Point Guard
Happy New Year Karma Nation! We have just a short five game slate tonight, but I’ll do my best to highlight how I will personally be constructing my main lineup tonight! Point guard is loaded with solid mid-upper tier options, but with Kyle Lowry out for the Raptors, we have one glistening value play in Fred VanVleet. FVV has averaged well over 30 minutes with Lowry out this season, and he will remain a cash game staple for me on this slate despite a tough matchup.
My Pool (In order of preference)
1. Damian Lillard
2. Fred VanVleet
3. Ben Simmons
4. Eric Bledsoe
5. De’Aaron Fox
Shooting Guard
Shooting guard sticks out as a position to save money for me on Tuesday night, especially on FanDuel. We do have one situation to monitor however, as Joel Embiid is listed as Questionable for this game — meaning Jimmy Butler would get elevated to a near must play for me if he was out. The issue is there is no late swap on FanDuel, and we may not know if Embiid will play or not come lock. CJ McCollum sticks out as the top point per dollar play in a fantastic matchup with the fast-paced Kings.
My Pool
1. CJ McCollum
2. Buddy Hield
3. Lou Williams
4. Jimmy Butler (moved to number one if Embiid out)
5. Iman Shumpert (punt)
Small Forward
Small forward is headlined by two top spend ups in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, but I’m not sure I would call either a must play on this slate. Much has been made about Giannis’ history against this Pistons team, but I am not worried about the matchup whatsoever. This Pistons team struggles mightily to defend the rim, which fits perfectly with ABC’s playing style. Kawhi obviously gets a huge bump with Lowry out, but at $10,000 on FanDuel I’m not sure there is really a ceiling at that price.
My Pool
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Danilo Gallinari
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Nemanja Bjelica
5. Evan Turner (punt)
Power Forward
On FanDuel, I 100% would be starting my builds with Luke Kornet who remains under $4,000. He has seen 30 minutes steadily in his starts, and with no Mitchell Robinson and Enes Kanter in the dog house this should continue. By using Kornet, you are enabled to punt at another position hoping for that to be your low score drop and by using two sub-$4,000 players you can pretty much build whatever type of roster you want. I love this spot for Griffin, who I think will see a bump in rebound opportunities tonight, for a reason I will mention in the next section.
My Pool
1. Luke Kornet
2. Blake Griffin
3. Tobias Harris
4. Pascal Siakam
5. Kevin Knox
Center
Center headed by the questionable Embiid and an elite matchup for our friend Nikola Jokic against the Knicks. The reason I said that I don’t think that Giannis is a must play on this slate is because I would like to find a way to get in both Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic rather than just Giannis, but this could also be the most popular route that the field takes this evening as well. Andre Drummond has struggled to defend Brook Lopez throughout his career, is a full-fade for me tonight. He struggles to get out on the perimeter, and while he is focusing on that I anticipate Blake to have a big night.
My Pool
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Rudy Gobert
3. Joel Embiid (Questionable)
4. Willie Cauley-Stein
5. Jusuf Nurkic
Monkey Knife Fight Play
SAC/POR — 3 Point Shootout — Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum/Buddy Hield over 9.5 threes!
