FanDuel participants have nine games from which to pick their lineups, with one of the matchups being Cleveland's trip to Sacramento to take on the Kings. While the Cavaliers have three noteworthy options from a fantasy standpoint in LeBron James ($9,900), Kyrie Irving ($8,000) and Kevin Love ($7,700), Sacramento has just one. That player is none other than center DeMarcus Cousins, who has a salary value of $10,100 and is averaging 48.6 FanDuel points per game. But after producing at least 47.8 FanDuel points in five consecutive games, Cousins has battled inconsistency over his last four contests.
Cousins' FanDuel point totals in his last four games were 29.2, 54.7, 37.5 and 49.6. One reason for the volatility in his numbers has been the decrease in free throw attempts. Over his last four games Cousins is averaging 7.5 free throw attempts per game; for the season he's averaging 9.5 attempts per game. That may not seem like much, but it adds up when combined with Cousins shooting less than 37 percent from the field in two of the aforementioned four games. Cousins is a presence that Cleveland will certainly have to account for Friday night, and the key for both sides will be the foul line. If Cousins can get there at solid rate, his chances of having a good night improve greatly.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Friday's games, using the rules of a nine-player roster and a $60,000 salary cap. (Getty)
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Opponent: at Minnesota
Price: $12,800
Westbrook and the Thunder play Minnesota for the third time this season, and he produced nice stat lines in both meetings. Westbrook's averaging 29.5 points, 11.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game against the Timberwolves this season, most recently accounting for 31 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds on Christmas Day. Just how high Westbrook's point total gets depends upon the turnover count, but that's usually the difference between a night that ends in the 50's and one that threatens the 70-point mark. (Getty)
Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee
Opponent: at Miami
Price: $5,400
Averaging 19.6 FanDuel points per game on the season, Brodgon's tallied 23 FanDuel points or more in each of the last nine games for the Bucks. While Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker are at the top of the list when it comes to where Milwaukee looks for its offensive production, Brodgon's ability to play without the ball in his hands makes him a valuable piece for head coach Jason Kidd. And he's also a very good defender, which can lead to some production in steals category as well. (Getty)
SG: Evan Fournier, Orlando
Opponent: at Portland
Price: $5,500
With Detroit's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,600) being declared out for his team's game against Utah, Fournier is another low-cost option to take into consideration. After missing five games with a heel injury Fournier hasn't been at his best, averaging 12.8 points per game and shooting 37.3 percent from the field. Tonight's game against Portland could provide the boost he needs to get back on track, as the Blazers are ranked 27th in scoring defense and 28th in defensive rating. (Getty)
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr., Atlanta
Opponent: vs. Boston
Price: $4,500
Hardaway's produced 23 FanDuel points or more in four of the last five games, with the trade of Kyle Korver opening up more minutes (and shots) on the wings. Hardaway's scored in double figures in four of those five games, including a 29-point night against the Spurs on New Year's Day. Boston will be a challenge because of their defense, but Hardaway will have enough chances to produce a solid stat line Friday night. (Getty)
SF: Rudy Gay, Sacramento
Opponent: vs. Cleveland
Price: $6,900
With LeBron James being the opposing small forward, it goes without saying that this will be a difficult individual matchup for Gay. That being said, his status as Sacramento's second-best scorer means that the Kings will need to get him touches in order to supplement DeMarcus Cousins' production. In his fourth game removed from a stretch in which he missed ten of 11 games due to injury, Gay will have every opportunity to at the very least get close to his FanDuel season average of 32.1 points per game. (Getty)
Aaron Gordon, Orlando
Opponent: at Portland
Price: $4,900
Gordon didn't have the best night against the Lakers on Sunday, accounting for just 8.7 FanDuel points on the night. But that's the lone rough spot in a six-game stretch in which he's surpassed his FanDuel average (21.0 ppg) five times, most recently accounting for 34.1 points against the Clippers. In that game Gordon scored 28 points while also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists. (Getty)
PF: Kevin Love, Cleveland
Opponent: at Sacramento
Price: $7,700
Over his last four games Love is averaging 17.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, shooting just 35.5 percent from the field. But given what Love is capable of doing offensively, those numbers are too much of a concern going into Friday's game in Sacramento. And with the Kings being in the bottom third of the NBA in defensive rating (23rd), this is a night where Love and the Cavs bounce back from Wednesday's disappointing loss to Portland. (Getty)
PF: Marvin Williams, Charlotte
Opponent: at Philadelphia
Price: $4,700
Williams isn't a prolific scorer in Charlotte's offensive system, but his abilities as a shooter in pick and pop situations and as a rebounder make Williams worthy of consideration tonight. He's surpassed his FanDuel season average of 20.5 points per game in five of his last six outings, and he contributed 11 points and eight rebounds in Charlotte's win over Philadelphia way back on November 6. Philadelphia is allowing 40.8 FanDuel points per game to opposing power forward units per Rotowire, which is something Williams can take advantage of. (Getty)
C: Dwight Howard, Atlanta
Opponent: vs. Boston
Price: $7,600
Howard's grabbed at least 12 rebounds in seven of Atlanta's last eight games, with the rebounding numbers being a big reason why he's averaging 34 FanDuel points per game. Howard's averaging 14.0 points and 13.4 rebounds per game in his first season with the Hawks, with the team currently on a seven-game win streak. The question here is how he'll match up with Boston's Al Horford, who has the shooting ability needed to draw Howard away from the basket and lower his rebounding opportunities as a result. But this should still be a night when Howard is productive in the middle. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 13