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FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Sunday, 1/16/21
That Saturday card was massive, and it's left us with very little here. We actually have just four games making up this Sunday slate, with only three games in the main card. That means we have one of the smallest player pools of the season, but it should be a fun slate to dissect. The Sacramento-Houston matchup is the one everyone will be zoned in on, and rightfully so. These teams combined for 240 points in a shootout on Friday, and that game barely cleared the total in the final seconds. We also have some elite offenses like the Warriors and Jazz taking the floor, too, leaving us with a ton of players to pick from!
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Point Guard
De'Aaron Fox FD - $8000 DK - $8100
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 41.8 DK - 42.27
Fox has been begging for a price increase with his recent play, and we're finally getting up there. In any case, we love him in this spot because this is the best matchup in fantasy. The Rockets rank first in pace, 29th in defensive efficiency, and dead-last in points allowed. All of that is horrifying against a speedster like Fox, with De'Aaron tallying 27 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in this matchup on Friday. That sort of game is no surprise when looking at his recent form, with Fox scoring at least 39 DK points in six of his last eight games. That's likely to be his floor in this majestic matchup, making him hard to fade around $8K.
Jordan Poole FD - $4900 DK - $5400
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 22.48 DK - 23.61
We've actually been fading Poole ever since Klay Thompson returned, but things have opened up big time for the former Wolverine. Golden State is playing this game without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, leaving a ton of usage on the table for JP. In fact, Poole has a 31.3 percent usage rate with those two guys off the floor, averaging 1.1 DK points per minute. That's a great total from a guy who's shown 40-point upside at times this season because he could be looking at 35-40 minutes and 20 shots in this spot. All of that makes him really enticing against Minnesota, with the T'Wolves ranked 19th in total defense.
Shooting Guard
Tyrese Haliburton FD - $7700 DK - $7800
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 37.79 DK - 37.35
This is the game we want to stack, and it makes a stat-stuffer like Hali one hell of a play. In this matchup on Friday, Tyrese tallied nine points, six rebounds, and 12 assists. Doing that sort of damage without scoring shows why this guy is so good, with Haliburton scoring at least 30 fantasy points in 16 of his last 17 games while generating a 41-point average in that stretch. That's quite the total from a sub-$8K player, especially since Houston allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing guards. These horrific defenses have these teams looking at a ridiculous 240-point total, and it makes every player in this game worth considering.
Will Barton FD - $5700 DK - $5900
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 33.04 DK - 34.25
Barton has been way too good this season to sit below $6K. We're talking about a guy averaging over 30 fantasy points per game for the season, stepping up with so many players out for Denver. The absence of Jamal Murray is the big one for Will the Thrill, taking on a lot of ball-handling duties in his rehabilitation period. It's hard to find a 30-point average from someone this cheap, especially with Barton posting such monster numbers in this matchup earlier in the season. In two meetings with the Jazz, Will is averaging 34.3 DK points per game across 38 minutes a night.
Small Forward
Andrew Wiggins FD - $5800 DK - $6600
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 32.1 DK - 32.85
We already talked about how Golden State is without Curry and Green, but missing Gary Payton Jr makes this wing rotation extremely thin. That doesn't even consider that Klay is looking at a 20-minute restriction, putting Wiggins in line to run this offense for most of the evening. With those two stars off the floor, Wiggins has a 25 percent usage rate. More importantly, Wig has at least 33 DraftKings points in the two games that Chef Curry has sat, taking at least 17 shots in both of those. You have to believe 15 shots and 35 minutes are his floor here, especially since he has a revenge game against the franchise he was drafted by. In his first meeting with the T'Wolves, Wiggins shot 14-of-19 from the field en route to a season-high 35 points.
Kevin Porter Jr. FD - $5800 DK - $6500
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 26.92 DK - 28.22
Porter is more of a point guard, but we love that these sites keep him SF eligible. In any case, KPJ can stuff the stat sheet at ease, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in this matchup on Friday. He's shown abilities like that throughout his career, scoring at least 30 DK points in 29 games since being traded over from Cleveland in the second half of last season. That's all you need from someone in this price range, and we certainly don't mind that he's shown 50-point upside on numerous occasions either. That becomes way more likely in this magical matchup, with the Kings ranked 27th in defensive efficiency and 28th in points allowed.
Power Forward
Marvin Bagley III FD - $5600 DK - $5600
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 25.88 DK - 26.6
The Kings are trying to cope without Damian Jones and Richaun Holmes, leaving Bagley with the most prominent role of his career. Not only has that made him a starter, but it also made him a 30-minute player. That's definitely what we saw on Friday, with Bagley collecting 26 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks across 33 minutes in this same matchup. That gives him an average of 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over the last three games. You can't ask for any more from a player this cheap, particularly with the Rockets being the most fantasy-friendly matchup in fantasy basketball.
Jeff Green FD - $4800 DK - $3800
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 20.74 DK - 21.11
It's crazy that Uncle Jeff is now playing for his 11th team, but this dude just produces no matter where he plays. He's actually been inserted into the starting lineup in Denver, with the Nuggets missing Michael Porter Jr and JaMychal Green. Those two being out has left Green with a gargantuan role, playing 30 minutes a game over the last two outings. He's also averaging 23.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in that span, taking at least eight shots in six straight outings. Those are brilliant numbers from such a cheap player, and he's undoubtedly going to play big minutes in what's become a rivalry game.
Center
Nikola Jokic FD - $10900 DK - $12000
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 62.4 DK - 64.62
The Joker is the best option in fantasy. This guy recorded a triple-double in just three quarters on Saturday, and getting rested in the fourth quarter should have him ready to roll here. That's great news since he leads all players with 59 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 41 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That makes him impossible to avoid on a three-game slate, no matter what this price says. A matchup with Utah looks tough on the surface, but Jokic gives the Jazz the blues whenever they square off. Dating back to 2018, The Joker is averaging over 60 fantasy points per game against them! Don't forget about Christian Wood in that Houston-Sacramento shootout, either.
Kevon Looney FD - $5300 DK - $4800
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 18.61 DK - 18.04
Looney is the final piece to our Golden State stack. We've mentioned in depth how much they're missing their superstar players, and it's led to one of Loon's best stretches of his career. In the four games since Draymond went down, Looney is averaging 7.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but it equates to 28 DK points across 22 minutes a night. That's a brilliant rate, and we genuinely believe he could be looking at 30-plus minutes here to oppose Karl-Anthony Towns. It just so happens that KAT is one of the worst defenders in the NBA, making Looney all the more intriguing.
