While Sunday's NBA schedule consists of nine games, only five are eligible for FanDuel main league games beginning with the 8:00 p.m. Eastern contests. And from a fantasy standpoint the game that's likely to garner the most attention is Sacramento hosting Golden State. It goes without saying that the Warriors are loaded with quality DFS options, starting with Kevin Durant ($10,200), with Stephen Curry ($9,000), Draymond Green ($8,000) and Klay Thompson ($6,700) also being popular choices. But the Kings' fantasy value can be found primarily in one player: center DeMarcus Cousins ($10,800). Cousins has the highest value of any player in action Sunday, with Durant and Cleveland's LeBron James ($10,100) being next in line.
Averaging 28.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, Cousins has been good for an average of 48.9 FanDuel points per night. Sunday marks the first time that the Kings and Warriors have played this season, and in the two games Cousins played against Golden State last season he was held in check. Cousins averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game against the Warriors, and he shot just 41.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three. The matchup is different this time around with Zaza Pachulia in the middle instead of Andrew Bogut, but given how Golden State has defended for most of this season Cousins will certainly be tested.
Here are our picks for Sunday's FanDuel main league games, using a salary cap of $60,000 to fill out a nine-player roster. Some stats used are from Basketball Reference. (Getty)
PG: Reggie Jackson, Detroit
Opponent: vs. Sacramento
Price: $6,400
At the start of January, Jackson had just begun a streak of five straight games with 34 FanDuel points or more. Then he went into a slump from a fantasy standpoint, scoring fewer than 25 FanDuel points in three of the next four games. But with solid outings in each of his last two games, Jackson may be back on the right track as trade rumors swirl. Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy shut down the rumors, and that could have a positive impact on Jackson moving forward. Jackson didn't have his best game against the Kings on January 10, finishing with 19 points, three assists, two rebounds and four turnovers, but things could be different this time around based upon how Jackson's played in his last two games. (Getty)
PG: Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: vs. Orlando
Price: $4,300
Clarkson's Friday night came to a premature end, as he and Miami point guard Goran Dragic were ejected for their roles in a third quarter altercation. In the two games prior to Friday, Clarkson accounted for 27.9 and 30.1 FanDuel points. Clarkson tallied 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in the first meeting between the Lakers and Magic, with five turnovers dragging down his point total (22 FanDuel points). If he can keep the miscues in check, Clarkson should have a good night off the bench. (Getty)
SG: Devin Booker, Phoenix
Opponent: at Cleveland
Price: $6,400
Prior to Monday's game against Utah, Booker had gone three straight games in which he tallied 39 FanDuel points or more. Among those games was his 42 FanDuel point outing against the Cavaliers on January 8, as Booker finished with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists. Cleveland will likely devote more attention to Booker defensively, but the way he's been playing it's tough to see him being shut down completely. (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)
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Opponent: at Portland
Price: $10,100
James finished Tuesday's loss to the Jazz with 29 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals, shooting 10-for-20 from the field as other teammates (especially the bench) struggled to get much of anything going. Wednesday night brings about a matchup with Portland, a team that is giving up points at a higher clip than they're scoring them this season. Travel issues aside, this sets up as a game where James (65.5 FanDuel points vs. Portland on November 23) puts on a show. (Getty)
SF: Gordon Hayward, Utah
Opponent: at Memphis
Price: $7,200
Given how good the Grizzlies are defensively, this won't be an easy matchup for Hayward by any stretch of the imagination. What does help him is the fact that starting point guard George Hill is back in the lineup, thus lessening the load some for Hayward when it comes to creating scoring opportunities. Look for Hayward to get back to his usual self, which includes consistent trips to the foul line, Sunday night. Also note that he accounted for 47.4 FanDuel points in the last meeting between the two teams on December 18. (Getty)
PF: Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Opponent: at San Antonio
Price: $6,600
Two nights after getting whipped at home by Portland, the Lakers hit the road for two games beginning with one in San Antonio. Randle didn't shoot his best from the field in the first meeting between the two teams this season, making six of his 13 attempts, but he finish with nine rebounds and seven assists to go along with the 13 points scored. And up until Tuesday's loss, Randle was on a streak of five straight games with at at least 30 FanDuel points scored. (Getty)
PF: Tobias Harris, Detroit
Opponent: vs. Atlanta
Price: $6,000
Harris has tallied more than 26.7 FanDuel points (his season average) in seven of the last eight games for the Pistons. And he's been solid against the Hawks this year, averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three. Harris has been a better offensive player off the bench, averaging 21.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game with an offensive rating of 121, but that doesn't mean he's been a bad offensive player while in the starting lineup. Defensively he'll have his work cut out for him in defending Paul Millsap, but Harris is good enough to score a few points himself in that matchup. (Getty)
C: Mason Plumlee, Portland
Opponent: at Philadelphia
Price: $6,300
While Philadelphia's Joel Embiid has enjoyed an All-Star caliber season, opposing centers have done well against the 76ers this season (and doesn't solely fall upon Embiid's shoulders). Opposing team are getting 49.5 FanDuel points per game from the center spot against the 76ers per Rotowire, which bodes well for Plumlee despite the fact that he isn't a prolific scorer. Plumlee's averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season, and he's tallied at least five assists in 15 games. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 8