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NBA DFS Plays Thursday Jan. 27

D'Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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This article aims to highlight some of the best NBA DFS Plays at every position for your cash game lineups. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.

We’ll take a look at Tuesday’s two-game slate starting at 7:30 ET.

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POINT GUARD

Gary Payton III– Golden State (vs. Minnesota) - DK: $3,900 / FD: $4,000 / Yahoo: $11

No, this is not how I started building lineups today, but I decided early on how I wanted to spend tonight and that requires some sacrifices. Primarily, guards have to be cheap. As I usually do, I’ll try to take my cheap players from the game with the most potential. This one has an over/under close to 230 points and the Warriors are favored by six. Payton and Curry both missed the most recent game against the Timberwolves, but Payton has been scoring 14-18 fantasy points per game in his last four, and as long as he does that tonight, I’m ok with it at his salary. Minnesota’s fast pace, high turnover rate and low rebounding rate should make this a plus matchup for all the Warriors, including Curry if you can afford him through an alternate build.

Also Consider: Patrick Beverley (if active), Steph Curry, Tyrese Maxey

SHOOTING GUARD

D’Angelo Russell – Minnesota (at Golden State) - DK: $7,500 / FD: $7,200 / Yahoo: $29

The matchup is definitely better from the perspective of the Warriors, but Golden State is also a fast-pace, high turnover rate opponent. Russell was just ok in the same matchup twice before, but he’s a high-floor option at a reasonable price. Though he didn’t shoot well last week, he had two steals and 12 assists vs. the Warriors in a blowout win that only required him to play 22 minutes. I also don’t mind saving here or at the other G slot with Monk, Thompson, or Korkmaz.

Also Consider: Malik Monk, Klay Thompson, Furkan Korkmaz, Avery Bradley (desperation salary saver)

SMALL FORWARD

LeBron James – LA (at Philadelphia) - DK: $11,100 / FD: $10,700 / Yahoo: $55

Spending up on James in a two-game slate is a no-brainer. Even if Anthony Davis returns tonight, James is playing at such a high level (what’s new?) that he’s pretty unfadeable. Averaging over 30 points per game in his last four, James also has two double-doubles and three games with at least two steals in that span. Philadelphia ranks 27th in rebound rate, and although the total is lower for this game, the spread is narrow, suggesting a competitive, four-quarter effort from James will be needed.

Also Consider: Anthony Edwards, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga

POWER FORWARD

Jarred Vanderbilt – Minnesota (at Golden State) - DK: $8,100 / FD: $11,400 / Yahoo: $21

On sites like Yahoo, with no multi-position eligibility, there is not a lot to choose from at PF. You basically have Vanderbilt or Harris, and luckily, both are good options. I’m saving with Vanderbilt in part because every dollar counts tonight, and in part because of the better game factors (pace, point total). He’s been amazing in his last three games, narrowly missing two double-doubles and putting together a solid 13-point, 13-rebound, 6-assist game Tuesday night. He has 10 steals in his last three games. Like Russell, he didn’t play a full complement of minutes the last time these teams met; hopefully tonight will be a closer game.

Also Consider: Tobias Harris

CENTER

Joel Embiid – Philadelphia (vs. LA Lakers) - DK: $5,500 / FD: $6,300 / Yahoo: $53

What else needs to be said about Embiid? He’s playing out of his mind right now, and that with Harris also putting up great numbers. The Lakers’ big vulnerability from a DvP standpoint is guards, but a player like Embiid doesn’t need a good matchup to succeed. Still, the Lakers play at the third-highest pace and rank ninth in overall fantasy points allowed, so it’s not all bad news. I’d expect Davis to be limited in minutes if he does return tonight – not a cause for concern. On a small slate, take the highest ceiling guys.

Also Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns

Additional Notes

Furkan Korkmaz (SG – PHI) is a cheap option with upside. He can take advantage of that nice guard DvP the Lakers give – fourth-most fantasy points to shooting guards. With Seth Curry out, Korkmaz should continue to get enough minutes to reach value at his near minimum salary, a life-saver on this slate.

Patrick Beverley (PG – MIN) is a great value option on DraftKings if he’s back tonight, which sounds like a 50/50 GTD. He has a long history of being a thorn in the side of DFS lineups, given his scoring ups and downs. But his consistency in providing assists, rebounds, and especially in this matchup, steals, usually gives him a satisfactory floor.