RADIO
The first two games of the night are the complete opposite of the rest of the slate, so note the point totals of those two games before making your lineup. The last four games of the night have a ton of upside and tonight should be all about Steph Curry. He's not cheap, but take a second to think of the 76ers defensive players and take a stab at who will guard Curry. It's looking good this early in the day, so as injury updates come rolling in, hope Curry stays healthy for this contest. Also, Joel Embiid and Steph Curry ate at Ayesha Curry's restaurant last night and I think that's pretty cool.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/31/19. 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.
Make sure you don't set your lineups too early and also be sure to check player statuses and availability prior to opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
D.J. Augustin - PG, ORL vs IND (FD - $4,400)
For a starting point guard you won't fine a much cheaper option that has been consistent enough to roster on a nightly basis. His numbers have not been amazing, but he's been doing the same thing night-in and night-out on a fairly sketchy team. The Magic have been TONS better than in recent years and seasons, and while this would be a perfect time to say it's because of Augustin, it's not. He has been a consistent threat at point while he starts, but he doesn't have those explosive tendencies that would allow him score 30 a night with ease. Regardless, if you have noticed his fairly aesthetic stat line recently, expect more of the same against the Pacers. Darren Collison isn't horrible on defense, but I think Augustin will have a significant speed advantage that should allow him to produce and exceed projected.
Marco Belinelli - SG, SA vs BKN (FD - $4,400)
This is a gut-play because Marco Belinelli has been on a small run lately, but just know that there is a ton of risk here. Belinelli will play versus every team, but he absolutely needs to be hitting his shot if he wants any extended minutes. There really isn't much to say here other than about who the Nets will have to defend Belinelli, but at the same time, he has been an elite shooter against ANY defender for some time. If he is hitting, he absolutely runs through his projected, but if he doesn't....dud city. The games he scores below double-digit points are far and few between, but they are definitely there.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Corey Brewer - SF, PHI @ GS (FD - $3,800)
I just assume that whoever is reading this immediately went,"Really? Corey Brewer?"
Yes, Corey Brewer. Funny enough, he is still the same player he has always been, randomly having massive outings followed up by strictly defensive games. His role on Philadelphia is to help on defense, so while he won't be force-fed shots or anything, it's hard to imagine him just losing minutes playing against the league's best team. There won't be many options this cheap that will be playing close to 30 minutes so the upside is present, he just needs to do his part in the game. The Warriors defense is solid, but it's not like teams haven't shot well against them. While Brewer doesn't stick out as someone who will just slice-and-dice Golden State, I can see him being the perfect spacer and hitting multiple threes to help him beat his projected.
Domantas Sabonis - PF, IND @ ORL (FD - $6,200)
I was thinking this game is going to revolve around rebounds, so while Domantas Sabonis always seems like a good play because we know what he is capable of, still consider Nikola Vucevic if you can afford it. Both players will have upside tonight, but this spot goes to the one who offers more value. He was posting consistent double-doubles earlier this season and has seriously simmered since. I'm confident he will hit that form again and without Victor Oladipo, that timespan has been seriously shortened. He will be facing both Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba in the frontcourt, so while his upside seems capped, I think he will be able to get the better of the both of them through the low-post and easy buckets at the rim.
FanDuel DFS Centers
JaVale McGee - C, LAL @ LAC (FD - $4,700)
When JaVale McGee gets the minutes, there is literally no better option at center. Yes, Nikola Vucevic, Joel Embiid, and Andre Drummond have upside, but the only thing keeping McGee's price criminally low is recent rotational changes that have somewhat capped his upside. What makes me think that will change is McGee's dedication to defense. He continue to rack up blocks whenever he plays and I think it will reflect a boost in minutes. The Lakers clearly like playing Ivica Zubac and he has been on the receiving end of quality developmental minutes. You honestly could go with either Laker center tonight, but I am a sucker for cheap prices and high upside, so you know what direction I'm going.
