NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (2/6)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is always one of the best cash game options on every slate.
Injury Report
- Luka Doncic (heel) OUT
- Kyrie Irving (trade) OUT
- Kevin Durant (foot) OUT
- Christian Wood (hand) Questionable
- Kyle Kuzma (knee) OUT
- Bradley Beal (hamstring) Questionable
- Jusuf Nurkic (calf) OUT
- Keldon Johnson (ankle) Questionable
- Ben Simmons (knee) Questionable
- Devin Vassell (knee) OUT
- Bobby Portis (knee) OUT
- Stephen Curry (leg) OUT
- De’Aaron Fox (personal) Questionable
- Kevin Porter Jr.(foot) OUT
- Marcus Smart (ankle) OUT
- Tre Jones (foot) Questionable
- Seth Curry (adductor) OUT
- John Wall (abs) OUT
- Spencer Dinwiddie (trade) OUT
- Dorian Finney-Smith (trade) OUT
Core Plays
Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Sabonis just had his worst game of the season on Sunday, but we’re willing to overlook that ugly blowout. The big man was averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game through the previous month, scoring at least 41 DK points in 27 of his previous 29 outings. That total should be easy to reach against Houston, with the Rockets ranked 25th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency. That’s awesome since he should see a boost in usage with Fox out, especially since Domas is averaging 22 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 12.5 assists in his two matchups with the Rockets this year.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG – DAL): $6,400 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
So, who’s going to be taking shots for Dallas? Luka Doncic and Christian Wood are both likely out, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith are being shipped to Brooklyn. The acquisitions won’t be here in time, and it should force Hardaway into 40 minutes and 20 shots. He’ll also see some additional ball handling, and it’ll be hard for THJ not to provide value in this type of role. We also don’t mind that he faces a 26th-ranked Utah defense.
Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
Brooklyn was the other half of that trade, and it’ll force these role players into some robust roles. Brooklyn will be without Durant, Irving, Curry, and possibly Simmons, leaving Cam as one of the focal points of the offense. With that opportunity over the weekend, Thomas tallied 58 DraftKings points across just 29 minutes of play! We don’t expect that again, but even half of that would make Thomas a tremendous value.
Cash Game Considerations
Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $12,100 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
The Greek Freak is always one of the best cash game options on every slate. Giannis has scored at least 40 DK points in all but two games this year, generating a 59-point average. He’s been even better recently, scoring at least 71 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He pummelled Portland’s defense in their one matchup this season, providing 37 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI): $9,100 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Vooch has quietly been a cash-game monster over the last month. The big man has scored at least 40 DraftKings points in 15 of his last 16 games, averaging nearly 50 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s incredible from a player in this price range, and it should continue in this matchup. The Spurs rank dead-last in points allowed and defensive efficiency while surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
It will be fun watching Poole take over point guard duties with Stephen Curry out for the foreseeable future. Poole leads the team with a 35% usage rate with the former MVP off the floor. The bump in minutes, shot attempts, and ball-handling duties make Poole one of the best plays on the board, especially with Oklahoma City allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
GPP Targets
Jalen Green (PG/SG – HOU): $6,900 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Green and the rest of the Rockets were horrible in their most recent game, but we expect this kid to go nuts with Kevin Porter Jr. sidelined. With KPJ off the floor this year, Green leads the team with a 31% usage rate. He was rolling before his most recent injury, too, averaging 34 DK points per game across his previous 24 outings. It’s not like Sacramento is scary either, sitting 22nd in defensive efficiency ratings.
Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Poeltl in this price range. He was terrible throughout January, but he showed us why he was a $7K player this weekend. The big man has scored at least 36 DraftKings points in three of his last four games, posting a 31-point average for the year. That’s all you can ask for from a $6K player, and his role in the offense should rise with Vassell, Johnson, and Jones all nicked up. In his last matchup with Chicago, Poeltl provided 48 DK points in one of his best games of the year.
Robert Williams (C – BOS): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
It’s weird to see Williams below $6K on both sites since he’s playing a full allotment of minutes. Rob-Will has played at least 30 minutes in three of his last four games and was an $8K player in that sort of role in the past. He’s struggled a bit this year, but we love that he has at least 26 DK points in six of his last eight games. Facing Detroit is the icing on the cake, with the Pistons ranked 29th in defensive efficiency and points allowed.
Value Plays
Malik Monk (SG/SF – SAC): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
With Fox expected to miss another game, Monk will likely be the primary playmaker for this team. He leads the club with a 31% usage rate when Fox is off the floor, scoring at least 26 DK points in four straight fixtures. He’s also accruing a 32-point average in that span and should thrive with Houston owning a 27th OPRK against opposing guards.
Josh Green (PG/SG – DAL): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Somebody in Dallas needs to swallow up minutes, and this looks like one of the only guards remaining. Green has played at least 27 minutes in eight straight games, scoring at least 19 fantasy points in six consecutive outings. We expect that to be his floor with half of this roster missing, and we genuinely believe Green could be in for a career night with an extended role against one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
Drew Eubanks (C – POR): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Eubanks has been rough in his first few games filling in for Jusuf Nurkic, but we’ll look at the larger sample size. The big man averaged 28 DK points per game across 28 minutes a night in his 31 starts for Nurk last year and has shown flashes of that off the bench this year. That would be an absurd total from a $4K player, and Portland is going to need big minutes out of him against one of the largest teams in the NBA.
Advantageous Pricing
- Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG – DAL): $6,400 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
- Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
- Deni Avdija (SF/PF – WAS): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
- Walker Kessler (C – UTA): $5,400 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
