What Thursday’s five-game slate lacks in star-power — only LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and John Wall are above $9,000 — it makes up for in high-upside value plays. The slate features two of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns, going against two of the strongest offensive squads, the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/19/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.

Editor's Note: Our industry-leading NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer/Generator tool helps you build winning DFS lineups in seconds. Try it now for free, and get an edge on your competition.

 

DraftKings DFS Guards

Eric Bledsoe- PG, @ CLE ($7,700)

Bledsoe’s $6k vacation was short-lived, as his price has jumped back up to $7,700 after a near triple-double against the Jazz. He has eclipsed 50 Draftkings points in four of his last nine games, including a 31-point, eight-assist showing against the Cavaliers on Jan. 8. In that game, both Bledsoe and Devin Booker shot the lights out of the basket, and Cleveland has continued to allow big numbers to opposing guards. In a night without too much top-flight talent at the guard spots, Bledsoe has the potential to produce the most value of any backcourt player.

Ricky Rubio- PG, @ LAC ($6,600)

Rubio is averaging a career-low 7.9 points so far this season, but that number is up to 9.8 in January. He has been on a particularly hot streak over the last five games, managing 13.2 points, 14 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Rubio has surpassed 40 DK points in four of those contests, and will face off against a Clippers team on Thursday that is now without star point guard Chris Paul for an extended period of time. Los Angeles went 2-5 in the seven games Paul missed in late December and early January, allowing triple-doubles to James Harden and Russell Westbrook and near triple-doubles to Eric Bledsoe and Mike Conley in that stretch. Rubio hasn’t hit double-digit rebounds all season, but another double-double — likely with some steals — could be in the books for the 26-year-old.

Iman Shumpert- PG/SG, vs. PHO ($3,800)

It’s rare to find a productive starter under $4k, but Shumpert fell into the starting lineup after the DeAndre Liggins experiment failed, and has secured that role with two strong performances in a row— 22 and 32.75 DK points. Shumpert played well against the Suns on Jan. 8 — 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, two blocks and a steal — despite coming off the bench. Phoenix ranks 21st against shooting guards, so if the 26-year-old can see the floor for 30 minutes again, he should be able to return nice value.

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Kawhi Leonard- SF, vs. DEN ($9,000)

Leonard has scored 30 points in four straight games, shooting 66.7% from the floor, 56.3% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the line over that span. He is averaging 49.5 Draftkings points across those five games, returning excellent value on a price tag that had been sitting in the mid-$8,000s. Even at $9k, Leonard is worth owning against a defensively-challenged Nuggets team. Denver boasts the league’s hottest offense (392 points in its last three contests), but has also allowed at least 100 points in all but four games this season. As the Spurs’ leading scorer, Leonard’s fifth-straight 30-point game is well within reach.

Markieff Morris- SF/PF, @ NY ($6,100)

Over the last six games, Morris has averaged 16.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals as the Wizards have gone 5-1. He has managed at least 34 DK points in five of those contests (including 50.75 against the Trailblazers on Monday), outproducing Otto Porter over that span. Morris should continue his strong play on Thursday when the Wizards travel to New York to take on a Knicks team that ranks 23rd against the power forward position and are currently without rim protector Kristaps Porzingis.

Wesley Matthews- SG/SF, @ MIA ($4,600)

Matthews recorded over 30 Draftkings points in two of his last three games, during which he has averaged 16 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists, shooting a robust 11-for-21 (52.4%) from beyond the arc. The 30-year-old has been a streaky scorer this season, so take advantage of his low cost while he has the hot hand. The Heat have lost Justice Winslow for the year, and Josh Richardson is battling a foot injury, as well. Opposing shooting guards have led their respective teams in scoring in five of Miami’s last seven games with Dion Waiters, Rodney McGruder and Wayne Ellington manning the two-guard spot. Matthews should have similar success on Thursday night.

DraftKings DFS Centers

DeAndre Jordan- C, vs. MIN ($7,500)

Jordan is playing his best basketball of the season of late, but his price hasn’t really moved from the $7k range. The 28-year-old big man has averaged 15.3 points, 17.6 boards and 2.3 blocks in the new year, shooting 74.6% from the floor over that span. Jordan has posted 20 or more rebounds in four of his last seven games, allowing him to come away with at least 40 DK points in each of those contests. Minnesota is one of the better rebounding teams and does not provide an excellent matchup, but Jordan did pull down 16 boards to go along with 18 points last time these two teams met back in November— and that was with Blake Griffin there to share the load.

Tristan Thompson- C, vs. PHO ($4,100)

Thompson has posted at least 20 Draftkings points in five of his last six games, with the only outlier coming in the form of a 19.75-point showing in a blowout loss to the Warriors on Monday. He is averaging 7.3 points with a career-high 9.7 rebounds through Cleveland’s first 40 games. Kevin Love, the team’s leading rebounder, is considered questionable to play Thursday night against the Suns, and Thompson has grabbed double-digit rebounds in each of the four games Love has missed this season. Even if Love does play, though, Thompson should provide value in all formats.

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