Huge night in the NBA with 11 games on the slate for Monday night. Injuries have opened a lot of value plays up for the Pacers and Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the Thunder vs Warriors game is going to be one of the highest scoring and closest games of the night, so you'll want some exposure to that game.
The point guard position is easy to figure tonight because Donald Sloan is the best play at the position based on his cheap price tag and high fantasy point production (assuming C.J. Watson is out). Stephen Curry is going to have a monster game tonight and he'll be a key player in my line ups on Fanduel. The shooting guard is filled with value plays, while Jimmy Butler is the only player worth spending up on at the position. The small forward position has a couple of really nice options as Kevin Durant scored 30 points in only 18 minutes (didn't play in the second half due to an injury) vs the Warriors earlier this season. While he's not listed below because his price tag is really high, Draymond Green should have another solid game tonight.
We're going to see vintage Kevin Love tonight, so he's a must-start on Fanduel, but his price tag on DraftKings is ridiculously high. There are plenty of mid-tier options that are worth paying up for at the position as well. The center position is going to be dominated by Rudy Gobert tonight because his price tag is still relatively cheap. Good luck!
Here is the Daily Fantasy Basketball Playbook for January 5th:
Point Guards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Donald Sloan | Pacers | 4,600 | 4,500 | Amazing value if C.J.Watson/G. Hill out. 30+ FP in 2 straight games |
| Stephen Curry | Warriors | 11,100 | 10,500 | Better play on FD. Had 34/7/9/4 steals @ home vs OKC earlier this season. |
| Ty Lawson | Nuggets | 9,500 | 9,200 | Good matchup, more of a GPP play |
| Tony Wroten | Sixers | 6,500 | 6,600 | Price has gone up, but he's still a solid #2 PG. Must-start if MCW sits again |
Shooting Guards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Jimmy Butler | Bulls | 8,800 | 9,800 | Reliable for 40+ FP and could always boom for a huge game |
| Dion Waiters | Cavs | 5,600 | 5,400 | Better option on FD. Solid play now that he's starting |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | Knicks | 4,900 | 5,400 | Love his price on DK. Will play heavy minutes for the Knicks |
| Wayne Ellington | Lakers | 3,200 | 3,700 | Punt play of day. Should start with Kobe out and he'll easily crush his value |
Small Forwards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Andrew Wiggins | T-Wolves | 6,300 | 6,200 | Good value and a lock for 30+ FP |
| C.J. Miles | Pacers | 4,500 | 5,500 | Great value on DK & not too shabby on FD either |
| Kevin Durant | Thunder | 11,500 | 10,500 | Warriors have no one that can stop Durantula |
| Gordon Hayward | Jazz | 8,000 | 7,300 | Had 30/8/5 vs IND earlier this season. Better play on FD |
| Shawn Marion | Cavs | 3,800 | 3,700 | He's a decent option if you want to punt SF |
Power Forwards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Kevin Love | Cavs | 10,600 | 8,500 | Must-start on FD |
| Kenneth Faried | Nuggets | 7,400 | 6,800 | Posted a monster line of 26/25 vs MIN a week ago |
| Tristan Thompson | Cavs | 6,800 | 6,100 | Reliable for 30+ FP |
| Thaddeus Young | T-Wolves | 6,100 | 6,200 | Concerned about his minutes, but he's a great value play on DK |
Centers
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Rudy Gobert | Jazz | 5,900 | 5,300 | Starting with Kanter out |
| Jusuf Nurkic | Nuggets | 4,600 | 4,700 | Boom/bust play that has 28+ FP in 3 straight games |
| Gorgui Dieng | T-Wolves | 7,000 | 6,600 | Denver is brutal vs opposing centers |
Player News
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 61 points (18-of-29 FGs, 19-of-24 FTs), 11 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and six three-pointers in a 140-139 double overtime loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 34 points (12-of-25 FGs), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, five three-pointers and five turnovers in a 140-139 double overtime win over the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Aaron Gordon lit up the Timberwolves with 30 points (9-of-15 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), eight rebounds, five assists, one block and four three-pointers on Tuesday.
Christian Braun recorded a double-double on Tuesday with 18 points (8-of-14 FGs), 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and one three-pointer against the Timberwolves.
Julius Randle lit up the Nuggets with 26 points (11-of-22 FGs), nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and four three-pointers on Tuesday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided a boost off the bench with 26 points (8-of-16 FGs), seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and five three-pointers against the Nuggets on Tuesday.