This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets: How about this Rockets team? Not only do they score the ball well (101.6 points per game), but they also allow only 97.3 points per game, which is fourth-best in the NBA. As for Houston's defensive rating, they allow 98.5 points per 100 possessions, which ranks them second in the NBA behind only the Golden State Warriors. With that said, the Jazz aren't a bad offensive team by a long shot, but they're a team who falls in the middle of the pack in terms of offensive rating at 104.3. It's not a terrible point total per 100 possessions, but there aren't many consistent studs who you'll want to target on the Jazz, with the lone exception being Gordon Hayward. Unless it's a great matchup, avoid the Jazz in most cases on Saturday.
Orlando Magic vs. Portland Trail Blazers: What happens when you get one of the best defensive teams in the NBA against one of the worst offensive teams? You stay away from that matchup in daily fantasy GPP games. This is the exact situation on Saturday night, as the Trail Blazers rank as the third-best team in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 98.9 points per 100 possessions. Not only that, but Portland ranks first in the NBA in points allowed per game, at 96.6. As for the Magic? Well, they average 93.8 points per game, which is 27th in the NBA, and their offensive rating is a terrible 98.9. That offensive rating ranks them as the fourth-worst in the NBA, and makes them a team to avoid on Saturday.
Offenses to Use
San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Say hello to the worst defensive team in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T'Wolves not only have the worst defensive rating in the NBA, as they allow an average of 110.2 points per 100 possessions, but they also allow 108.6 points per game, which is 30th in the NBA. The Spurs have some players who have the potential to light it up from a daily fantasy perspective, and there could be some excellent match ups on tap for Saturday night in this game.
Orlando Magic vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Hate to pick on the Magic, but this game jumps off the page. The Trail Blazers are not only an excellent defensive team, as mentioned above, but they also score the ball well, posting an offensive rating of 105.9. Portland averages 103.8 points per game, and the Magic could have a tough time slowing them down. Orlando allows an average of 99.2 points per game, which is ranked 15th in the NBA, but the concern is their defensive rating of 104.2.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers
Second game of a back-to-back: Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
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Point Guard
Kyle Lowry, PG, TOR ($10,200): Kick things off by spending money on Saturday, and do it with Lowry. He has been playing inspired basketball of late, scoring 43.75 points or more in all but one of his last eight games. On top of that, he scored 61.25 DraftKings points back on December 28 against the Nuggets. He costs quite a bit, but he has the potential to be one of the highest scoring players of Saturday's fantasy action. Lowry and the Raptors draw a Celtics team who allows an average of 49.5 fantasy points per game to opposing point guards in DraftKings scoring.
Other suggestions: Damian Lillard (vs. ORL), Michael Carter-Williams (vs. IND), Brandon Jennings (vs. BKN), Kemba Walker (at NYK)
Shooting Guard
Danny Green, SG, SAS ($5,500): Spending big on the point guard position is understandable on Saturday, and it makes Green a great shooting guard option who could save some salary cap. Green is the type of player who should be considered in GPP games, largely due to the fact that he has the ability to put up big games. He scored 32.5 fantasy points against the Pistons on Tuesday and 44 against the Rockets back on December 28. This is a very nice matchup, as the Timberwolves allow a ton of points per game (as mentioned above), but on top of that, they allow an average of 44.3 DraftKings points per game to opposing shooting guards.
Other suggestions: Jimmy Butler (vs. MIL), Rodney Stuckey (at PHI), Avery Bradley (at TOR)
Small Forward
Trevor Ariza, SF, HOU ($5,600): Ariza's fantasy value has taken a bit of a hit since the Rockets brought in Josh Smith, but Ariza has continued to produce. In his last three games, Ariza has scored 23.75, 36.5 and 31.5 fantasy points on DraftKings. The key with Ariza is that he has the potential to fill up the box score and also gets a matchup against the Jazz, who give up an average of 38.5 fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards. To top it all off, Ariza's cost of $5,600 will leave money to use on other positions.
Other suggestions: Gordon Hayward (at HOU), Evan Turner (at TOR), K.J. McDaniels (vs. IND)
Power Forward
Jared Sullinger, PF, BOS ($6,400): Sullinger gets an excellent matchup on Saturday against the Raptors. The Raptors give up an average of 45.1 fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards, and Sullinger can light it up. Going back to a recent stretch from December 31 to January 5, Sullinger scored 44.25, 23, 43.5 and 45 fantasy points. This shows the type of production that he's capable of, and with a great matchup and a very affordable price tag, he's a strong option at power forward. Want even more reason to look at Sullinger? The Celtics have been averaging 99.84 possessions per 48 minutes, which is second-best in the NBA.
Other suggestions: LaMarcus Aldridge (vs. ORL), Greg Monroe (vs. BKN), Thaddeus Young (vs. SAS)
Center
Chris Kaman, C, POR ($4,600): While Robin Lopez is sidelined with a fractured right hand, it means that Kaman has had to step in and fill the void. Kaman had some foul trouble in Thursday's game against the Miami Heat, but he still managed 24.75 fantasy points in DraftKings scoring. Before that, he played 27 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers and racked up 31.25 fantasy points on Monday. Kaman has been remarkably consistent this season, and he gets a matchup against a Magic team that allows an average of 50.1 fantasy points per game to opposing centers. Basically, using Kaman could free up quite a bit of extra money to use across the board, which can be spent on other positions where studs are available, including the flex position.
Other suggestions: Gorgui Dieng (vs. SAS), Joakim Noah (vs. MIL), Roy Hibbert (at PHI)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Ricky Rubio (ankle)
Deron Williams (rib)
Kevin Martin (wrist)
Nikola Pekovic (ankle)
Rodney Hood (heel)
Larry Sanders (personal)
Aaron Gordon (foot)
Terrence Jones (leg)
Alec Burks (shoulder)
DeMar DeRozan (groin)
Kawhi Leonard (hand)
Robin Lopez (hand)
Mike Dunleavy (ankle)
Doug McDermott (knee)
Game-Time Decision
Mo Williams (ankle)
Enes Kanter (ankle)- questionable
George Hill (groin)
Manu Ginobili (back spasms)
Ersan Ilyasova (concussion)
