Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler stands on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
If you were annoyed by that two-game Tuesday card like we were, you're in for a treat here! We have 13 games in total and 26 teams taking the floor. That means we get to see almost every team in action, and it's going to give us a massive player pool to dig through. We feel like we have a good read on many of the plays out there, though, so let's go ahead and get into it!
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 42.61 DK - 42.98
Fox got off to a terrible start this season, but he's been cooking recently. The speedy guard has at least 39 DraftKings points in six of his last nine games. The three outliers all had big reasons for the stinkers, too, with Fox getting ejected in one of them and the Portland game being a massive blowout. We don't expect either of those to be an issue here because this is a fantastic matchup. The Pistons rank 23rd in points allowed and defensive efficiency while surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing PGs. That means we expect Fox to reach that 39-point total at ease, which is all you need from an $8K player.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 33.34 DK - 34.23
Conley might be the best play on the board. This guy was an $8K player in his days with the Grizzlies, and he could be looking at a similar role here. We say that because Donovan Mitchell (concussion) is out, leaving Conley as the showman for the offense. He's actually scored at least 29 DK points in every game that Mitchell has missed since the beginning of last season. That's big news for a guy with a 30-point average this year, giving him a 50-point upside in this spot. The matchup with Houston is the icing on the cake, though, with the Rockets ranked first in pace and dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Cade Cunningham is just $6,000 on FanDuel and faces a subpar Sacramento defense.
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 47.92 DK - 48.67
DeRozan is actually in his first slump of the season, but it's lowered his price just enough to the point where we want to hop in. This guy has been playing at an MVP level for most of the season, averaging 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. What's made him so dominant is his monster role, playing 35 minutes a night while attempting 19 shots a game. That doesn't even include his elite ability to get to the free-throw line and the fact that he will see a usage bump without Zach LaVine. With LaVine off the floor, DeRozan has an absurd 34 percent usage rate and should handle the ball even more with Lonzo Ball out as well.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 35.8 DK - 36.27
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the next few games, it looks like Davis will be the starting shooting guard. TD tallied 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals across 37 minutes of action in the first game in this expanded role. That equates to 41 fantasy points, and that sort of upside is impossible to overlook from such a cheap player. It's no fluke either, with Davis dropping at least 28 DK points in the four fixtures he played at least 27 minutes. We expect that to be his floor here, and we already talked about how good of a matchup this Detroit defense is.
Coby White has been playing a ton of minutes in the absence of LaVine and Ball.
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 49.69 DK - 48.92
Jimmy has remained in this price range all season, and it makes no sense why. The All-Star is amid the best season of his career, averaging 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. That has also led to an amazing floor, with JB scoring at least 33 DraftKings points in 23 of 26 games this season. He's actually got at least nine assists in three straight games as well, taking over point guard duties in the absence of Kyle Lowry. His triple-double on Monday shows the sort of potential he has, and that could happen again versus a 29th-ranked Portland defense.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 21.14 DK - 22.55
Jingles have been terrible for most of the season but look at this price! Paying $3,700 for someone with the ability is hard to overlook because Ingles was masterful in the starting lineup last season. In fact, Ingles averaged 29 DK points per game in his 36 games as a starter last year. Almost all of those came with either Mike Conley or Mitchell out of the lineup, so we expect Ingles to resume starting duties here. The simple fact is, his shots, assists, minutes, usage, and ball-handling duties skyrocket in these circumstances. We already discussed how good of a matchup Houston is, which only adds to Ingles immense value.
Kessler Edwards has been starting for Kevin Durant and remains a good value in his 30-minute role.
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 64.19 DK - 66.21
Using Giannis is a cheat code, and you really can't go wrong using him on every single slate. We say that because he ranks second in the NBA with 57 DraftKings points per game. His floor might be the best part, though, with Antetokounmpo scoring at least 31 DK points in every game this season while reaching 41 or more fantasy points in all but three games. That looks even better since Giannis has at least 46 fantasy points in 11 straight outings, averaging nearly 60 DK points per game in that span. A matchup with Memphis is tough, but both of these clubs rank top-10 in pace, meaning more possessions and more fantasy points for the Greek Freak in what should be a tight game.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 27.16 DK - 26.9
The Nets have been struggling with their frontcourt all season, but it looks like they've stumbled into a gem with Sharpe. The big man has been playing an expanded role without Kevin Durant and Nicolas Claxton, playing at least 20 minutes in five straight fixtures. He's also scored at least 25 DK points in four of those, an absurd total from a $4,500 player. Washington is a great matchup for him, too, since they send out three centers. That means Sharpe needs to play more to oppose them, which looks even better since the Wizards own a 27th OPRK against opposing big men.
Al Horford has struggled recently but is getting way too cheap and faces a horrendous Hornets defense here.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 43.58 DK - 43.6
Big Rudy is in a beautiful spot here. He doesn't get much of a usage bump without Mitchell, but this matchup is majestic for a guy like this. We say that because Houston plays at the fastest pace in the NBA while owning one of the worst offensive ratings. That means Gobert should feast down low, swallowing up blocks and rebounds at ease. We're talking about a guy who's leading the NBA with 15.2 rebounds per game, and he could be looking at 20 rebounds in this sensational spot. In their matchup earlier this season. Gobert gobbled up 16 points and 14 rebounds across just 27 minutes. Imagine what he could do in 35 minutes with his 40-point average
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 32.25 DK - 30.49
Big O has been tough to trust, but we have to believe that he will play huge minutes in the absence of Clint Capela. In the last five games without Cap, OO has played at least 24 minutes in four of them while scoring at least 19 DK points in each of those. We love his upside, though, playing 36 minutes in two of those while dropping 33 DraftKings points in the most recent outing. If he plays 36-plus minutes in this sub-$5K price range, OO could be one of the best values out there. Facing Minnesota is a nice matchup, too, with the T'Wolves ranked 19th in total defense while surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
If you have the salary, Nikola Jokic is a lock for 50-60 DK points on every slate.
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