Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks to pass during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in New York. The Bucks won 111-107. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 44.56 DK - 48.67
Fading the Bucks could be a problem here as much as playing them considering there is some major blowout risk against the Wizards. But they get such an awesome matchup against the team running the NBA’s fastest pace with a defensive efficiency that’s pretty close to the bottom.
While we might be more incentivized to play Damian Lillard when Giannis is out, there is still merit to playing both here. Dame is coming off 27 points and 12 assists in the full-strength game against the Mavericks on Saturday. If Washington can keep it close (big IF), then Lillard is still a deal here.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 38.13 DK - 41.56
The Clippers made a starting lineup change last game, moving Russell Westbrook to the sixth man role. It seemed to pay dividends with LA finally getting a win in the James Harden era and the latter put up solid numbers. He finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists when it was all said and done.
Now he’ll face the Spurs who are playing the second-worst defense in the league and the Clips come in with one of the highest totals. Harden isn’t priced correctly on either site, but is an especially good deal on FanDuel.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 49.09 DK - 52.33
Almost no matter what, we are going to be paying up for some guards on this slate with the way things are currently shaking out. De'Aaron Fox has been out of his mind this season, and over his last four games is averaging 32 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while running major minutes.
The price on DraftKings hasn’t really caught up to the production which is running a bit on the hot side, but not a ton. I think we can still play him in this one considering Kings-Pelicans has the second-highest over/ under on the slate.
Chris Duarte (FD 3700 DK 3100) could get the start again for Kevin Huerter here and is coming cheap.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 58.38 DK - 61.86
As we said with Damian Lillard, the Bucks come into Monday with one of the best matchups you can get in the NBA when it comes to fantasy. The Wizards just absolutely let it up on a nightly basis and seem like only part of a basketball team. But that means there is blowout risk which can be a problem when thinking about rostering a guy like Giannis.
That being said, the dude is about as good as it gets, averaging 29 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and 2.2 blocks+steals per game. The floor is incredibly high even if he could get buzzed on the minutes.
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 44.79 DK - 47.58
As mentioned with James Harden, the Clippers had a slightly new look last game and it’s clear they are willing to push things in order to right the ship in the short term. Paul George played 40 minutes against the Rockets, took the most shots (22) on the team and finished with 23 points despite some struggles with efficiency. He also added eight boards and three blocks + steals. The big story is the minutes and the matchup against the Spurs and I think stacking some Clips is in the cards here.
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 34.31 DK - 36.73
The Kings have been fine running Keegan Murray huge minutes this season which, in close games, is going to give him a higher projected floor than most other players in this price range. He’s been running bad in the shooting department, hitting just 25% of his threes over his last nine games. That, in part, is keeping the price in check. It also makes him a bit weird to play because it’s tough watching all of the bricks. That being said, the role is there and the matchup is a good one.
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 43.31 DK - 46.06
Pelicans and Kings has a high total and a thin spread, just the kind of matchup we want to target in cash games. Zion Williamson sat out the last one, but he should be back tonight and in line for minutes in the mid-30s. He’s been getting things on track lately and last game finished with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds, and a couple of blocks in the win over Denver. I love the FanDuel price at a position that is sometimes tough to fill.
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 31.29 DK - 32.6
Kevon Looney got the start for the suspended Draymond Green last game and played a bunch of minutes, even all the way through the overtime. He played 30 minutes in regulation and finished with a whopping 16 rebounds when it was all said and done. We know he can get on the boards in a big way and the Warriors need his size with Draymond out of the mix. Facing Sengun in this matchup, I expect plenty of run again.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 40.31 DK - 41.25
Mike Malone has his Nuggets starters running big minutes when the games are close of late and Aaron Gordon has averaged more than 35 over his last eight. The number has even pressed up to 39 when things are really close. In that span, he’s averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds despite struggling some from beyond the arc. I love the price on both sites and think he will be a lower-owned guy here. The Pistons might not keep it close which is the real risk with this play.
Jonas Valanciunas (FD 6900 DK 6800) is also interesting.
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