Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings Optimum Lineup Predictions for Jan. 21
During a busy NBA evening featuring a dozen games and a few five-star matchups, daily fantasy basketball players should instead target the weaker slates.
Sure, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors create the night's best watch, but they're also two of the league's stingiest defenses. It's best to ignore that bout's expensive superstars.
Hey, who needs two of the Western Conference's best when the New York Knicks are in town to play the Philadelphia 76ers? A game with nothing but lottery balls at stake formulates noteworthy fantasy selections. When two of the league's worst teams collide, someone has to do something, right?
Let's take a look at a sample DraftKings lineup for Wednesday's action. Besides one sneaky bargain, there are no scrubs featured in this balanced roster.
| PG | Brandon Jennings, DET | vs. ORL | $7,900 |
| SG | Monta Ellis, DAL | @ MIN | $7,100 |
| SF | Carmelo Anthony, NYK | @ PHI | $8,800 |
| PF | Dirk Nowitzki, DAL | @ MIN | $6,400 |
| C | Omer Asik, NO | vs. LAL | $4,600 |
| G | Jarrett Jack, BKN | @ SAC | $6,300 |
| F | Robert Covington, PHI | vs. NYK | $5,300 |
| UTIL | Langston Galloway, NYK | @ PHI | $3,600 |
Lineup Analysis
Welcome back, Carmelo Anthony. After missing six games with a knee injury, the star forward immediately returned to vintage form, scoring 49 points in two games back for the New York Knicks.
Before spending time on the sideline, his price hovered above $10,000 on DraftKings. Take him at a discounted $8,800 while you can.
Much of what makes the Philadelphia 76ers a great matchup actually bodes better for Langston Galloway, who is surging on his second 10-day contract. Head coach Derek Fisher praised the recent call-up to the New York Post's Marc Berman after torching the New Orleans Pelicans (sans Anthony Davis) for 21 points.
The 76ers rate last in turnovers, second-last in assists allowed and third-worst in three-pointers surrendered. Galloway has drained eight deep balls in five games along with a steal and three assists per bout.
After going back and forth between two equally priced Philadelphia forwards, Robert Covington earned the final nod over Nerlens Noel. The Knicks surrender a league-high 9.3 three-pointers per game, so roll with the one who sinks 2.2 bombs per game from behind the arc.
Lionel Hollins is milking every bit of utility he can squeeze out of Jarrett Jack. In 10 January games, he's playing 35.3 minutes per game in light of Deron Williams' absence, receiving 41 of 48 minutes in Saturday's loss to the Washington Wizards.
He's made the most of that time by exceeding 20 points in consecutive outings, attempting 18 field goals each in both games. Such a bloated workload has led him to average 32.2 DraftKings points this month, which puts him on par with the costlier Darren Collison.
| 10 | 35.3 | 13.5 | 0.3 | 6.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
The Sacramento Kings ranking No. 24 with a 105.5 defensive rating only sweetens the pot for the veteran guard.
With or without Davis in the lineup—his status was bumped up to probable on Tuesday night—Omer Asik will prove worth the investment against the flimsy Los Angeles Lakers. Lacking any credible big men, the Lakers allow the fifth-most rebounds and the fourth-most field goals within five feet. No team surrenders more DraftKings points to opposing centers.
Asik isn't good for much more than rebounds and blocks, but he grabbed 13 boards against Los Angeles earlier this season. He could pick up his second straight double-double if Davis sits out again, which would also make Alexis Ajinca an interesting play at $3,900.
Since the Minnesota Timberwolves tout the NBA's worst defensive rating, why not exploit them through Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki? Although erratic, Ellis posts 20.3 points a night while sporting his highest field-goal percentage (45.5) since 2007-08. When these two teams last met, he led the Dallas Mavericks to a 131-117 victory with 30 points.
Nowitzki, meanwhile, has proven reports of his demise premature. After Rick Carlisle rested his veteran on January 14, the 36-year-old looked refreshed in his last two tilts.
| Fri., 1/16 | vs. DEN | 30 | 25 | 8-18 | 4-5 | 9 |
| Mon., 1/19 | @ MEM | 32 | 21 | 7-13 | 2-4 | 6 |
Even in his latter days, it's strange to see the former MVP cheaper than Markieff Morris ($6,600). Nowitzki's an affordable piece in a well-rounded lineup whose wild card is Brandon Jennings. Even after going a combined 4-of-19 during his last two games, he gets the call against the Orlando Magic.
After all, he scored 37 points the game before.
Note: All advanced stats courtesy of NBA.com.
