RADIO
We've got a ten-game slate for Friday. The Heat is the only team playing the second leg of a back-to-back. The Nets have the widest spread at 9 points. There are three games with an O/U of at least 230 points: ATL @ WAS (234), MIL @ NO (230), and BKN @ OKC (232).
There are two games at 7:00 PM ET (ATL @ WAS and IND @ CHA), three games at 7:30 PM (SAC @ TOR, MIL @ NO, and CLE @ NY), three games at 8:00 PM (PHI @ MIN, LAC @ ORL, and BKN @ OKC), one game at 8:30 PM (DEN @ SA), one game at 8:30 PM (DEN @ SA), and the late-night hammer at 10:00 PM is DAL @ UTA.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/29/21. You can also check out today's DraftKings lineup picks. Keep an eye on Rotoballer’s injury news to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Trae Young, PG - @ WAS ($10,600)
This game has the highest total on the slate and is the juiciest environment and matchup for Young. The Wizards play at the fastest pace and are 29th in defensive efficiency. Against point guards, in particular, they boost the fantasy points per minute by 6.45% above league average. For three-pointers, the increase is 12.67% above league average, a Trae specialty. On the season, he is averaging 1.27 FD points per minute and 34.1 minutes per game. He has scored at least 50 FD points in six straight games, with a 66 FD point explosion against the Pistons three games ago.
Theo Maledon, PG - vs. BKN ($3,600)
George Hill is out again so Maledon should see his third consecutive start. In his first start, he contributed six points, four rebounds, and four assists in only 22 minutes of action, good for 17.5 FD points. The following game, the playing time increased to 30 minutes while he produced 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal, which translated to 24 FD points. Maledon is only averaging 0.66 FD points per minute, but there should be a ton of possessions in this game and Maledon could play over 30 minutes.
Bradley Beal, SG - vs. ATL ($10,500)
Beal is averaging 1.44 FD points per minute and 35.9 minutes per game! He's scored at least 40 FD points in every game this season and has a 70.5 and 79.75 FD performance. Do I need to continue? Fine. The Hawks boost the fantasy points per minute to shooting guards by 17.98% above league average. Now, sharing the court with Westbrook will limit his ceiling right? The two 70-FD-point games were with Westbrook playing.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG - vs. MIL ($4,200)
Lonzo Ball suffered an ankle injury on Wednesday and is questionable for tonight's game. NAW replaced Ball on Wednesday and produced eight points, five rebounds, five assists, one block, and two steals, good for 28.5 FD points. On the season, he's averaging 0.94 FD points per minute and, in three starts, he scored 52.5, 17.25, and 27.25 FD points.
Also consider: Ben Simmons ($8,600), TJ McConnell ($4,700), Fred Vanvleet ($8,300), Reggie Jackson ($4,500)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Kevin Durant, PF - @ OKC ($10,700)
Durant is averaging 1.39 FD points per minute and 36.7 minutes per game. Since James Harden joined the Nets, the Holy Trinity of Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving has played in four games together. Durant has scored 77, 46, 52.25, and 46.25 FD points in that span. There is now variance in terms of ceiling outcomes but the floor is super high regardless. The Thunder boost the fantasy points per minute to small forwards by 9.8% above league average.
Rudy Gay, SF - vs. DEN ($4,700)
Gay is coming off a 12.1-stinker in his last outing vs. the Celtics. Prior to that game, though, he had scored at least 20 FD points in five straight, with one game above 30. On the season, Gay is averaging 1.05 FD points per minute and 22.3 minutes per game. While the Nuggets play at a slow pace, they are 20th in defensive efficiency. In his recent history vs. the Nuggets, Gay has had success scoring 42 and 20.5 FD points in two games last season.
Domantas Sabonis, PF - @ CHA ($9,000)
Sabonis has been a freaking machine this season. He's double-doubled in 17 of 18 games, with the only blemish due to leaving a game early due to injury. Outside of that game, he's scored at least 39 FD points in every game with seven games over 50 and one game above 60 FD points. Now he gets a matchup against a Hornets team that boosts the fantasy points per minute to power forwards by a league-worst 15.33% above league average.
Chris Boucher, PF - vs. SAC ($6,500)
Boucher is coming off a game in which he only played 13 minutes and scored 21.1 FD points. My thinking is that Nurse doesn't like playing him against bruising centers who can punish him down low in the post due to his frail body. The Bucks have both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. For the most part, that holds true when looking at the games this season but the Portland game on January 11th stands out, as Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter are both loads down low, yet Boucher played 32 minutes in that contest. So there is some unknown to his situation. With that said, Boucher is a per-minute monster, averaging 1.35 FD points per minute on the season. Now he goes up against a Kings team that plays at the 11th fastest pace and is 30th in defensive efficiency. Boucher also notched a 50-burger on them back on January 8th. The price is elevated but the ceiling is high enough to warrant taking a chance.
Also consider: Pascal Siakam ($7,700) and Evan Fournier ($6,300), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300), and Jeff Green ($4,400)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic, C - @ SA ($11,200)
Does it matter what price FD prices Jokic at? You play him, right? He's averaging 1.58 FD points per minute and 35.5 minutes per game. He has a low of 42.75 FD points on the season but has five 60 and four 70-FD-point games! He is essentially matchup-proof but the Spurs are generous to opposing centers, as they boost the fantasy points per minute by 3.39% above league average.
Al Horford, C - vs. BKN ($5,500)
Horford had missed six games due to the birth of his daughter. In his return back, he played 30 minutes and produced 49.75 FD points. On the season, he is averaging 1.01 FD points per minute and 27.4 minutes per game. There should be plenty of possessions in this game and Horford should approach 30 minutes again. The matchup is one of the better ones for centers as the Nets boost fantasy points per minute by 15.79% above league average, second-worst in the Association.
Also consider: Clint Capela($9,600), Andre Drummond ($9,400), Cody Zeller ($4,600)
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