It’s the last day of January. It’s the last day of the work week. It’s the last sentence in this paragraph. Sorry. Had to follow the rule of three.
Anyway, we’ve got a six-game featured slate tonight in the NBA. Let’s hunt down some values.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Network app. You also can follow DK Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
PG/SG Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets, $3,800
Full disclosure: This photo has been the lock screen on my phone for the past half-decade, so I might be a little biased here. I might just be jumping at the chance to write about my favorite player of all-time. Still, Lowry is on the heels of his best performance of the season, with 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 32.75 FPTS in the 76ers’ victory over the Kings on Wednesday. The simple fact of the matter is with Paul George (finger) and Caleb Martin (hip) sidelined, there’s some minutes available in Philadelphia’s rotation at the moment. Nick Nurse clearly has an affinity for his long-time point guard and, if Lowry sees anything close to the 25.6 minutes he logged versus Sacramento, he’s going to bring back value on tonight’s slate. We’re well past Lowry’s All-Star days, but he’s got a little left in the tank.
C Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $4,200
Diabate’s price tag is up a couple hundred dollars from where it sat 48 hours ago, but the big man should still be viable in this matchup with the Clippers. Diabate didn’t start Wednesday’s loss to the Nets like most expected, but he still logged 27.2 minutes off the bench and, in general, looked better than Taj Gibson ($3,300), who did grab 10 rebounds in his 17.6 minutes, yet did not score a point. Gibson is now 39-years-old. He’s only exceeded 20 minutes of playing time once in the past two seasons. I don’t think he’s suddenly going to add to that total this evening. Look for Diabate to hover in the 26-30 minute range and for him to register at least 25 FPTS — as he’s done in each of the past two contests that Mark Williams (foot) has missed.
PF Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors, $4,200
Williams has still yet to show the potential that once made him the fourth-overall pick in the NBA Draft, but the forward has strung together a couple of nice performances this week. In Chicago’s past two games, Williams is averaging 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 30.6 FPTS. That alone would make the forward an intriguing value candidate on this small slate, but there’s also the matter of matchup. Suddenly, the Raptors aren’t a defensive doormat, as the squad is allowing a league-low 103.0 opponent points per 100 possessions over its recent 7-1 stretch. However, it’s specifically the presence of Scottie Barnes ($9,400) that makes this an interesting spot for Williams. Billy Donovan even mentioned Williams might start on Friday due to his ability to physically contend with Toronto’s young star. Either way, expect Williams to log heavy minutes north of the border.
