Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) moves the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
After a lengthy All-Star break, we're ecstatic to be back at it here! We had some brilliant All-Star festivities which culminated with the best game that I've seen in years and it has us ready to rock and roll in the final months of the season. We do have one early game between the Kings and Clippers but we're going to fade that one since its not part of the main slate. With that in mind, let's get to our favorite plays of the day.
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Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 51.07 DK - 53.74
It's crazy that Doncic's price has dropped this much. This is a guy who was $12,000 the final game before the break and we have to wonder what DraftKings is thinking here. He earned every bit of that $12,000 price tag too, averaging 57.4 fantasy points per game for the season. That's even less surprising when you see that he's scored at least 60 DK points in four of his last eight games which seems like a strong possibility here. Doncic gets to face an Atlanta team who sits 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed. After being a 70% play in cash on a bigger slate last night, one has to thing he'll be uber-chalk tonight. Look for he and Trae Young to go at it here.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 25.64 DK - 27.01
With seemingly half of the Bulls roster injured, White has found himself in a nice role. The most recent injury to Kris Dunn is the one that really boosts White's value, forcing him into ball-handling duties. Over his last four fixtures, White is averaging 27.1 DraftKings points per game across 30.5 minutes per outing. That's the production of a $6,000 player and he should continue to see big usage with Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter and Wendell Carter Jr all injured. Not to mention, he gets to face a 19th-ranked Suns defense.
Spencer Dinwiddie (FD $7500 DK $7700) is averaging over 30 fantasy points per game when starting for Kyrie Irving and should continue that success against a crappy Charlotte defense.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 35.67 DK - 36.73
LeVert has been an absolute stud since Irving's most recent injury. While Dinwiddie has been the one who's starting at point guard, a lot of the offense is being run through LeVert. In fact, LeVert is averaging 33.3 minutes and 20 shots a game over his last six fixtures while leading the club with a monstrous 31.4 percent usage rate. That huge role is backed up by impressive fantasy numbers, averaging 38.9 fantasy points per game in that span. The match-up against Charlotte is the icing on the cake, with the Hornets ranked 26th in defensive efficiency.
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 28.06 DK - 28.32
Richardson is being lost in this deep starting lineup but he's been way too good to be priced this cheaply. We're talking about a guy who's averaging 26.3 DraftKings points per game, making him a pretty standard value play at these prices on any given night. He's actually been even better recently, averaging 30.5 DK points per game across 35.5 minutes over his last two outings. That makes us believe that he's fully over the hamstring issue that hampered him earlier in the month and we also love the fact that he gets to face the fastest-paced team in the league too.
Jimmy Butler (FD $8100 DK $8200) is a triple-double threat every night and faces a 29th-ranked Cleveland defense.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 58.09 DK - 60.72
Giannis is the highest-priced player on the slate and rightfully so. This dude is leading all players with 60.5 DK points per game, doing that damage in fewer than 31 minutes of play. Those 31 minutes are clearly a ploy to keep him healthy and one would have to believe that they'll increase that playing time here against a rival like the Sixers. In two games against them this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 27 points, 17 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game despite shooting just 40 percent from the field. His numbers last year against them are even more absurd, averaging 43 points, 15.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.3 blocks in three games against them. Yeah, I think he'll be motivated here and match the 34 minutes played across those five outings!
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 37.14 DK - 37.25
Oubre is also another guy who's too cheap for someone of his ilk. We're talking about a player who's averaging 34 DraftKings points per game. That alone makes him hard to fade in this $6,000-range, especially when you consider that he's averaging 35 fantasy points per game across his last 11 outings. That makes the price drop look even more bizarre and I'm starting to wonder if DraftKings is changing their algorithm to make these players more affordable. The final piece to the puzzle is the matchup, with the Bulls owning a 20th OPRK against SFs this season.
Joe Harris (FD $4500 DK $4500) has a 20-point fantasy floor and that makes him a solid option against such a bad defense. particularly below $5,000.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 42.79 DK - 43.36
I don't want to toot my own horn but Adebayo cashed a nice +950 ticket for me at the Skills Challenge over the weekend. This is a dude who can literally do everything which was crystal clear when he collected 28 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and three steals on Thursday. That extends a stretch in which Bam has scored at least 40 DK points in 10 of his last 11 games while averaging 46.2 DraftKings points per game in that span. Facing Cleveland is simply a bonus, with the Cavs sitting 29th in defensive efficiency and Bam averaging 39 fantasy points per game in his two outings against them this season.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 31.01 DK - 30.76
Young just went off on Thursday and it's hard to understand why his price is so stagnant after that performance. The southpaw dropped 48.3 DK points in that outing and it's really no surprise when you see all of the injuries mentioned in the White write-up. That full training room has forced Young into the starting lineup, averaging 27.8 DK points per game across 33 minutes since capturing starting duties 10 games ago. What we really like is his 21-point floor, which alone is 4X value. All of that makes him tough to fade against a subpar Suns defense.
PJ Washington (FD $4800 DK $4700) gets to face a subpar Nets defense and has 30-point potential as the Hornets starting power forward
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 52.28 DK - 54.42
It's pretty clear that Giannis and Embiid take these games personally. In two games against the Bucks this season, Embiid is averaging 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game en route to 51 fantasy points per outing. He's done that damage despite shooting just 36 percent from the field and playing 30 minutes a game, making that 50-point total look like his floor. Much like Giannis, his numbers were even better last year. In fact, Joel averaged 34.7 points, 15.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.3 blocks in three games against them last season. Obviously, these two are going to be going at it.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 44.7 DK - 45.19
Using centers against Chicago is always a good idea. Not only are they missing half of their frontcourt to injury, the Bulls also surrender the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. That's bad news against a stud like Ayton, with the big man scoring at least 55 DK points in three of his last four games. That's led to him averaging 45.4 fantasy points per game across his last 13 outings, so, look for him to roll right through this weak frontcourt.
Dewayne Dedmon (FD $4900 DK $4700) has been very inconsistent but should continue to start in the absence of Clint Capela.
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