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)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 33.73 DK - 36.5
With Donovan Mitchell still on the shelf, the Jazz offense will once again be running through Mike Conley. It worked out well last game when he ran 34 minutes (well above his average) and went for 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds against the Rockets. This time around he draws another good matchup against the Pistons who are 23rd in defensive efficiency. Conley sees a usage uptick with Mitchell off the court this season and that is set to maintain here in this game. There is moderate blowout risk, but it’s hard to sweat it all that much with Conley’s pricing in the lower-middle tier.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 26.77 DK - 29.22
With Killian Hayes on the shelf, Cory Joseph stepped into the starting lineup and immediately had an offensive impact for the Pistons. He played 37 minutes against the Kings and Detroit was even able to pull out the win. This is a worse matchup, for sure, against the Jazz but Joseph should be in line for a bunch of minutes again. He ran close to 40 the last time out and finishes with 19 points and nine assists. Both are likely at the high end of expectation, especially because Cade Cunningham was in foul trouble most of the game. But the price hasn’t moved nearly enough here considering the new opportunity.
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 32.19 DK - 35.57
It’s been a struggle for Cade Cunningham in the short term with the first-overall pick failing to crack 30 minutes in the last three games. He had major foul trouble last time out and the shooting has been very up and down over the last month or so. All that’s led to a price drop on FanDuel where he’s sitting at $5200. That’s just too low even in a tougher matchup against the Jazz. I think we can take the risk with the understanding that the Pistons' plan is to play him 30+ when the going is good. He’s just too good of a fantasy player to be in this price tier.
Opponent - ATL
Proj Pts FD - 51.24 DK - 52.64
Jimmy Butler was done dirty last game, playing only 15 minutes thanks to a pretty BS double-technical situation that got him ejected from the game against the Trailblazers. I’m looking for a bounce-back in this one against the Hawks and Butler has major upside. Both Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro remain out for the Heat and Butler is staring down a lot of on-ball time once again. The price isn’t close to what his opportunity could be in this game and I love the matchup against an Atlanta Hawks team that is ranked second to last in the league in defensive efficiency. Butler didn’t see as much ownership as I thought he was last time out and we could be looking at something of a high upside contrarian play once again.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 23.8 DK - 26.93
Ingles drew the start for the injured Donovan Mitchell last time out and put up a balanced line that more than paid off his price at the time. We’ve seen a bit of a price uptick, but not by much and he’s clearly a value plan once again here. Against the Rockets Ingles went for 10 points on 4-9 shooting and also added six assists and five rebounds. Overall, that kind of game gets it done in this price tier and he’s especially cheap on FanDuel where he’s coming close to the minimum. There is some blowout risk here, but not enough to be a huge concern for Ingles at these prices.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 56.85 DK - 62.19
The Nets are on the road here meaning they will have both James Harden and Kyrie Irving for this one. That cuts into Harden’s production some, but it should still mean he has a high enough floor to play in cash, especially on FanDuel. It was a struggle for Harden last game, turning the ball over eight times in the win over the Wizards. But the usage was still through the roof, taking 21 shots overall and getting to the line six times. The Nets will face a below-average defense in the Spurs in this one and Harden should see a lot of shots once again. I think we can run him out there in cash without much hesitation.
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 60.26 DK - 63.27
Giannis continues to just put up eye-popping numbers and he makes for a tough fade almost every night. This will be another one of those games with the Bucks favored at home against a banged-up Bulls team. Giannis is coming off a monster game, putting up 33 points and 15 rebounds against the Grizzlies. He could be in line for similar production in this one. The price is all the way up there so it will take some punt plays to fit him in with some of the other big-money guys. But it’s more than worth it considering what he gives you in the box score.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 49.91 DK - 51.06
Gobert played a bunch of minutes the last time out and should again as long as the game against the Pistons stays close. The dude is a total machine and really is one of the most underrated fantasy guys out there. Prior to the game against the Rockets, Gobert had double-doubled in 19 straight games and was averaging 17 points and 16 rebounds per game over the last month. That’s pretty unreal and he’s still coming way too cheap on DraftKings at under $9K. I love going back to the well here for a high-floor guy like this.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 29.06 DK - 30.74
This dude is just a per-minute beast and should be in line for run tonight against the Spurs. His major issue has been foul trouble and that’s a concern. But we are talking about a guy who just went for 14 points and six rebounds in just 15 minutes last game. He’s averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game since entering the starting lineup three games ago and the price isn’t all the way there on DraftKings yet. Again, you are fading the foul issues if you roster him, but he should be in line to hit value if he can just get 22-24 minutes.
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