Daniel Gafford Underdog NBA Picks Today, 1/27: Basketball Projections + More
On Monday, January 27th, we have a massive opportunity to secure a nice winning day with our Underdog Fantasy NBA Picks and NBA DFS projections as the NBA season marches onward in full force. We have eight games across the association so let’s dive in.
Looking for an edge today, we look at the NBA DFS projections for Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans and Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks.
Best Underdog Fantasy NBA Picks, Monday, 1/27: NBA DFS Projections
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Zion Williamson NBA Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher Than 7.5 Rebounds
Let's run it back with Zion tonight after he came through for us on Saturday with his rebound projection. Tonight the line is set at 7.5 rebounds which should be no sweat for Zion who is averaging 9.0 rebounds over 25.7 minutes per game since returning to action. If we get an uptick in minutes from Zion this should be an easy over for us tonight against the Toronto Raptors who could be without both of their centers tonight in Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk.
- Pick: Higher Than 7.5 Rebounds
Daniel Gafford NBA Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher Than 9.5 Rebounds
The injury to Dereck Lively has opened the door for Gafford to play big minutes for the Mavericks and this season when he has played at least 30 minutes he is averaging 12.2 rebounds per game which includes a pair of 15 rebound games over the last three since the Lively injury. The lone miss this season when playing 30 minutes came against the Denver Nuggets and we know its difficult to rebound against Nikola Jokic. The Wizards however are not the Nuggets, allowing the most rebounds per game to opponents this season.
- Pick: Higher Than 9.5 Rebounds
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Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Wizards and intends to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Lakers.
Smart’s Lakers deal will include a player option for 2026, according to Charania, which would allow him to test free agency. The 31-year-old point guard was pursued by the Lakers, Bucks and Suns once the Wizards granted him permission to explore other options. An 11-year NBA veteran, Smart spent nine years with the Celtics before spending time with the Grizzlies and Wizards over the last two seasons. Smart won the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award and has been named to the All-Defensive first-team three times. In joining the Lakers, Smart not only is back on a contending team, but also has a clear path to significant playing time.
Antonio Reeves finished Friday’s loss to the Pacers with 18 points (7-of-12 FGs), four rebounds, two assists and four three-pointers.
Waived by the Pelicans on July 3, Reeves averaged 13.5 points per game in New Orleans’ first four summer league outings. He finished his time in Las Vegas with a solid performance against the Pacers, which may keep him in the conversation for a two-way contract or an invitation to training camp. Regarding a two-way deal, New Orleans has already filled all three of its available slots. As a result, Reeves may have to look elsewhere for that kind of contract, unless the Pelicans were to waive someone.
Jeremiah Fears accounted for a game-hight 22 points (7-of-16 FGs, 7-of-10 FTs), seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block and one three-pointer in Friday’s loss to the Pacers.
While Fears did match his summer league turnover average in Friday’s defeat, committing five, he was more productive in the assist category. The lottery pick dished out four assists in New Orleans’ summer finale, and he was also productive in the points, rebounds and steals categories. Once the regular season begins, Fears won’t be under similar pressure to balance getting his shots and setting up his teammates. Also, he’ll be playing with and against better players. Given Fears’ age, as he won’t turn 19 until October, it’s unsurprising that he was inconsistent in Las Vegas.
Enrique Freeman tallied 14 points (7-of-8 FGs, 0-of-3 FTs), 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocked shots in Friday’s win over the Pelicans.
After appearing in 22 games for the Pacers as a two-way player last season, Freeman was in Las Vegas this week as an unrestricted free agent. The 6-foot-7 forward finished his summer league with a solid effort against the Pelicans, recording a double-double while missing just one shot from the field. The foul shooting wasn’t the best, but Freeman’s activity in the frontcourt makes up for that deficiency. The Pacers have one open two-way spot, and Freeman may have helped his chances of filling the void next season.
RayJ Dennis finished Friday’s win over the Pelicans with 15 points (5-of-10 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), two rebounds, 11 assists and three three-pointers.
With Quenton Jackson inactive, Dennis was the lone two-way player to see action for the Pacers in the team’s summer league finale. He was an effective playmaker on Friday, recording a game-high 11 assists while committing just three turnovers. Dennis and Jackson will be worth tracking during training camp as the Pacers continue without the injured Tyrese Haliburton. While neither is likely to be in a position to be a reliable fantasy option from the start, there may be times when Dennis or Jackson has some streaming value in deep leagues due to injuries.
John Tonje shot 1-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Friday’s loss to the Bulls, scoring four points with six rebounds and two assists.
After shining in his summer league debut on July 14, Tonje’s production was a bit uneven. And he struggled mightily in Friday’s finale, shooting 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. How the 53rd overall pick in last month’s draft fits into the Jazz roster is something to watch, as he has not agreed to a contract. Utah has one standard contract slot and one two-way slot available. Utah has a lot of young forwards, which further complicates things for Tonje ahead of training camp.