Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DraftKings Lineup for Jan. 20
Following a full day of NBA action, only four squads will lace up on Tuesday, leaving daily fantasy basketball players little variety in their selections.
During the first of two games, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder will square off in a 2012 NBA Finals rematch. Then the San Antonio Spurs, who slayed both on their way to winning last year's championship, get a juicy matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
While three teams enter Tuesday rested, Denver plays a day after getting slaughtered by the Golden State Warriors. That makes them a vulnerable target to exploit, and San Antonio certainly sports several intriguing choices.
With little room for creativity, those filling out a DraftKings lineup should stick with the trusted superstars.
| PG | Russell Westbrook, OKC | @ MIA | $10,200 |
| SG | Manu Ginobili, SA | @ DEN | $5,200 |
| SF | Kevin Durant, OKC | @ MIA | $10,700 |
| PF | Tim Duncan, SA | @ DEN | $8,500 |
| C | Aron Baynes, SA | @ DEN | $3,000 |
| G | Dion Waiters, OKC | @ MIA | $5,000 |
| F | Boris Diaw, SA | @ DEN | $3,900 |
| UTIL | Jameer Nelson, DEN | vs. SA | $3,400 |
Lineup Analysis
While San Antonio and Oklahoma City both sport a top-10 defensive rating, Denver and Miami rank in the bottom 10. Guess which teams gamers are advised to stack for Tuesday?
This is going to shock some readers, but Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are good at basketball. Yep. Stunning. On Friday night, both Thunder studs dismantled Golden State's top-rated defense.
Miami falls all the way to No. 25 on that list, allowing a 46.2 field-goal percentage and 8.4 three-pointers per game.
To nobody's surprise, Durant is on an absolute tear, shooting 57.2 percent with 28.6 points and 9.0 boards through his last 10 games. NBA.com/Stats condensed that sample size to give the MVP even better numbers.
Even during a shooting funk, Westbrook pads the box score enough to serve as the clear top point guard. Anybody capable of delivering a 15-15-15 outing is a fantasy fiend.
Don't take any chances with such a limited player pool. Take the two studs, and, what the heck, let's create a mythical Big Three with Western Conference rival Tim Duncan. Barring a "DNP-Old," the legendary power forward delivers a high-floor option for cautious players.
More risk is involved with Manu Ginobili, who went from scoring 27 points on Wednesday to six on Sunday. He blocked four shots to make up for his offensive woes two days ago, a bizarre stat considering he collected three in 35 previous games.
If Ginobili goes off, this lineup will please many happy campers. Even if he doesn't, the other stars should bail out a humdrum performance from the 37-year-old.
How are all these big names in the budget? It's possible by going dumpster diving at center with Aron Baynes.
Jusuf Nurkic has cooled off considerably, and Hassan Whiteside faces a brutal OKC interior defense that yields an NBA-low 54.7 field-goal percentage from within five feet, per NBA.com. So let's instead roll the dice on Baynes after earning a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
The 28-year-old probably won't do it again, but the strong showing should at least earn him more playing time. Playing efficiently down low, Baynes is averaging 15.2 points and 11 boards per 36 minutes. When allotted 20 or more minutes, he has scored double-digit points in eight of 10 bouts.
Through three games with the Denver Nuggets, Jameer Nelson has averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 assists and two three-pointers per game over 24 minutes. That gives him a hearty average of 25.5 DraftKings fantasy points, a stellar rate for the veteran's $3,400 asking price.
He doesn't need to set San Antonio's stingy defense on fire. Even in a blowout against Golden State, Nelson held his own with 14 points and five assists off the bench.
Returning to the Thunder, Durant and Westbrook aren't the only two worthwhile scoring threats. NBA TV chronicles Dion Waiters' improved play since getting dealt from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The polarizing shooting guard credited the change of scenery for his resurgence to ESPN.com's Michael Wallace:
"It's a great situation for me. I get to play my game, and that is what it's about: being able to play and not having to look over your shoulder. It fits my style. They are giving me the ball. They want you to be successful. I came into a great situation.
"
Through those five games, he is averaging 25.05 DK points per contest, making him a steal at $199.60 per point. If he continues to shine as a prominent scoring option, his price will soon soar.
Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
