Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings and Draftster 1/10/15

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Point Guard

Jarrett Jack - FD 5900 DK 6400 DFSTR 4900
We gave you Jack last night, and all he did was go out and blitz the 76ers for 36 fantasy points on 37 minutes. While it's true that Detroit defends the PG position better than Philly, they've still allowed the 5th most points to opposing PGs, so it's safe to say that Jack will be a heavy start once again.

Elfrid Payton - FD 5300 DK 5300 DFSTR 4600
It feels writing the same things every single night, but the same guys remain a value, so what do you want me to do? Lie to you, is that it? You want me to lie? I can't do it. Payton remains a phenomenal play at these prices because he can fill up the stat sheet in so many ways - he's a great rebounder and defender for the position and can dish assists too. And there's upside if his shot is falling. Portland has also been sneaky-terrible against opposing PGs this year, allowing the 3rd most fantasy points of any team.

Kyle Lowry - FD 9800 DK 10200 DFSTR 8100
If you're insistent on spending up on a point guard tonight, consider Lowry. Ever since DeMar Derozan went down, Lowry has been one of the safest daily fantasy basketball bets for 40 FPs or more per night. The argument against him is upside - but it always will be for consistent players. Boston defends the PG position well, but Lowry's huge usage and Toronto's relative lack of offensive creators makes him a pretty safe play. He's the guy you spend up to get if you find punts elsewhere. Me? I'll play the top two guys and not think twice about it.

Punt-wise: Watch the Mo Williams situation. If he sits, Zach LaVine becomes an interesting guy. If Williams plays, I like him, too.

Also considered: MCW

 

Shooting Guard

Victor Oladipo - FD 6600 DK 6100 DFSTR 6000
Shooting guard remains a position that it seems impossible to find solid plays for on a night to night basis, but Oladipo seems poised to rise above the fray. He's coming off of two terrific games as of this writing (and I assume he'll crush the Lakers tonight), and he'll ply his trade against the Trail Blazers on Saturday. It's not the greatest match-up in the world, which should limit his upside, but I still like him quite a bit against a hobbled Wes Matthews.

James Harden - FD 10800 DK 10400
It's so damned difficult to find safety at the position today that I'll likely save at PG to spend up and grab Harden. The thing I love about this one? The Jazz have no one to cover him now that Alec Burks is down. Harden will be around the rim, on the line, and bombing from 3 all game. His upside is only limited by the Jazz's ability to stay in the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo - FD 6200 DK 6600 DFSTR 5800
Well, it looks like Giannis is back in what passes for Kidd's good graces, which is a most welcome sign. I couldn't care less about his underwhelming performance last night, I just need the boy's minutes. Most shooting guards are incredibly points dependent, which makes the Greek Freak's 10+ rebounding upside one of the more valuable fantasy skills in the game. I'd have ranked him higher, but it really is a horrid match-up with the Bulls. Still, though, I think you can play him safely in your cash games.

Also considered: For upside? Lou Williams. Great GPP play, and you can make the case in cash games as well.

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Small Forward

Gordon Hayward - FD 7400 DK 7800 DFSTR 6600
Any discussion surrounding the small forward position tonight has to start with Gordon Hayward. He's not only the safest guy at the position since Alec Burks went down, the public perception of him has frozen him at a level where he can easily put up 5x per night. And don't let the Houston match-up scare you - Trevor Ariza hasn't lived up to his defensive reputation in a few years, and they've allowed the 9th most points to opposing SFs this year. I'll play Hayward almost everywhere.

Solomon Hill - FD 4500 DK 4000 DFSTR 4000
C.J. Miles - FD 5300 DK 4900 DFSTR 4400
Well, it doesn't feel sexy to fire Watson's or Hill's names into your lineup, but on a night with some intriguing big money options, I'll admit to being intrigued. They've both shown 6x-7x upside on these FanDuel prices, and the incredible minutes they're playing mean a ton of upside against a team like Philly, which plays fast and loose. It will feel weird, but I might just play 'em both in a GPP where I want to shoot the moon.

A Log Jam:
After these guys, our projection system forecasts a log jam of good players with good prices but bad match-ups. I'm looking at Middleton, Harris, and Wiggins here. Pick one - your guess is as good as mine.

Power Forward

LaMarcus Aldridge - FD 10000 DK 10000 DFSTR 8800
There's a lot of uncertainty around the power forward position tonight as well, and if you can find your punts elsewhere, Aldridge makes for a very safe looking bet. The Magic are in the bottom half of the league against opposing power forwards, and they just don't have anyone who can deal with Aldridge's combination of size and a mid-range game. He's going to crush them.

Jared Sullinger - FD 6400 DK 6400 DFSTR 6100
I have to say, I missed being able to play Jared Sullinger there for a while. And while he's not the sure bet for 30 fantasy points that he was in ages past, his 3 40+ fantasy performances in his last 6 have me salivating at these super-low prices. Now, his upside here is undoubtedly limited due to Toronto's interior defense, but even still, Sullinger should be able to provide value at a position that riddled with uncertainty.

David West - FD 6400 DK 6300 DFSTR 6000
Am I really going back to the David West train? Yes. Yes, I am. Make no mistake about it, at this point in his career, David West can lay an egg with the best of them. But my sense is that players like West benefit from terrific match-ups moreso than most simply due to the fact that he can hide some of his declining athleticism. Philly's fast pace is an added bonus as well. I actually like West quite a bit here if you can't find room to pay up for Aldridge.

Also considered: Tim Duncan, if you can guess on the minutes.

Center

Rudy Gobert - FD 6200 DK 6100 DFSTR 5600
Is anyone finding the emergence of Rudy Gobert as one of the league's elite rim protectors as much fun as I am? Dude has 25 blocks in his last 5 games. TWENTY-FIVE. He basically starts the game with 10 fantasy points, and adds stuff from there. What this means is that, even in incredibly tough matchups like OKC (where he scored 4 points from the floor and 33 fantasy points), Gobert has a floor that's really quite high. And it doesn't hurt that he has 6x-7x ceiling potential to go with it. I LOVE him against Houston's offense, which is predicated on driving to the basket (which should feed Gobert's blocks) and shooting threes (which should feed Gobert's boards).

Roy Hibbert - FD 5200 DK 5900 DFSTR 6000
Hibbert's back, baby. He'd quietly been playing this price all throughout the New Year before erupting for 46 fantasy points against the Celtics. And now? He'll get the team that ranks dead last at allowing points to opposing centers. Upside is through the roof, here.

Chris Kaman - FD 4800 DK 4600 DFSTR 5000
Oh, what the hell? Have a little bit more Chris Kaman in your life. When Kaman has played this year, he's been fairly prolific when it comes to fantasy production per minute. He's basically a 1 point per minute guy with upside, and he's been getting some looks as the starter. Last game was a blow-out, so we can't learn what his rotations will be exactly (and this Orlando game could be one too), but I wouldn't feel bad about playing Kaman at all if the prices worked out better elsewhere.

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