DraftKings NBA: New Year's Day Cheat Sheet

DraftKings NBA: New Year's Day Cheat Sheet

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Guards

Damian Lillard, POR at SAC ($8,700): Lillard's 45 fantasy points per game mean he's already surpassing 5X value, as he's seen a price drop due to some recent blowouts. That really shouldn't be an issue here, as we're looking at a game with a total of 230 with a spread of 1.5 points in favor of Portland. Lillard's floor is hard to pass up, as he has at least 44 DraftKings points in 21 of his 37 games this season. He'll face a Kings defense that allows the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Lillard averaged 31.8 points, 7.0 assists and 1.8 steals in four games against Sacramento last year.

Emmanuel Mudiay, NYK at DEN ($5,600): Mudiay (ankle) has quietly been a stud since taking over as the starting point guard for the Knicks, and he'll surely want to play well against the team who drafted him just a few years ago. In his last 14 games since taking over, Mudiay is averaging 18.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 0.6 steals across 31.2 minutes per game. That minute total looks even better when you consider the fact that he leads the team with 15 shots and a 26 percent usage rate in that span.

Reggie Jackson, DET at MIL ($4,800): This price is simply too cheap, as Jackson has proven to be a $6,000 player this season. He's scored at least 20 DK points in 10 straight games while never failing to score less than 16 fantasy points in any game this season. That's a rare feat from a player south of $5,000, as he's still averaging 27 DraftKings points per game for the year.

Forwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. DET ($11,600): Antetokounmpo is easily the best play on the board Tuesday. He's scored at least 64 DK points in three straight games, averaging close to 70 fantasy points per game in that span. That should continue Tuesday, as he faces a Pistons team that has just three wins in their last 14 games while posting one of the worst defensive ratings in the league in that span. In their matchup two weeks ago, Antetokounmpo collected 32 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in just 31 minutes.

Al-Farouq Aminu, POR at SAC ($4,900): Aminu has been hard to trust for fantasy purposes but he's starting to play better recently. Aminu has at least 25 fantasy points in five straight games, and he's playing 31 minutes a game in that span. His season average is up to 24 DK points per game, and he faces a Kings defense that sits 24th in defensive efficiency.

Luke Kornet, NYK at DEN ($4,600): Kornet has taken over starting center duties for the Knicks and it's done wonders for his fantasy value. In his two starts, Kornet is averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks across 31 minutes a game. He's posting a 22 percent usage rate over the last two games and should continue to have some short-term viability against a sub-par defensive big man in Nikola Jokic.

Centers

Jusuf Nurkic, POR at SAC ($7,500): Nurkic's high floor is what makes him an attractive DFS option, as he has at least 30 DK points in all but five games this season. His role has increased recently, as well, as he leads the Blazers with a 29 percent usage rate across the last three games. That's translated to 41 DraftKings points per game in that span.

Brook Lopez, MIL vs. DET ($5,300): Lopez has steadily been improving his play for the Bucks, as he has scored at least 24 DK points in 14 of his last 16 games. He continues to bomb away from beyond the arc, averaging nearly eight three-point attempts across his last nine games. In two games against Detroit this season, Lopez is averaging 26 DraftKings points, despite putting up just 4.5 real points and shooting 33 percent from the field.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joel Bartilotta
Joel has 20 years of Fantasy experience, and can recall riding a young Daunte Culpepper to a championship in the 2003-04 season in his inaugural fantasy year. He covers NBA, NFL, daily fantasy, EPL, and MLB for RotoWire.
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