NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for January 30 2020

Thursday brings a lot of star power in the NBA despite there being only six games. In order to fit some of those stars into your DFS entry, you’ll also need to find some cheaper options who can help balance out your budget. Let’s take a look at some players across the price scale to target. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NBA Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

POINT GUARDS

Terry Rozier, CHA at WAS
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $7,300

Something has to give here. The Hornets have scored the fewest points per game in the league, but the Wizards have allowed the most points per game. With how bad the Wizards have been, I’m expecting the Hornets to provide one of their finer offensive showings. Expect Rozier to be one of the leaders of the charge with his 24.1 percent usage rate that ranks second-highest on the team.

Shake Milton, PHI at ATL
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200

The Sixers are missing one of the key parts of their back court in Josh Richardson (hamstring), who is set to miss his third straight game. He only played four minutes in the game in which he suffered the injury, so Milton has now logged at least 23 minutes in three straight contests. During that stretch, he averaged nine points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 three-pointers. With the Hawks playing at the fifth-fastest pace, the added playing time makes Milton an intriguing cheap option in tournament play.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Bradley Beal, WAS vs. CHA
FanDuel = $9,000
DraftKings = $9,400

Beal has picked up where he left off before missing some time because of an injury, averaging 31.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists across eight games since making his return. He’s averaged a whopping 21.6 shot attempts per game this season, which is no surprise given the lack of talent around him. The Hornets are sporting the fifth-worst defensive rating, setting up Beal to once again thrive.

Jordan Clarkson, UTA at DEN
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,100

The key here will be the status of Mike Conley Jr., who has played limited minutes since making his return from injury. The Jazz just played Wednesday, so this will be their first back-to-back set since Conley made his way back onto the floor. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sits this one out. If he does, Clarkson becomes a viable cheap option against a Nuggets team that has struggled lately, posting the 10th-worst defensive rating in January.

SMALL FORWARDS

Pascal Siakam, TOR at CLE
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $8,400

Despite only logging 27 minutes against the Hawks on Tuesday, Siakam recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block. Yes, he took advantage of a terrible defensive team. Well, he’s facing another one here in the Cavaliers, who have the second-worst defensive rating. The last time we saw him take on the Cavaliers, he produced 33 points, four rebounds and four assists. Expect another big stat line in their rematch. Of note, he is only eligible at small forward on FanDuel since he is listed at power forward and center on DraftKings.

Troy Brown Jr., WAS vs. CHA
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $5,600

The Wizards will have to play this game without Jordan McRae (ankle), who has become one of their main scoring options off the bench. Enter Brown, who recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists across 35 minutes with McRae out Tuesday against the Bucks. Playing time likely won’t be hard for him to come by here, either.

POWER FORWARDS

Serge Ibaka, TOR at CLE
FanDuel = $5,600
DraftKings = $7,100

The Raptors will likely deploy Ibaka as their starting center in this game with Marc Gasol (hamstring) out. That role has suited Ibaka well this season with him averaging 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds over 14 games. Gasol won’t be the only player who is missing up front for the Raptors, either, since Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle) will also be out. Added playing time and a favorable matchup makes Ibaka a great target, especially at his price on FanDuel. Of note, he is only eligible at power forward on FanDuel since he is listed at center on DraftKings.

Daniel Theis, BOS vs. GS
FanDuel = $5,200
DraftKings = $6,100

Injuries are a common theme for this slate with the Celtics being no exception. They will once again be thin at center with Enes Kanter (hip) out. Theis has played extremely well over the last three games with Kanter sidelined, averaging 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.7 blocks across 31 minutes a night. Of note, he is only eligible at power forward on FanDuel since he is listed at center on DraftKings.

CENTERS

Joel Embiid, PHI at ATL
FanDuel = $9,000
DraftKings = $9,300

Get ready to see Embiid included in a lot of entries. This is a great matchup against a Hawks team that has allowed the third-most DraftKings points per game and the seventh-most FanDuel points per game to opposing centers. To top things off, Al Horford (knee) has been ruled out. Embiid’s price is also fairly reasonable based on his insane upside, so deploy him with confidence.

Thomas Bryant, WAS vs. CHA
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,200

Have the Wizards finally decided it’s time to give Bryant significant minutes again? He only averaged 17 minutes across his first seven games since returning from injury, but he logged 32 minutes against the Bucks on Tuesday. He didn’t let the opportunity go to waste, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. If he can approach that amount of playing time Thursday, he could be an absolute steal at this price.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.