Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 1/1/17

Happy New Years! Here is to a better 2017, in all facets, as well as DFS. We have a fun slate on our hands with some high scoring and low scoring games. Let's take a look at the top 3 guys at each position.

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Point Guard

Kyle Lowry FD - $9100 DK - $8800
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 38.35 DK - 41.48

Lowry and the Raptors ar e a group we will be targeting regularly on this slate. There opponent, the Lakers, has been one of the worst team in the league against guards over the pas few seasons, and this year has been no different. Ranking 28th against the PG, tells me the Lakers have some huge holes on defense. Lowry is one of the better guards who faced played the Lakers, and I expect him to dominate. Lowry is a safe bet to get you 40 here, and his ceiling is closer to 60. I expect D'Angelo Russell to start on him, but he will see some defender fro Nick Young and Lou Williams as well. Lowry is actually the most expensive player on FD tonight, which talks more to the weird slate this is. With nobody to pay up for and plenty of value, I will have a hard time not plugging Lowry into the majority  of my lineups. He is the top play at PG, and nobody is too close.

Jeff Teague FD - $8000 DK - $7100
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 37.95 DK - 40.48

Jeff Teague has taken a huge step up this year and I think there is actually an argument that says Teague is the leader of this team, and not George. While I still think the players look at George as a leader, they know Teague is the best player right now and will make sure he has the ball in his hands. He will get the defense of D.J. Augustin and Elfrid Payton, and neither of which will have much success. Payton is a good on-ball defender, but struggles with off ball movement and screens. Teague will be able to get open plenty and have himself another very nice game. He usually stays around 45, and I see him finishing with a similar total tonight. This game has a nice over/under and should stay relatively close. Teague is a safe way to get 40 points, and always has that crazy upside against a team like this. He can be deployed in all formats, but I do prefer Lowry everywhere, although merely.

Ricky Rubio FD - $6100 DK - $5800
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 25.59 DK - 27.46

Rubio has been pretty good lately, ,and he is getting the minutes. He has been over 23 fantasy points in 10 straight games, and has one of the better match ups possible. Tom Thibedoeau is a guy who has no problem playing his starters 40 minutes, and I could see that happening against the Blazers. If Damian Lillard plays, he is a horrible defender and won't be able to stay with Ricky Rubio. If he misses this game like expected, he will see a multitude of different defenders, and none of which will have much chance. He is pretty cheap, and can be used in both cash games and tournaments. I see his floor around 30 tonight with a ceiling close to 50.

Shooting Guard

DeMar DeRozan FD - $8800 DK - $8500
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 41.59 DK - 43.25

While common thought says either Lowry or DeRozan is the preferred play, I think both have a path to a good game. I don't think only one of these guys will have a good game, but 1 will definitely be a better play. The Lakers are just so atrocious, play no defense and give up a ton of peripherals. Lowry and DeRozan are both great plays, and I think they can be used in all formats. DeRozan will get the defense of Nick Young to start, and will then see Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams. None of them have a chance of slowing down DeRozan, and both he and Lowry are in a tremendous spot. His price came down a little bit, and he only needs about 48 to hit value.

C.J. McCollum FD - $7500 DK - $8300
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 34.83 DK - 37.31
Allen Crabbe FD - $3700 DK - $4200
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 19.92 DK - 21.46

McCollum and Crabbe are both good plays here, but only if Damian Lillard is out. Crabbe has picked up over 30 minutes in 5 straight, but has not came through at all. You have to think he will start to get it going rather sooner than later. This could be a spot where he goes over looked and could have a big game being covered by Zach LaVine. McCollum hasn't been crazy with Lillard out, but he has still been consistent and good. He gets a good match up here against the T-Wolves, who have been running more and getting the ball into transition. If Lillard happens to play, both of these guys take a huge step down, but C.J. McCollum would still  be a good tournament play.

Jodie Meeks FD - $4200 DK - $4600
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 21.71 DK - 23.25

This pick is contingent on Evan Fournier resting. He has missed the last 3 games, and is currently listed as questionable. In those 3 games, Meeks saw close to 30 in all but 1 and was over 20 fantasy points twice. He is coming off an injury, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him finally stretched out tonight if Fournier does indeed sit. He will also get the defense of Monta Ellis, which basically means nobody is covering him. Monta Ellis is a horrid defender, and will have no interest in stopping Meeks. With that being said, Meeks is a strict GPP only  play. He is NOT safe, and an easily get you 5 points tonight. In tournaments is where you want to target Meeks, as he has always had that big upside when his shot is falling.

Small Forward

Andrew Wiggins FD - $6900 DK - $6800
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 33.75 DK - 35.62

Wiggins is a guy that is pretty tough to roster, as he has a big range between his floor and ceiling. The Blazers have some decent forward defenders, but I don't think they will be able to stop him. Maurice Harkless is a little bit too small, and both Evan Turner and Aminu are way too slow. His floor might scare you, but his ceiling should give you some hope. The Blazers play at a fast pace, and Wiggins has always prospered in fastbreak ridden games. One thing that does make him a little bit safer is the minutes. He sees over 38 minutes a lot and will definitely see that tonight. Wiggins is more of a tournament play for me, but I do see the merit in cash games. Wiggins has actually been consistent over the last week, with games that will keep you afloat in both cash games and tournaments.

Justise Winslow FD - $5100 DK - $5500
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 28.55 DK - 29.86

This position is just really ugly. Nobody stands out, and there are only a few guys in positive spots. Winslow is one of those, and his recent production has to make you interested. Outside of a few horrible games, Winslow has been pretty consistent and has had a few huge games. The Pistons play at a slow pace, and so doe the Heat, so points could be difficult to come by. With that being said, the Pistons are worst against SF's, and I think Winslow could take advantage. He may not be "safe" in the normal sense of that word, but he might be at this position. It is the worst position on the day, and i doubt you will need a big game out of your small forward. Winslow can be deployed in cash games and tournaments.

Luol Deng FD - $4800 DK - $5300
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 24.48 DK - 26.1

Deng is as consistent as they come, and his price is really fair. Sitting around 5k, he will need 25 to hit value in cash games. He has been over 25 in 8 of his last 10 games, with a few games reaching the 35 point mark. The Raptors have a lot of good guards, so I could see the Lakers switching some things up and giving him to opportunity to cover the likes of DeRozan and Lowry. Either way, he will see over 32 minutes and gets himself involved plenty. The Raptors are decent DVP wise against the SF, but that is something you should look at more if you are looking for scoring. We are looking for a little bit of everything out of Deng, and DeMarre Carroll won't get in the way of that. I don't think Deng is going to be the reason you lose, but he probably  won't be the reason you win either. He can be used in tournaments, but I do prefer him in cash as his ceiling definitely has a cap.

Power Forward

Paul Millsap FD - $7500 DK - $7000
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 37.2 DK - 39.34

I know I said small forward was the worst position, but power forward is right there with it. There are no superstars to pay up for, and Paul Millsap is really the only way you can go if you want to pay up. While the Spurs are definitely a top 5 team defensively, but if you are gonna get to them, you can do it at this position. Aldridge is not the same defender he used to be, and we all know Pau Gasol is not very fleet on foot. Millsap is a guy with plenty of upside, but his floor is also really low. If the Hawks get him the ball enough, we could see Millsap easily have a big game. He will also be pretty low owned, as the majority will just pay down. Millsap is one of the best GPP options on this slate, but only because this slate is pretty tough.

Thaddeus Young FD - $5300 DK - $5600
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 25.89 DK - 27.47

Thad Young is still just way too cheap. Stilling under $6k on both sites, I will have a hard time not playing Young. Like most positions tonight, power forward is extremely ugly and doesn't offer too much to like. Young gets to face the Magic, who have not been great against interior players. Serge Ibaka is a great individual defender, but he is overpriced and will only see Young occasionally. He will see a lot of  Aaron Gordon defense as well, and he is way too strong for him. Let's be real, this isn't the best match up for Young, but when you look at his price and production, you just have to think he gets it done tonight. Young has been over 20 in 8 straight, and will touch that 40 mark pretty often. At a position this pitiful, I am willing to play Young in both cash games and tournaments.

Jon Leuer FD - $5100 DK - $4900
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 25.95 DK - 27.33

If you want 25 points, play Jon Leuer. If you want 35, don't play him. The Heat, like the Pistons, are a good defensive team, but have a few spots to target. The Heat play an undersized PF, and Leuer should be able to come in and control the post. He can stretch the floor and bang down low, so whoever is on him, he will have some kind of advantage of. He is also very cheap, and only needs about 20 to hit value for you in cash games. You can count on him to get that done and at this position, you can rely on him in all formats. The upside may not be there, but you can look for a big performance out of someone else, and just use Leuer as a stepping stone.

Center

Karl-Anthony Towns FD - $9100 DK - $9400
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 43.93 DK - 46.15

Towns is by far the most talented center on this slate, and he has a pretty good match up. The Blazers will throw Mason Plumlee and Meyers Leonard at Towns, but neither will have a chance. He will be able to stretch the floor and attack down low, which should give him an opportunity to have a huge game. KAT is a guy who consistently produces, no matter the match up. If he is able to get off to a strong early start, he could have a monster game. The Blazers have been bottom 5 against centers for 2 years in a row now, and I doubt they improve moving forward. Towns has a floor sitting around 40 tonight and a ceiling that approaches 70. I do prefer him in tournaments, but he is perfectly fine in cash games as well.

Myles Turner FD - $6300 DK - $6300
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 29.29 DK - 30.4

We looked at Thaddeus Young as a safe play, and Myles Turner is right there as well. Like Young, he is priced way too low and is almost a lock to come through here. Both Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic will have a ton of trouble with Turner, as he can shoot and is way more athletic than both. I think this is one of the better spots for Turner, and I will have a ton of exposure. The Magic get there shot block the 4th most in the league, which only heightens the upside of Turner. Turner has a higher ceiling than Young, and he has flashed it a few times this season. If he can get it going early, Turner has an opportunity to have a huge game tonight. No matter which way you go at center, you are getting a solid player for a solid price. You can throw him out there in all formats.

Jonas Valanciunas FD - $5700 DK - $5100
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 27.17 DK - 28.43

Jonas Valunciunas is another price play here, as he is sitting at a crazy 5k price tag around the industry. He hasn't been playing great, but has been consistent and get s a perfect match up. The Lakers have given up 47 fantasy points per game to centers,  which ranks the 6th worst in the league. Mozgov is a big body, but he has no athleticism and won't be able to stay with Valunciunas on the post. Valunciunas only needs about 26 tonight to hit value, and his ceiling is way higher than that. I actually think his floor is at 25, and a ceiling that sits around 45. They feed him the ball when on the court, and won't steal any stats from Lowry or DeRozan. He is viable in both cash games and tournaments.

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