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Daily Fantasy NBA Lineup Picks for FanDuel (1/4/17) - DFS Basketball Advice

Good morning ladies and gentleman. Happy belated New Year to all of you - I hope you rang in 2017 with health and happiness - and today, we add a wealth component as we take down a tournament or two. Tonight's slate is a little lighter than a regular NBA Wednesday (just seven games), but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. There are a strong number of games with teams projected for more than 100 points and point spreads of just five points or less. Good basketball to watch, and good basketball to build a dozen lineups with.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/4/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel. Let's get to it, shall we?

 Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NBA and NFL Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Projected Game Totals

Before I get into the player selection and analysis, let's take a look at the games with the highest projected point totals (over/unders). The monster of the night is the Blazers at Warriors (224), but it also comes with a monstrous spread of 15-16 points, depending on your source. The most attractive games, in my opinion, are the Bucks at Knicks (212), Thunder at Hornets (209) and Bulls at Cavaliers (212) because they all feature what I consider to be "above average" overs and spreads of less than 4.5 points.

 

FanDuel DFS Guards

Elfrid Payton - PG, vs ATL ($6,000)

Payton carries a bit of risk tonight and is probably best suited for tournament play, but with that said, there aren't many enticing point guard options tonight and he is a great enough value on this smaller-than-usual slate that he could warrant cash game consideration as well. Why? Well, for one, his matchup is an excellent one. Of all the teams taking the floor tonight, only one allows more points to opposing point guards than the Hawks do and Payton has been soaring past his price implied value on any and every night where he shoots a half-decent percentage from the floor. He also carries tournament upside as he's passed 41 FanDuel points in a handful of games over the past month. Point guards at this price with that ceiling are tough to come by, especially tonight.

Victor Oladipo - SG, at CHA ($5,400)

I feel similarly about the shooting guard position as I do the point tonight - nothing outstanding, so I'm hunting for the combination of value and tournament upside. In that hunt, I landed at the feet of Victor Oladipo, who recently returned from injury and put up relatively big numbers on Monday night. His Usage rate, which sits at 20 for the season, is high for someone in this price range and he should get a number of offensive opportunities if he's relegated to the second unit.

Also Consider: Russell Westbrook - PG, at CHA ($11,800)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Carmelo Anthony - SF, vs MIL ($7,500)

It's not often this is the case, but I feel that Anthony  offers a similar ceiling to the one LeBron James does tonight, but at $2,500 less. Aside from the ejection game and the extremely rare benching, Anthony usually sees the floor for the 35+ minutes, which helps create a really high floor, and when he's on the court he's never shy about looking for his shot, which spells opportunity for you and me. On top of the fact that he's the owner of a 27.7 Usage rate, Anthony also has an excellent matchup tonight, as no other team taking the court has allowed more points to opposing small forwards than Milwaukee has.

Enes Kanter - PF, at CHA ($5,300)

Save for his most recent performance where he was an ugly 1-for-6 from the floor, Kanter has been crushing value lately. In the Thunder's last seven games, he's surpassed value in six of them and in five of those contests it was by a very large margin. He's priced as a bargain this evening, and he has a solid matchup as Charlotte is pretty banged up down low right now due to Cody Zeller's concussion. His usage rate is high at 24.4, especially for someone in this price tier, and it also helps make up for the fact that he plays roughly 25 minutes a game. When he's on the floor, however, he certainly makes the most of it, as he's posted a 23.64 PER this season.

Also Consider:  Kevin Love - PF, vs CHI ($8,500)

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

Greg Monroe - C, at NYK ($5,200) 

A few weeks ago I would never have imagined writing up a suggestion to roster Greg Monroe, but here we are. He has - almost sneakily - be an excellent value play for the past month or so. In the Bucks' last 10 games, he's managed to exceed value in six of them and by an impressive margin of nearly six FanDuel points per night. His salary tonight gives you a lot of flexibility to juice the rest of your roster with players with higher ceilings, and the matchup is a strong one as the Knicks have had tons of issues slowing down opposing centers this season. For the salary, it's also hard to find someone with a higher usage rate than the one Monroe owns this season at 22. In his last three games he's also seen an uptick in minutes, which helps to increase his floor, and he's been efficient in his time on the court, posting 1.15 fantasy points per minute.

Also Consider: DeMarcus Cousins - C, vs MIA ($11,200)

 

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