While the NFL takes center stage on the weekends throughout the month of January, the NBA still controls the middle of the week, and nearly half of the league will take the court tonight, including two top-four teams in the East and one in the West. None of the seven games are especially marquee, but plenty of stars will feature.
All seven games are eligible for tonight’s featured DFS contest at DraftKings, so users have plenty of options as they seek the $100,000 top prize. Here are three players who should be in your lineups:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
C Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks at Sacramento Kings, $8,700
The center position is rife with relative budget options tonight, since the two most expensive centers on the slate, Nikola Jokić ($12,800) and Anthony Davis ($9,600) are both out with long-term injuries. Of the remaining options, Towns should be the most trustworthy: though he and the Knicks have had some inconsistencies as of late, he’s topped his 43.5-FPPG season average in three of his last five games, headlined by a 20-point, 11-board, seven-assist (48.8-FPT) effort against the LA Clippers last Wednesday. Josh Hart ($7,100)‘s return from injury should only help Towns, as Hart replaces the higher-usage Miles McBride in the starting lineup, and Towns’ on-court net rating is higher with Hart on the floor than it is without him.
Plus, Sacramento is just a great opponent for anyone. This season, the Kings have allowed the most FPTS per game to opposing centers, and since Domantas Sabonis ($8,600) went down on November 16, Sacramento has had the league’s second-worst rebounding percentage and its third-worst defensive rating. It has also conceded the second-highest field goal percentage in the restricted area. The Kings have arguably gotten lucky to not have been even worse, allowing below-average percentages on wide-open and catch-and-shoot threes. As surprisingly solid as second-round pick Maxime Raynaud ($5,400) has been in relief of Sabonis, he hasn’t recorded double-digit rebounds in a game since December 30 and grades out as a negative defender.
PG Keyonte George, Utah Jazz at Chicago Bulls, $8,200
The surprising Jazz, fresh off of a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in which George scored 32 points (53.8 FPTS) to bolster his fringe All-Star case, sustained a major blow on Wednesday morning when Lauri Markkanen ($8,800), arguably Utah’s most likely All-Star representative, was downgraded to doubtful while dealing with an illness. With Markkanen unlikely to suit up, it’s hard to imagine the Jazz turning to anyone else for a scoring punch. George’s track record without playing off of Markkanen’s gravity is mixed, but a 34-point (52.5-FPT) effort against the Los Angeles Lakers and a 27-point (50-FPT) game against the Orlando Magic two nights later showcases his offensive ceiling.
The Bulls just aren’t good defensively. Though they’ve improved somewhat since losing Josh Giddey ($8,500) to a hamstring strain, they still rank just 19th in defensive rating across their last seven games and give up gaudy counting stats because they play at the league’s third-fastest pace. Chicago has also allowed a lot of shots in the restricted area overall, and George is an extremely effective finisher, even if he doesn’t get downhill very frequently. In fact, only 15 guards league-wide attempt at least two tries at the rim per game and nail them at higher than a 70% clip, and George is one of them.
PF John Collins, LA Clippers vs. Washington Wizards, $6,100
Collins is somewhat of a budget option, but given that the Clippers have their two best front-court players, Kawhi Leonard ($9,200) and Ivica Zubac ($6,700) on the injury report, he could have a fairly high ceiling. As is, he’s surpassed his season average of 24.2 FPTS per game in seven of his last eight games, including a 25-point, seven-rebound (52.8-FPT) explosion in LA’s surprising win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. He’d definitely see a bump in usage if Leonard sits, and if Zubac sits, he might also see some time as a small-ball center, especially with the Wizards’ Alex Sarr ($7,600) combining a reliable jumper with solid rim protection.
Despite Sarr’s individual leap in his second season, Washington’s defense just isn’t good overall. This season, the Wizards rank second-to-last in defensive rating, including the most points to opposing power forwards, and they’ve been particularly bad on the glass, where Collins can use his otherworldly athleticism to his advantage. Plus, Washington has allowed the fourth-most wide-open threes per game this season, and Collins has canned his uncontested looks at a solid 38.8% clip. Opponents have also done a decent job getting to the rim against the Wizards, making them a good matchup for Collins, one of the league’s best high-volume finishers.
