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We have a small four-game slate on the Thursday NBA slate with the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics both being on a back to back. The slate begins at 7:00 EST with late swap available until 9:30 EST when the last game begins between the Rockets and Thunder.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/9/20. 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.
Russell Westbrook was rested on Wednesday night and will play tonight. The biggest injury news of this slate at the time of my writing is Joel Embiid already being ruled out for a matchup with the Celtics. Another star on this slate, Karl-Anthony Towns, is listed as questionable and could return to action for the first time since December 13th.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook - PG, @ OKC ($8,400)
As mentioned earlier, Westbrook was rested last night and will play tonight in a game against his former team. I'm expecting a warm welcome from the Oklahoma City faithful as Westbrook was a fan favorite, especially after Kevin Durant left the team in the 2016 free agency. Westbrook has always been an emotional player that leaves it all on the court - so much so that it sometimes leads to Westbrook taking too many ill-advised shots. However, this is DFS and volume shooting does not hurt fantasy scoring. At a price tag of $8,400, I do not want to be the guy fading Westbrook in this match-up. Look to Westbrook for a ceiling game on Thursday night for a ceiling game and potential triple-double. While James Harden is not a normal "rest" candidate, Westbrook would become an even stronger play if he does rest for some reason.
Josh Richardson - SG/SF, vs BOS ($5,600)
With Joel Embiid and his over 30% usage rate scheduled to miss this game, the Philadelphia 76ers will need other starters to step up in key Eastern Conference matchup. Richardson might not offer as much upside as Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, but he does make for one of my favorite high-floor plays of the slate at $5,600. In five of the past six games, Richardson has exceeded 36 minutes due to his versatility and defensive presence.
Other Options: BOS PG Kemba Walker @ PHI ($6,500), OKC PG Chris Paul vs HOU ($7,400)
Value: DET SG/SF Svi Mykhailiuk vs CLE ($4,200), DET PG/SF Svi Mykhailiuk vs CLE ($5,000)
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kevin Love - PF/C, @ DET ($7,700)
These two teams just faced off on Tuesday night in what was a competitive game ending in a 115-113 victory for Detriot in Cleveland. Although the Cavs lost the game, we saw Kevin Love put up a monster 49.25 DK points. I fully expect both teams to run their respective offenses through their primary frontcourt stars in Love and Andre Drummond. In addition to being a consistent double-double threat, Love could be playing with a little added motivation as he attempts to find his way out of the rebuilding situation in Cleveland. Another great performance tonight can only help add value to his stock as the trade deadline draws closer.
Eric Gordon - SG/SF, vs LAL ($4,100)
Since returning from injury, Gordon has been averaging 24.6 DraftKings points compared to his season average of 18.2. Gordon started the season in a serious shooting slump but he is looking closer to his former self since returning to the lineup. While Gordon does not offer much fantasy production outside of shooting, he still makes for one of my favorite value plays and provides salary cap flexibility. In the event that he rests on the back-to-back, look to other role players like Ben McLemore and Daniel House as alternatives.
Other Options: BOS SF/PF Jayson Tatum @ PHI ($6,700), MIN SG/SF Andrew Wiggins vs POR ($7,000)
Value: POR SG/SF Kent Bazemore @ MIN ($3,600) , HOU PF/C P.J. Tucker @OKC ($4,100)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Clint Capela - C, @ OKC ($7,500)
The Thunder are currently ranked 26th against opposing centers despite having a well-respected big man, Steven Adams. Capela has been on fire the previous two games averaging 59 DK points without much of a price increase. Although box-score chasing can often get one in trouble, my interest level in Capela would still exist even without the recent monster performances. Having heavy exposure to a team on a back-to-back normally would warrant a little more concern, but coach Mike D'Antoni is known to frequently play his primary players heavy minutes.
Other Options: PHI PF/C Al Horford vs BOS ($6,000), DET C Andre Drummond vs CLE ($10,200)
Value: BOS PF/C Daniel Theis @ PHI ($4,000)
