RADIO
Before I begin, I would like to express my condolences to the family of Kobe Bryant and to those impacted by his passing. I am sure that everyone, whether you are a fan of the game or not, was devastated by the news, especially since it involved children. Without getting too melancholy or deep, take a moment to reflect, and also give an extra hug and kiss to those you love. Horrible stuff for sure. In any event, the league has six games scheduled to start off the week, and as usual, we have some guys banged up at the moment. For the confirmed absences, Luke Kennard, Jonathan Isaac, D.J. Augustin, Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr., Daniel Gafford, Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, and Russell Westbrook are all out. On the other hand, James Harden, Nerlens Noel, Willie Cauley-Stein, Allen Crabbe, Tomas Satoransky, Chandler Hutchison, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Reggie Jackson, Khyri Thomas, and Tony Snell are all on the fence regarding their availability for Monday night.
From our friends in Vegas, Sacramento at Minnesota (-3) leads the way with a projected overall score of 225.5 points, followed closely by Houston at Utah (-10) at 224.5, and Dallas (-1.5) at Oklahoma City at 223.5. Orlando at Miami has an anticipated score of only 212 points, but with a plethora of potential absences for the Heat, that may be the place to find the most value on Monday night. Lastly, the Rockets and Spurs will be playing their second contest in as many days, while the Cavs, Mavericks, and Heat will be playing the first of back-to-back outings.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/27/20. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @DennisMClausen. Good luck.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Derrick Rose - PG, vs. CLE ($7,800)
Usually, Rose has historically fizzled by this point after stringing together consecutive efficient performances, but he hasn't. He has scored at least 20 points in his last 12 outings--and in 14 of his previous 15 games. The veteran is having arguably his most productive season since his MVP days with the Bulls and has the luxury of squaring off with a Cavaliers team that is allowing a league-worst 51.44 fantasy points to opposing point guards on the year. Will he crack the $8,000 mark for the rematch against the Nets on Wednesday night? Things are looking promising at the moment.
De'Aaron Fox - PG, @ MIN ($7,700)
While everyone will be clamoring to get Luka Doncic into their lineup--and for a good reason--let's not dismiss what Fox has been doing as of late. Since the start of the new year, the former 5th overall pick has averaged 44.66 fantasy points per outing (11 games) and is very underpriced considering his production as of late. He has a great matchup against the Timberwolves, with Shabazz Napier allowing 0.6 fantasy points per minute this year, which is one of the worst averages on Monday's slate.
Kris Dunn - PG, vs. SAS ($5,700)
Dunn has recorded at least 30 fantasy points in each of his last four games. He doesn't score a lot of points as that role is reserved for Zach LaVine, but he contributes elsewhere, including on the defensive end. With Lauri Markkanen out dealing with a pelvis injury that will keep him on the shelf for a few months, look for the 25-year-old to have a minor career-resurgence in Chicago. However, he will have his share of disappointing performances as well moving forward, making his presence in DFS lineups not without risk.
Austin Rivers - PG, @ UTA ($3,600)
Rivers will start at the one on Monday night as a result of injuries, and will likely be a popular value addition in everyone's DFS lineup. Without James Harden and Russell Westbrook in the mix, the 27-year-old will get a bump across the board by gaining 8.6 percent in usage and +11.5 in +/- differential. We know that coach Mike D'Antoni loves to run his starting unit into the ground, so expect Doc's boy to log around 35-40 minutes against Utah, which will give him plenty of chances to produce from a fantasy standpoint. Don't forget about Ben McLemore as well.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
LaMarcus Aldridge - PF, @ CHI ($8,000)
The Bulls have struggled underneath the basket all year, but it is even worse without Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. In their absences, Thaddeus Young and Luke Kornet have moved into the four and five, and while they are both decent offensively, their defensive prowess leaves much to be desired. Aldridge, who has been the subject of trade rumors lately, will have the size advantage, making it likely that he could walk away from this one with a high-end double-double.
Danilo Gallinari - SF, vs. DAL ($6,200)
The options at small forward on Monday night are absolutely atrocious, making Gallinari the highest-priced player at the position. However, the $6.200 is actually not that bad when you consider his potential, especially against Dallas, a team that is allowing a second-worst 44.31 fantasy points per game to the position on the season. He was out on Saturday as a result of a thumb injury but is back and ready to go for a showdown with the Mavericks.
Nemanja Bjelica - PF, @ MIN ($6,100)
Bjelica has picked up some extra minutes recently in the wake of the injuries to both Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley. With Bagley potentially returning as early as the King's next matchup against Oklahoma City, this may be our last chance to take advantage of Bjelica's higher than normal ceiling, at least for the foreseeable future. He has recorded at least 31.9 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games and has also been known to get hot from deep on occasion.
Eric Gordon - SF, @ UTA ($4,400)
We know that Russell Westbrook has already been ruled out for load management purposes, and though James Harden has a shot at playing after injuring his thigh a few nights ago, he probably won't. As a result, Gordon will likely be the primary shot taker against the Jazz, and even though his shooting percentages aren't impressive by any means, he should produce based on pure volume alone. He had 19 points against the Nuggets on Sunday night and should see a similar stat line despite likely being shadowed by Joe Ingles, who has held his own defensively all season.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Rudy Gobert - C, vs. HOU ($9,600)
As a result of critical injuries for Houston, Clint Capela will receive plenty of love from the DFS community on Monday and will likely see an increase in ownership as a result. However, if you can squeeze together an extra $1,600 to acquire the services of Gobert, go for it. Capela is allowing a miserable 0.7 fantasy points per minute on the year, with the only drawback here is if the Jazz go up big over the Rockets, which could send him to the bench to rest sooner than usual.
