Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Strategy for Friday, Feb. 6

Change your Friday night plans. This 12-game slate for NBA basketball at DraftKings promises to be more rewarding than your night out. We help you cash in with lineup-building strategy right here at Bleacher Report.

The myriad daily fantasy lineup combinations can be as dizzying as that date you should cancel to stay home, follow along and win with us.

If you're looking for some wide-open games based off the Las Vegas lines, look for the Golden State Warriors at the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers—coming off that 105-94 beating they took Thursday night in Cleveland—at the Toronto Raptors. The totals for those games are the highest of the night at 215 and 210, respectively, per Odds Shark.

If you're looking to take advantage of injury and a game-time decision, then you have to be watching the status of Kevin Durant ($9,900) and his ailing toe very closely. Durant's absence has made Russell Westbrook ($10,900) a very attractive play, despite a huge price.

And everyone would be all-in on the Miami Heat's Hassan Whiteside ($8,000), but he is doubtful for Friday night with an ankle issue, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman.

We figure you know how to pick the big names otherwise. The picks below are going to focus on the strategies of picking the sub-$6K bargains you want to fill out your roster with behind those consistent big scorers.

No, don't make your lineup look like this, but strategically use this analysis and these options as the stopgaps in the loads of lineup and scoring options you have tonight.

PG Jeremy Lin, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,000)

"Linsanity" seems like a lifetime ago, but the pending free agent is still plugging away as he tries to find himself a new home before the trade deadline. The Lakers are trying to get Lin to shoot himself into a hot streak to gain some trade value, but the only real benefit is the amount of minutes he is getting for us as a cheap fill-in for daily leagues.

Lin is coming off a 30-minute, 11-point, six-assist (27.75 DraftKings fantasy points) performance at Milwaukee. Now, he faces an equally sad-sacked Orlando Magic team that is 28th at DraftKings against point guards. Lin should be able to come through for 25 fantasy points as one of your lineup bargains. 

• Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,600)
• Shabazz Napier, Miami Heat ($3,000)
• Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers ($3,000)

SG Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,700)

Martin has come back with a vengeance, returning from his wrist injury and elevating into the starting lineup of late. He scored 30 points his last time out, and the Memphis Grizzlies are 19th against shooting guards at DraftKings.

It isn't just Martin's return either. Ricky Rubio ($5,700) is back to help feed the consistent Martin, who is still undervalued in daily leagues. The combo should put good numbers up for daily players on a consistent basis until their prices are adjusted appropriately.

• Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,500)
• Marcus Thornton, Boston Celtics ($3,400)

SF Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($6,100)

Middleton is just over our $6K threshold, but we are going to sneak the discussion of what he has done of late in here. He has hovered around 45 DraftKings points each of his past two games, filling stat sheets with points, rebounds, assists and steals. He is a stat-stuffer who is underpriced amid this hot streak.

He has hit 14 of 22 three-pointers for a sizzling 63.6 percent in his past six games, telling Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"

I've been shooting the ball well, but it just comes from playing within the offense and letting my teammates find me. I'm not trying to be overly aggressive; I'm not trying to force things. I'm just playing my game, just being patient. ...

I think it is just another year of experience under my belt. I'm taking a step in the right direction. I still have a long way to go, but I feel like I'm playing well right now. I just have to keep it up.

"

Daily fantasy leaguers have to keep him in their lineups, too, even if his price is finally over $6K.

• Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic ($5,800)
• Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,100)
• Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,800)

PF Carlos Boozer, Los Angeles Lakers ($5,700)

Boozer has picked up the pace—and the minutes—as the Lakers have moved on from Kobe Bryant's (shoulder) season-ending injury. He has hovered around 20-10 each of the past three games and figures to keep a lot of minutes for as long as he stays healthy.

This is as high as his price has been in awhile, but he is still worth the freight for as long as he stays hot on the glass. The Lakers' loss of Jordan Hill (hip) puts more minutes and production responsibility on Boozer's veteran shoulders.

• Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,400)
• Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks ($3,800)

C Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers ($5,500)

We have a number of reasons for liking Hibbert on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. First, the Cavs are due for a back-to-back letdown after that huge victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Also, Hibbert is coming off 36 minutes and 16-12 for a 42-point DraftKings night Wednesday. And, finally, the Cavs (read: Timofey Mozgov ($5,200)) are just 27th at DraftKings versus centers. Hibbert is going to surprise here.

• Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors ($5,200)
• Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz ($5,000)

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.