DFSGhost 
As teams are getting healthier as the new year moves along, it will be crucial to remember that every night is not the same in NBA DFS. While it’s easy to look at how a player has been doing in their last few games, weeks, or overall trends, some may be true while other results are a product of their environments. It’s a Mojito Monday edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Memphis Grizzlies @ Brooklyn Nets (-7)
While most teams have a number of players listed as questionable due to conditioning having come out of health and safety protocols, we’ll be focusing on two relatively healthy teams in what can only be described as an inter-conference marquee matchups. On the Brooklyn side of the ball, it’s hard not to love James Harden with what he’s been doing on the court as of late: The Beard comes into tonight’s game sporting a 35.6% usage rate in his last four games, where he’s scored 30+ in every one of them and has three triple-doubles in these four appearances. Averaging 35.5/11/12 while also getting to the charity stripe nearly 14 times per contest, Harden is one of, if not the top option on this NBA slate. On the flip side of the ball, Ja Morant is certainly enticing given the ceiling that he offers, but if you play both he and Harden, you’re essentially eliminating the possibility of playing any other stud on the slate. Rather, Desmond Bane is someone in the mid range that in intriguing; sporting a 27.9% usage rate in his last four games, Bane has posted a remarkable 24.3 PPG on 46.8% shooting, including 41.2% from behind the arc, and 90% from the free throw line.
Miami Heat @ Golden State Warriors (-9)
On the second night of a back-to-back, Jimmy Butler won’t be leaving the court. Many will shy away because of his lackluster performance last night versus the Kings, but Butler always shows up to games against the best of the best, and there is no team arguably better than the Warriors right now in the NBA. Butler dropped 21/6/5 despite only shooting 9-for-22, while dropping 37 points in his previous game despite only making 12 of 21 shots. He has one of the highest ceilings on this slate, and is one of my top targets for tournaments.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ LA Clippers (-3)
With Luke Kennard entering health and safety protocols, the Clippers will be awfully thin versus a Timberwolves team that will still be without D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. In addition, Anthony Edwards played his first game back last night, so he is a potential rest candidate. Lots of value for this NBA slate can come from this game depending on the Edwards news, but for now, the Clippers that interest me are Eric Bledsoe, Terence Mann, Reggie Jackson, and Amir Coffey.
Honorable Mentions:
- Nikola Jokic ($12,400 DK / $11,500 FD)
- Trae Young ($11,100 DK / $9,800 FD)
- Bradley Beal ($10,400 DK / $9,100 FD)
- Dennis Smith Jr. ($5,500 DK / $4,000 FD)
You can find us on Twitter @DFS_Ghost and @Bucn4life
