from Nerlens Noel’s health problems and struggles. I’ll sign up for a continuation of his 13.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game over his last five. 

Normally we bypass Looney despite his cheap price and the fact that he starts for Golden State. On this shortened slate though, Looney is now on our radar after he finished with 12 rebounds in each of his last two games and he is also getting a few extra minutes per night with Green sidelined.