Daily Fantasy DraftKings and FanDuel NBA Picks - Wednesday, January 17, 2024

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Point Guard/ Shooting Guard

Anthony Edwards FD - $9300 DK - $8300
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 48.08 DK - 50.88

Mike Conley FD - $5700 DK - $5700
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 28.45 DK - 30.87

The Timberwolves get the best matchup on the slate against the Detroit Pistons, who are the second-worst defense in the league. Sure, they are off the insane losing streak, but this team stinks. Anthony Edwards is the prize here, considering the usage should be there, and the matchup won’t provide much resistance. 

He’s averaging 26 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on the season on 46/39/84 splits. He has to score and the Pistons have to stay in the game to avoid the blowout, but Edwards is a core cash game play this slate.

Meanwhile, Mike Conley isn’t a candidate to push the minutes into the mid-30s, but he can get the job done at around 30 with these prices. He doesn’t take many shots (about seven per game over the last month) so you’ll need the assists to get there. He has double-digit dimes in two of the previous three games, handing out about 6.5 per game on the season.

The key here is that the opponent is weak and he’s priced in the lower middle tier which helps round out lineups.

D'Angelo Russell FD - $6500 DK - $6000
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 33.2 DK - 36.53

D'Angelo Russell rejoined this starting lineup last game (at full strength), and from a fantasy perspective, it was mostly a hit. He scored 14 points while adding in six assists, two rebounds, and three steal+blocks in his 36 minutes. Sharing the court with LeBron James and Anthony Davis means the usage won’t be through the roof, but he’s priced like he’s still coming off the bench.

Against the Mavericks, this is a good spot to roster D'Angelo Russell, who can hopefully hold up on the defensive end against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in order to keep the minutes there.

Collin Sexton (DK 6500) and Kris Dunn (DK 4300) are good DraftKings plays against the Warriors.

Small Forward

LeBron James FD - $9700 DK - $9700
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 52.31 DK - 56.41

The Lakers can’t take games off at this point, considering they are sitting at 10th in the Western Conference. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have to play major minutes to keep the playoff hopes alive. LeBron ran 39 last game in a win, putting up 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

He won’t get after it on the defensive end at this point, but the points and assists should be enough against this Mavericks team that is below-average on defense.

Jaden McDaniels FD - $4800 DK - $4800
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 25.08 DK - 25.93

Jaden McDaniels was a popular play in the last game against the Clippers, paying it off with 14 points, four assists, and four rebounds in 35 minutes. In close games, that’s the minutes expectation for this defensive superstar. Sure, his value is more on that end, and he’s very low on the offensive pecking order. But he’s priced like this as well. There is a chance for him to dial up steals+blocks as well, giving him enough of a floor if the game stays close.

Power Forward/ Center

Anthony Davis FD - $11400 DK - $10000
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 57.4 DK - 58.86

Anthony Davis has been absolutely ridiculous this season and amazing in the short term as well. He had a triple-double two games ago in the loss to the Jazz, putting up a whopping 11 assists. On the season, he’s putting up a whopping 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks+ steals. If you are looking for a layup, Anthony Davis offers a great floor at his price points. The defensive stats really help on FanDuel, and the DraftKings price is coming low enough, seeing as how he can push 40 minutes in a close game.

Karl-Anthony Towns FD - $8200 DK - $7700
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 43.86 DK - 47.46

Like with the other Timberwolves guys, Karl-Anthony Towns gets such a great matchup against the Detroit Pistons here on Wednesday. Typically, we want to roster KAT when Rudy Gobert is out, but we can also strongly consider it at these (very) low prices. He has to stay at foul trouble, and the shot attempts really need to get into the teens.

But with enough run, he can contribute across the stat line enough to pay off here even with the Timberwolves at full strength.

Paolo Banchero (FD 9200 DK 8800) gets a great matchup against the Hawks who are the fourth-worst defensive team playing the fourth-fastest pace. He could be a popular DraftKings play.

Consider Goga Bitadze (FD 5900 DK 5000) if he’s going to stick in the starting lineup.