As some around the country and the world celebrate Lunar New Year, sports fans can embrace a massive NBA slate. More than half of the league is in action tonight, as we have an 11-game slate on our hands. The Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors will play again on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves will suit up again tomorrow.
With so many teams in action, DraftKings fantasy players will have no shortage of options for tonight’s slate. Here are three must-start players for January 29:
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PG/SG Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks at New Orleans Pelicans, $9,000
After a brief flash of improved form from the Pelicans, when they went on a stretch of five wins in six games, New Orleans is back to its losing ways, having dropped each of its last three games, including a 31-point drubbing in Charlotte on January 25. The Pelicans are back in friendly confines tonight against a Dallas team that has been expectedly mediocre since losing Luka Dončić, but even if they win tonight, it’ll be too little, too late.
Even during the last 10 games, in which New Orleans has gone a respectable 5-5, its metrics are bad. Over that stretch, the Pelicans have allowed the third-most points, second-most rebounds, and sixth-most assists per game, even though star forward Zion Williamson has appeared in five of them. The problem remains for New Orleans: even if Williamson, a supremely athletic but fundamentally mediocre defender, is active, Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones, two decent perimeter defenders, are out. For the season, the Pelicans have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards, and Irving, who has put up three 50-FPT performances with Dončić out, should be primed to take advantage.
SF/PF Josh Hart, New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets, $7,700
There are 23 players who have averaged at least nine rebounds per game so far this season. 22 of them are at least six feet, eight inches tall and play predominantly power forward or center. Then there’s Hart, New York’s six-foot-four spark plug who’s third in the NBA in minutes per game and has played 67% of his minutes at shooting guard this season. Hart has grabbed double-digit rebounds 24 times in his 46 starts and is fifth in the league in triple-doubles. On January 25, he had a monster 20-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist (68.5-FPT) performance. He didn’t play much on Monday since the Knicks beat the Memphis Grizzlies by 37, but he still scored four points, snagged 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists (26.0 FPTS) in just 26 minutes of playing time.
While the Nuggets are 7-3 in their last 10 games and fourth in the Western Conference, their defense hasn’t entirely been the reason. They have the league’s fourth-best offensive rating over that span — thanks to the singular brilliance of Nikola Jokić ($12,300) — but only the 18th-best defense. Over that span, they’ve allowed the 10th-most points and the most assists per game in the league, and while they’ve conceded the fewest rebounds per game, I’ll never be concerned about Hart in that department, given that he’s grabbed nine or more rebounds in every game since January 3. Denver’s wings — Michael Porter Jr. ($5,900) and Christian Braun ($4,800) — aren’t exactly perimeter stoppers, so the team has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.
PG Ty Jerome, Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, $4,400
This column isn’t necessary about budget options — my colleague Garion has you covered on that one — but I still like Jerome regardless, since he’ll put up good production while allowing you to spend in other places. Cleveland’s starting point guard, Darius Garland ($7,500) is out tonight while resting, so Jerome will slot into the starting lineup for the third time this season. He first started on November 17, when Donovan Mitchell ($8,400) missed his first game of the season, and dropped 24 points, two rebounds, and eight assists (39.5 FPTS). He started again three days later, when Garland sat out for the first time, scoring 29 points (36.75 FPTS). He has scored in double figures in five of his last seven games.
Miami’s defense is pretty average, having allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Over the last 10 games — in which they’ve fittingly gone 5-5 — the Heat have conceded the 10th-fewest points, 11th-most rebounds, and sixth-most assists to opposing players.
