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Big night in the NBA with nine games on the slate. There are a lot of top-tier players to like tonight, so you're going to want to save money at the shooting guard and small forward position to spend up on some stud players. There are plenty of story lines tonight with revenge games, players not making the All-Star game (Damian Lillard), and injuries that will open up some DFS value plays in DraftKings.
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Kyrie Irving puts up monstrous numbers whenever LeBron James sits out, which is why he's the top point guard on the night. Damian Lillard is a close second because he's going to want to prove that he deserved to be an All-Star, so expect a huge game from his as well. Jarrett Jack and Mario Chalmers are great value plays. The shooting guard position is loaded at the top with James Harden and Jimmy Butler, but there are a lot of quality mid-tier options as well. The small forward position is the best place to save money at, especially since Rudy Gay isn't as good of a play as he would've been if DeMarcus Cousins was out.
LaMarcus Aldridge continues to play at a high level despite the ligament strain to his non shooting hand. This will be the first time Thaddeus Young plays vs the Sixers in Philadelphia, so I expect him to have a big game tonight. The center position is a great place to save money at with so many solid mid-tier plays in Hassan Whiteside, Joakim Noah, and Gorgui Dieng. Time to grind!
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Here is the Daily Fantasy Basketball Playbook for January 30th:
Point Guards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Kyrie Irving | Cavaliers | 9,000 | 9,500 | Practically a must-start whenever LBJ is out |
| Damian Lillard | Blazers | 8,800 | 8,600 | Solid matchup & he's motivated |
| Jarrett Jack | Nets | 6,200 | 7,000 | Continues to be under priced on DK |
| Mario Chalmers | Heat | 4,800 | 5,400 | Great value play with Wade out |
| Greivis Vasquez | Raptors | 4,200 | 4,800 | Decent punt option that can put up 25-plus FP |
Shooting Guards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| James Harden | Rockets | 11,000 | 11,200 | Better GPP play because his price tag is enormous |
| Jimmy Butler | Bulls | 7,500 | 8,200 | Still under priced on DK |
| Kevin Martin | Wolves | 4,600 | 6,500 | His price is ridiculously low on DK. Wouldn't play him on FD |
| Eric Gordon | Pelicans | 5,900 | 5,700 | Good mid-tier play |
| Kyle Korver | Hawks | 5,100 | 5,100 | Like his matchup and super cheap price |
Small Forwards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| Nicolas Batum | Blazers | 5,200 | 5,700 | Playing heavy minutes and will crush his value |
| Josh Smith | Rockets | 5,300 | 5,700 | GPP option. His usage rate has gone up with Dwight out |
| Matt Barnes | Clippers | 4,900 | 5,100 | Like him as a low-tier play. Becomes a great play if Redick is out |
| Rudy Gay | Kings | 7,700 | 7,800 | Best of the top-tier options even with DMC playing |
Power Forwards
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | Blazers | 9,500 | 9,900 | Put up 56 FP last time they played and he's attempting 20-plus shots a game |
| Thaddeus Young | Wolves | 6,600 | 6,800 | HUGE revenge game; Has played 40 minutes or more in 3 straight games |
| Patrick Patterson | Raptors | 4,000 | 4,600 | GPP boom/bust option |
| Marcus Morris | Suns | 3,500 | 4,000 | Expect a lot of Suns to have a big game and he's going to get 20-plus FP |
Centers
| Player | Team | DraftKings | Fanduel | Comments |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Kings | 10,700 | 10,800 | Is expensive, but he's going to crush the Cavaliers |
| Hassan Whiteside | Heat | 6,400 | 6,200 | Better play if Birdman is out. Still good for GPPs |
| Joakim Noah | Bulls | 6,400 | 6,500 | Has played 40-plus minutes in 2 straight games. Has 45 FP in each of those games |
| Alexis Ajinca | Pelicans | 3,000 | 4,200 | Becomes an exceptional value play if Anthony Davis is out |
| Gorgui Dieng | Wolves | 7,000 | 7,100 | Has 38 FP or more in 3 out of the past 4 games |
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Mark Kaplan is a fantasy basketball expert for FantasyAlarm.com