Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA FanDuel, DraftKings Lineup for Jan. 9
Right now, you're probably wondering how anyone can file a competent daily fantasy basketball lineup without any New York Knicks.
Seems impossible to craft a winning squad without Jason Smith, Shane Larkin and Travis Wear, lovingly nicknamed "Number Six" by NBA 2K15's crack commentary team. Maybe the NBA should consider cancelling everything this evening.
Basketball's worst team—take that, Philadelphia 76ers—will not suit up on Friday night, but the show must go on. Instead, players will have to select from the other 11 games, forced to settle for scrubs like Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
That leaves a myriad of potential lineups for gamers to assemble on FanDuel and/or DraftKings. Completing the puzzle is half the fun, but those who prefer short cuts can copy off these recommended rosters.
FanDuel
| PG | Jeff Teague, ATL | @ DET | $8,400 |
| PG | Jarrett Jack, BKN | vs. PHI | $5,900 |
| SG | Klay Thompson, GS | vs. CLE | $7,800 |
| SG | Wayne Ellington, LAL | vs. ORL | $4,200 |
| SF | Andrew Wiggins, MIN | @ MIL | $6,900 |
| SF | Shabazz Muhammad, MIN | @ MIL | $6,400 |
| PF | Paul Millsap, ATL | @ DET | $8,300 |
| PF | Serge Ibaka, OKC | vs. UTA | $7,100 |
| C | Jusuf Nurkic, DEN | @ SAC | $5,000 |
Jeff Teague is rolling, averaging 23.5 points over six straight 20-plus-point games. The Atlanta Hawks point guard has shot a hyper-efficient 54.0 percent while dishing out 7.8 assists and swiping 2.5 steals. Even though the Detroit Pistons have won seven consecutive games since dumping Josh Smith, Teague and the reliable Paul Millsap are worth playing.
Klay Thompson costs considerably less than Eric Bledsoe, Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Butler, but the shooting guard produces just as well. Be grateful that Wednesday night's 40-point outburst didn't bloat his price tag, because the 24-year-old will exploit the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James hurt and the shooting guard position in flux.
Forced to play for the depleted Los Angeles Lakers, Wayne Ellington has delivered 13 points and two three-pointers over each of the past pair of contests. How much longer can Nick Young get away with a 38.8 field-goal percentage when Ellington can play uninsulting basketball?
Some impatient folks were ready to write off Andrew Wiggins two months into his rookie campaign, but the 19-year-old has found his rhythm. He has kicked off 2015 with four straight games of 20 or more points, giving him 21.5 points per game since Dec. 23.
Rotoworld's Michael Gallagher showed the newcomer's efficiency scoring from inside and out during his torrid eight-game stretch.
This may be the last chance to snag Wiggins at a discounted rate. His arrival, however, has not shackled fellow Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad, who has averaged 15.6 points, 5.3 boards and 1.5 threes over that same window.
A pair of lackluster performances dipped Serge Ibaka's stock, but the big man bounced back with eight blocks on Wednesday night. He will also add some scoring against a Utah Jazz defense that ranks No. 27 with 111.11 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Jusuf Nurkic is about to make a major splash now that the Denver Nuggets traded starting center Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland. Head coach Brian Shaw gushed about the rookie to The Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey before the Mozgov deal:
"He's a guy that I have confidence throwing the ball inside to. He can post, and he can score. And if he doesn't have that, he's shown the propensity to make plays for his teammates when they cut off him. I think now his teammates are starting to cut harder when he has the ball, because they know he'll pass it.
"
Dempsey made it clear to see why Shaw is so fond of his new starting center.
Not listed are his 1.3 steals, potentially a product of a short sample size. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old rookie is a massive shot-blocker and double-double threat.
DraftKings
| PG | Jarrett Jack, BKN | vs. PHI | $6,400 |
| SG | Klay Thompson, GS | vs. CLE | $7,100 |
| SF | Andrew Wiggins, MIN | @ MIL | $6,600 |
| PF | Anthony Davis, NO | vs. MEM | $11,000 |
| C | Jusuf Nurkic, DEN | @ SAC | $5,600 |
| G | Joe Johnson, BKN | vs. PHI | $6,300 |
| F | Kevin Garnett, BKN | vs. PHI | $3,500 |
| UTIL | Joe Ingles, UTA | @ OKC | $3,500 |
The plan wasn't to load up on the Brooklyn Nets. It just happened.
Starting at point guard, Jarrett Jack will continue to run the show with Deron Williams hurt. According to the New York Post's Tim Bontemps, the highly paid veteran will miss time with a rib ailment.
If the past two games are any indication, Jack is going to receive a barrage of playing time. Although the veteran spark plug already stole some starts before Williams' injury, he logged 83 minutes over the past two outings with the former All-Star largely unavailable.
Jack has now logged 34.7 minutes over the past 11 contests, delivering 15.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 boards per game. With full access to the car, he's a terrific mid-level value in a high-volume role against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As for Kevin Garnett, the Big Ticket finds himself on the clearance rack during an underwhelming year. After sitting out on Monday, he returned with more zeal against the Boston Celtics, contributing 10 points and eight boards during a loss to his old team. That's enough at his current cost.
Anyone searching for more upside can swap Joe Johnson for Derrick Rose, who plummets to $6,300 after shooting 25.5 percent through his last six games. If you want a safe bet for around 30 points, call Johnson's number. Lionel Hollins is working the veteran with reckless abandon, giving him 40.4 minutes per four January bouts.
Everyone by now knows that Anthony Davis is a basketball cyborg, but why spend top dollar on him against the Memphis Grizzlies? While they're a notoriously tough opponent that rates No. 10 in defensive rating, no team has surrendered more DraftKings points to power forwards. Also, dude's a cyborg.
Who would have labeled Joe Ingles as the Utah Jazz's Australian rookie to watch? Over his last four games, the international free agent has tallied 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and one three-pointer per game over 28.8 minutes. The quiet stat-stuffer is a great way to round out a lineup on the cheap.
Advanced statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
