There’s nothing better than a January night where nearly all of the NBA is in action. Thankfully for hoops fans, that’s what’s in store tonight: an 11-game slate of action-packed basketball. While the top-seeded teams in each conference will be resting up for their battle on Thursday night, the second-through-fifth seeds in both conferences will all take the court.
All it means is that DraftKings fantasy players will have plenty of options when filling out their lineups for tonight’s slate. Here are three must-start players for tonight’s action:
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PG Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks, $7,500
Increasingly, Chicago’s decision to deal Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey is looking like a win-win; Caruso has been an All-Defensive caliber wrecking ball for the West’s top team, while Giddey is playing the best basketball of his career for a team that has a better record than it probably should. While his scoring numbers are down, Giddey’s all-around impact makes him a valuable fantasy asset, even if he’s not shooting well. In his most recent game, a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, he scored only seven points, but it was still good enough for 52.25 FPTS because he added 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals.
He has a favorable matchup tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, who have conceded the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards, which is hardly a surprise, given that Atlanta starts Trae Young. The Hawks have allowed the third-most points (119.8), 10th-most rebounds (44.6), and third-most assists (28.8) per game to opponents, partially because they play at the league’s third-fastest pace. With the Bulls playing at the second-fastest pace, tonight’s game should be action-packed, which should allow Giddey, Coby White ($6,500), Zach LaVine ($8,600), and Nikola Vucevic ($8,300) all to put up huge numbers.
C Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors, $7,100
Boston is so deep that it’s sometimes difficult to predict who will perform well, especially given that their two superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are among the highest-variance high-level players in the league. That’s why I’m staying away from the Celtics’ two most expensive players and instead going with a seven-footer with a torch. In his past four games, Porzingis has been in a groove, averaging 21.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks (41.9 FPTS) per game. He’s also been fairly consistent, scoring no fewer than 32 FPTS in any of his last four contests.
This is also a bet against the Raptors, who have finally chosen a direction and are racing headlong into the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. While Toronto has some exciting young pieces, most notably Scottie Barnes ($9,000) and Gradey Dick ($4,500), the Raptors are pretty bad overall, allowing 117.5 points per 100 possessions, the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league. Toronto has been especially woeful against opposing centers, conceding the most fantasy points in the league to the position. Raptors big Jakob Poeltl ($6,400) is playing some of the worst defense of his career and, as a paint-bound traditional big, doesn’t have the foot speed to counter five-out teams like Boston.
SF/PF Harrison Barnes, San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $4,100
Since the first two players I’ve suggested for tonight’s slate have both been fairly pricey, let’s go with a cheap, high-upside option. Although most of the talk in San Antonio has — for good reason — surrounded Victor Wembanyama ($11,200), Barnes has provided important veteran leadership for a surprisingly competitive Spurs unit. He’s also produced more consistently as of late, posting at least 10 points and at least 20 FPTS in each of his past four games. He’s started every single game this season for San Antonio and is shooting a career-high 40.9% from deep. He’s basically the only starter around his price range on tonight’s DFS slate.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies — despite having the league’s seventh-best defensive rating overall — allow the most FPTS to opposing small forwards, which should increase Barnes’ upside. Former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart has missed each of the last 11 games with a finger injury, and without him, Memphis’ defense has struggled. The Grizzlies have given up 115.3 points per 100 possessions in their last 11 games, the seventh-worst defensive rating in basketball. Barnes has also stepped up in the injury absence of Jeremy Sochan, averaging 25.0 FPTS across his last two games.
