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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 29, 2020. Dale Johnson provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Things start to slow down considerably on Wednesday with only six games on the slate. We come into this day with a quite a few interesting situations to monitor. Victor Oladipo (knee) is slated to make his season debut after missing most of the season recovering from knee surgery. Oladipo is slated to see a minimal role off the bench for the time being as he works back into game shape. Oladipo's return has me trying to avoid the Indiana guard situation for DFS, especially with the uncertainty revolving around Malcolm Brogdon (concussion) and him possibly making his return from absence.
Another situation is James Harden (thigh) who is dealing with a thigh contusion, but is also in the midst of possibly his worst slump of his career. Harden has missed two straight games with the ailment and eclipsed 45.0 percent shooting just twice over his past eight games before the injury. Russell Westbrook has been the direct beneficiary to Harden's slump, recording at least 50.0 DraftKings fantasy points in each of his past seven games. Regardless of Harden's status Wednesday, Westbrook is an obvious elite play and we will focus on some less evident options.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/29/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Derrick Rose - PG/SG, DET @ BKN ($7,600)
Is the year 2020 or 2011? Rose has been playing like his old MVP form and there is no sign of stopping him anytime soon. Rose has scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games and 14 out of his past 15. This includes six straight starts where Rose averaged 23.5 points and 7.0 assists over 31.5 minutes per game. Even with Reggie Jackson back in the lineup, the Pistons have shown they play much better with Rose leading the point who has an enticing matchup this slate. Brooklyn is the 29th ranked team against opposing point guards this season. The Nets give up the most overall points, most field goals made and second-most DraftKings fantasy points to opposing point guards. Kyrie Irving (personal) is expected to return after a one-game absence as well. When Irving is on the court, opponents have a +7.9 increase in offensive rating compared to when he is off the court. Keep in mind, Rose sat out Monday with knee soreness but was off the injury report for Wednesday. He should be safe to deploy in all formats.
C.J. McCollum - PG/SG, POR v. HOU ($6,900)
McCollum (ankle) has recently returned from a three-game absence with an ankle injury, but dropped 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, in 36 minutes. The ankle injury should be a thing of the past, but DraftKings has surprisingly kept McCollum's price tag low despite the mouthwatering matchup. The Rockets give up the third-most DraftKings fantasy points to opposing shooting guards on the season. They are also the 24th-ranked defense against guards this season and give up the fifth-most field goals made, fourth-most overall points scored, third-most three-pointers made and second-most assists to opposing shooting guards as well. McCollum excels in these four offensive categories and is primed for a big night in Portland.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Domantas Sabonis - PF/C, IND v. CHI ($9,400)
I know I mentioned avoiding Indiana players in the wake of Oladipo's debut, but I am only avoiding the backcourt. Despite all the injuries and numerous amounts of different lineups, Sabonis has remained the most consistent producer on the Pacers team. Sabonis is coming off his second triple-double of his career, exactly one week after notching his first of his young career. The visiting Chicago Bulls have been quite generous to opposing bigs this season, giving up the fourth-most DraftKings fantasy points to rival power forwards and the second-most to centers. The Bulls are also ranked 24th in defensive rebound percentage, 25th in defensive rating and 29th in points in the paint against centers this year. When looking at the other forward options in this slate, Sabonis is easily the most attractive option.
Nemanja Bjelica - PF, SAC v. OKC ($6,700)
Marvin Bagley (foot) and Richaun Holmes (shoulder) have already been ruled out for Wednesday's contest with the Thunder. Bjelica has more than impressed in the absence of Sacramento's rising big man. Bjelica is coming off a near triple-double of 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 41 (!) minutes. Admittedly, the stats and minutes were inflated due to the game going into overtime, but Bjelica has recorded at least 30.0 DraftKings fantasy points in eight of the past nine games. Surprisingly, despite being a team full of younger players, the Kings rank just 26th in pace this year so far. Since Holmes went down, the Kings are ranked 13th in pace over that span. This month alone, Bjelica has seen a 4.82-point increase in his pace compared to the month of December. This has lead Bjelica to record season highs in points, field-goal percentage, threes, rebounds, assists and steals in the month January. Look for Bjelica to continue pushing the basketball on Wednesday.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Jakob Poeltl - C, SA v. UTA ($5,600)
Poeltl received a spot start on Monday with LaMarcus Aldridge (thumb) out with a sprained thumb and recorded a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double along with three blocks in 36 minutes. Aldridge has once again been ruled out which has resulted in a drastic increase in price for Poeltl here, despite the difficult matchup against Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz. However, Poeltl has been a per-minute gem this season and has shown he does not need much usage to be effective in fantasy. Per-36 minutes this season, Poeltl is averaging 10.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 blocks. With the matchup, it is possible Poeltl sees a small dip in production, but it should still be enough to provide close to five-times value, especially with his shot-blocking ability.
