Isaiahs Protocol for the NBA DFS slate on 1/22

Isaiah’s Protocol for the NBA DFS slate is built around DraftKings pricing but is good across the industry with some slight adjustments to salaries on the various sites.

We are looking at an enticing 12 game NBA DFS slate tonight, packed with electric players and exciting games to watch. There is a lot to cover so we can find some optimal players. I advise all my readers to join the staff at WinDaily in our Discord chat rooms as we discuss important news as it unfolds during the day.

I wouldn’t be doing my job as an NBA writer if I didn’t start off by mentioning the situation in New Orleans. Zion Williamson will be making his long-awaited NBA debut. Trying to put the hype aside, this status throws a curveball into the NBA DFS slate. The Spurs/Pelicans game has the highest implied team total (ITT) and 2 of the worst defenses on the docket tonight. This game also involves at least 6 players to consider for roster construction. All the numbers go out the door as I have no idea how Zion will affect the minutes, usage, defense, and overall production of any of these key pieces.

ZION

Las Vegas has set Zion’s props for around 13 points, and 6 rebounds. Williamson averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 71.4 percent from the field during the preseason. He was supposed to be out only 6-8 weeks but eventually sat out for 3 months with a torn meniscus in his knee. According to the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, they just wanted to be cautious with their franchise player. If I project Zion to put up 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and a TO in 15-20 minutes, he scores roughly 25 DraftKings fantasy points (DKFPTS), and 5X value on his $5000 salary. I highly doubt they turn him loose for over 25 minutes, which is what he will need to maximize his potential. I will most likely take a ‘wait and see’ approach with Zion on this NBA DFS slate.

THE STUDS

Lebron James ($10800) All the power to you if you can get him on your roster. Lebron has a 34% usage rate and scores 1.56 fantasy points (FP) per minute. The Knicks rank 26^th in defensive efficiency (DEFF) and 29^th in (DvsA) which is a rank given to the opponent when facing this player’s archetype.

Karl-Anthony Towns ($10400) KAT is in a great spot on this NBA DFS slate squaring off against a short-handed Bulls team that ranks 16^th in DEFF and 29^th in DvsA. He carries a 29.6% usage rate and 1.53 FP/min. Any concerns regarding his extended absence with a bothersome knee can be put aside after he just dropped 50 DKFPTS on the Nuggets in 35 minutes on Monday.

Russell Westbrook ($9800) I wasn’t going to originally include Westbrook here as I don’t really like to target teams that are facing a solid Denver defense. The Nuggets come in ranking 12 in DEFF and 4^th in DvsA. Denver is currently dealing with multiple injuries throughout their roster, so these numbers may not be that accurate. Russell has a 35% usage rate and scores 1.35 FP/min. Jamal Murray has already been ruled out for tonight so Westbrook makes the list tonight.

THE CORE

Chris Paul ($7300) Paul has registered over 35 DKFPTS in 7 of his last 10 games, and over 45 DKFPTS in 3 of his last 4. He has a 22.7% usage rate and scores 1.13 FP/min. I don’t typically target players against Orlando’s solid defense. I was surprised to see that they rank 23^rd in DEFF. CP3 dropped 38.5 DKFPTS on them in the last game. Paul should be low owned tonight and could get us 6X value at this salary.

Bradley Beal ($7200) This price is way too low for Beal. I understand that Miami has a solid defense ranking 9^th in DEFF and 4^th in DvsA. Beal has a 33.6% usage rate and scores 1.26 FP/min. He’s relatively match up proof and he dropped 43 DKFPTS in 39 minutes the last time he saw the Heat. Those figures will get me 6X value with his salary and make him a fine piece for my roster on this NBA DFS slate.

Jason Tatum ($7500) and Gordon Hayward ($5800) Jaylen Brown has been ruled out tonight. Boston has the 2^nd highest ITT on this NBA DFS slate at 233 points. Memphis is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. I can see them keeping this game closer than the 7 point line implies. The Grizzlies have the 7^th highest pace on the slate. They rank 27^th against combo guards (CG) and 30^th against scoring wings (SCW). Memphis also ranks 24^th in DvsA against shooting forwards. I want to get a piece of this game, so Tatum and Gordon’s salaries look to be nice targets.

Others

*Lou Williams ($7300) Lock him in if Patrick Beverly misses this game, or Kawhi Leonard ($10500) sits on the second half of this back to back tonight. Kawhi becomes one of my most favorite plays on the NBA DFS slate if he plays.

Jimmy Butler, Jrue Holiday, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Danilo Gallinari, Jonas Valanciunas, Nemanja Bjelica, Kyle Lowry, Marvin Bagley, and Dillon Brooks.

THE VALUE

I’m just going to list a couple of names I’m considering as of right now because it’s way too early to make any decisions on value for this NBA DFS slate.

Jordan McRae, Mike Conley, *Landry Shamet (Beverly injury status), and a possible dart on Dort… Luguentz Dort.

There’s a lot to think about today. I highly encourage all readers to join the WinDaily team in the Discord chat rooms as we break down and discuss our favorite plays of the NBA DFS slate. Thank you for reading my content and feel free to leave a comment, or hit me up on Twitter @IsaiahsProtocol.

GOODLUCK AND HAVE FUN