This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: Utah Jazz, vs MEM: The Jazz give up the fewest fantasy points to guards and forwards, and the third-fewest to centers, according to the DraftKings scoring system. Their opponents, the Grizzlies, also have a dominant defense but are on the second half of a back-to-back on the road against the toughest defense in the NBA.
Offenses to Use: Minnesota Timberwolves, vs BKN: The Nets are the opposite of the Jazz, giving up the most fantasy points to guards and forwards, and the fifth-most to centers. The Nets are also on the second half of a back-to-back. Barring a blowout, every Timberwolves player has a good matchup on Saturday.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Warriors
Second game: Nets, Celtics, Hornets, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Kings
Eric Bledsoe, PHO vs DEN ($8,900): Bledsoe has averaged 27 points, 8.3 assists, 5.2 boards, 2.2 treys and 1.0 steals over his last six games. On Saturday he faces a Nuggets defense that has given up the second-most fantasy points to point guards this season.
Austin Rivers, LAC at GS ($6,000): Rivers is having the best stretch of his career as a replacement for Chris Paul, averaging 19.8 points with 4.4 assists, 3.0 treys, 2.2 boards and 0.6 combined steals and blocks over the last five games. In DraftKings he is dual-eligible, which means he can be used as either a point guard or a shooting guard. He faces the rival Warriors on Saturday, who have given up the sixth-most fantasy points to point guards over the last 10 games.
Darren Collison, SAC at CHA ($4,900): Collison seems to finally be settling in as the clear second option in Sacramento now that Rudy Gay is gone for the season. It is worth noting that he's in the second half of a back-to-back, but in his last two games he has averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 boards, 3.5 treys and 2.5 steals.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs BKN ($10,600): Towns has joined the group that I dubbed the "Mega Elites" earlier this season, characterized by consistent efforts of well over 50 fantasy points. His price has gone up, but over the last five games he is averaging 54.6 fantasy points to justify the tag. He is also dual eligible, allowing him to be used as either a forward or a center. On Saturday, he faces a Nets defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Nicolas Batum, CHA vs SAC ($7,300): Batum has a stat-filling style that allows him to consistently produce DFS-friendly performances despite not being a dominant scorer, such as the 15 points, 11 boards, nine assists, three treys and one steal that he notched on Friday against the Knicks. He faces a Kings defense that struggles against wings, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to shooting guards and the eight most to small forwards over the last 10 games.
Marcus Morris, DET at MIA ($5,700): Morris is coming off of his worst game in a while, but in the five games leading up to that he was averaging 18.8 points, 8.0 boards, 3.0 assists and 2.0 treys in 36 minutes. Even in his down outing on Monday, he still received 38 minutes of playing time which gives him plenty of opportunity to produce. On Saturday, he faces a Heat defense that used to be solid against small forwards, but with all of its injuries has struggled and allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to small forwards over the last five games.
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC at CHA ($11,000): Cousins' production is taken as a given at this point in the season. Over his last six games, he has averaged 27 points, 12.7 boards, 5.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.1 treys per game -- numbers well within expectation based on his whole season. He is also dual-eligible on DraftKings at power forward or center.
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at GS ($7,500): Jordan has been an interior monster all month, and that hasn't slowed down since the return of Blake Griffin to the lineup. For January, Jordan has averaged 15.2 points, 16.7 boards, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 assists in 11 games. On Saturday, he faces a Warriors defense that doesn't have an answer for him in the middle and has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to centers in the last 10 games.
Jusuf Nurkic, DEN at PHO ($4,300): Nurkic has shown that he can be productive when given the chance, but he was outshined and ultimately moved to the bench in favor of Nikola Jokic. Jokic is injured, though, which presumably should give Nurkic more opportunity for minutes and production. In January games in which he has played at least 18 minutes, he has turned in performances of: 12 points and five boards in 20 minutes; 11 points and nine boards in 26 minutes; 16 points and six boards in 18 minutes; and 15 points and six boards in 21 minutes.
