Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 5)

In tonight's four-game slate, one of those games is not like the other. All four games are projected to be fairly close (five-point spreads or less), but three of the four games have an over-under of 207 points or more. The other, Hornets vs. Wizards, has an over-under of 186.5 points.

There are a few decent plays in the expected low-scoring affair, but in general, I'll look to roster mostly players from the three higher-scoring games.

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With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at SAC), $3,400: Once again, Barea will draw the start and he has scored at least 23 fantasy points in back-to-back starts with Rajon Rondo sidelined. In order to reach 6x tonight's salary, Barea needs to score only 20.4 fantasy points and he should do that fairly easily. Not only have the Kings have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, but only the Trail Blazers are projected to score more points tonight than the Mavs based on Vegas odds.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns ($6,100); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)

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SG - Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers (at CLE), $5,000: As J.J. Redick deals with back spasms and is expected to miss another game, Crawford should get another start. Although he made less than one-third of his 22 (yes, 22!) shot attempts on Monday, Crawford scored 30.25 fantasy points in 37 minutes against the Nets. Crawford has played 30-plus minutes in three of his past five games and has scored at least 30 fantasy points in all three of those 30-minute games.

Others to consider: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,000); Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings ($3,900)

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. PHO), $5,000: I considered going back to the well here with Chandler Parsons, my small forward value pick from yesterday, but I like Batum as much tonight. As noted earlier, the Blazers are projected to score the most points tonight and the Suns have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Batum made just two-of-seven shots on Tuesday yet finished with 34.5 fantasy points as he added eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. And without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, Batum went off for 52.5 fantasy points against the Suns just a couple of weeks ago. I don't expect another 50-point game against the Suns, but Batum's ability to rack up multiple statistical categories give him a strong chance to exceed value.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($5,700); Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers ($4,200)

PF - Brandan Wright, Phoenix Suns (at POR), $3,000: Wright lacks upside as he has played only 17, 19, 19 and 22 minutes over his past four games, respectively. That said, the efficient Wright has a solid floor -- minimum of 16.0 fantasy points over those four games with an average of 19.5 per game over that four-game span -- to make him a viable punt option at the position at the contest-minimum salary.

Others to consider: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,200); Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($5,900); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets ($5,300)

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. LAC), $5,200: Mozgov has at least 21 fantasy points in eight of his past nine games and has averaged 27.81 per game (5.35x tonight's salary) over that nine-game span. Over that stretch, Mozgov has averaged 10.66 points, 8.78 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.78 steals per game with four double-doubles. In addition, the Clippers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

Others to consider: Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks ($6,400); Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,000); Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,400); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($3,200)

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Feb. 4)

Earlier today, I posted my favorite value plays on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

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PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $3,900: Once again (as it was with my DraftKings post), the primary debate here is between Barea and D.J. Augustin, who has at least 36 fantasy points in four of his past five games. With the two point guards in different salary ranges, however, both provide a solid option at those price points depending on the construction of the rest of your roster. Getting the start on Monday with Rajon Rondo out, Barea finished with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds as he scored 25.8 fantasy points. Considering that Devin Harris (ankle, knee) is questionable, Barea may even see more than the 29 minutes he played on Monday. Either way, he's a strong value play as his sub-$4,000 salary in the game with tonight's highest over/under.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($7,000); Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,600); Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($5,500); Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,600); Jerryd Bayless (if Brandon Knight is out again), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,400)

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SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. OKC), $6,200: Gordon's salary on FanDuel is less than his DraftKings' price tag ($6,500), which is always favorable for his outlook on FD. Connecting on 9-of-13 three-pointers, Gordon has scored 35-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games. In addition, he has scored at least 22 fantasy points in 12 of his past 14 games with both exceptions being 19-point games demonstrating a solid floor. During that 14-game span, Gordon has averaged 16.29 points, 5.21 assists and 3.14 rebounds per game.

Others to consider: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors ($7,000); Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks ($6,200); Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,800);

SF - Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $6,100: As I noted in my DraftKings post, I tend to play Parsons on the wrong nights, but I will roll with Parsons in a number of tournament lineups tonight. Tonight's matchup is going to be an up-tempo game with a lot of real points and fantasy points alike and his price point should allow him to reach (and exceed) value. Parsons has connected on 10-of-17 three-pointers in his past three games and has now scored at least 23.9 fantasy points in seven of his eight games.

Others to consider: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,900); Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,800); Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700)

PF - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (vs. DEN), $6,200: As much as I like Sullinger on DraftKings, I like him more on FanDuel (at $300 less) with a price tag roughly $500 less than the average starter salary ($6,667). After a one-game punishment (benching) for being late, Sully was back in the starting lineup last night and delivered 40.8 fantasy points against the Knicks front court. Tonight, he gets an even more favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over his past 19 games, Sullinger has scored 40-plus fantasy points six times and tonight gives him a great opportunity to make it 7-of-20.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,800); David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,600); Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,400); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,800); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000); Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,900);

C - Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $6,700: With Joakim Noah priced above $7,000 on FanDuel (both are $6,400 on DraftKings), I need to go in a different direction here given my self-imposed salary limit. As noted earlier, tonight's game features the highest over-under and the Mavs are projected to be one of the higher-scoring teams tonight. Chandler has scored more than 31 fantasy points in back-to-back games and at least 25.6 fantasy points in four consecutive games.

Others to consider: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($7,000)

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 4)

The best night of the week for the NBA and daily fantasy basketball purposes is Wednesday night. And making tonight better is that the lone late game, Mavericks at Warriors, has the highest over/under (216.5), by far.

Golden State vs. Dallas will tip off at 10:30 PM; all other games have a 9:00 PM start time (or earlier).

In addition to studs like Stephen Curry, some of my favorite value plays can be found in the final game of the night as well.

It's always a great feeling to be in a strong position in a tournament with a healthy allotment of PMR (player minutes remaining) and to watch your team(s) rise up the leaderboard.

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With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $3,400: Not only is Rajon Rondo (face) ruled out for tonight, but Devin Harris (knee, ankle) is questionable for tonight's game. Either way, Barea got the start over Harris without Rondo on Monday and finished with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds as he scored 26.5 fantasy points in 29 minutes. Even though the Mavs are nearly double-digit underdogs to the Warriors, there are still projected to be one of tonight's top-scoring teams with a Vegas-projected total of 103.5. The debate for favorite value point guard came down to Barea and D.J. Augustin, who has back-to-back 52-point games and three of them in his past five, but many of my lineups will feature both point guards.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($6,200); Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($5,500); Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800); Trey Burke, Utah Jazz ($4,600); Jerryd Bayless (if Brandon Knight is out), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,300); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($3,700)

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SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. LAL), $5,800: The Bucks are dealing a bunch of injuries as Brandon Knight, Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia all sat out in the team's last game, but the Greek Freak has been playing consistent minutes with strong production. Antetokounmpo has double-doubles in back-to-back games and 30-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games. In addition, he has played at least 33 minutes in six consecutive games.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($6,400); Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets ($5,600); Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,500); Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets ($5,500); Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,500); Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,200)

SF - Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $5,700: Typically (and frustratingly), I tend to start Parsons when he flops. That said, tonight's game against the Warriors is going to be an up-tempo game with a lot of real points and fantasy points alike and his price point should allow him to reach (and exceed) value. Connecting on 10-of-17 three-pointers in his past three games, Parsons has now scored more than 30 fantasy points in back-to-back games with at least 26.5 fantasy points in seven of his eight games. Of course, he was in many of my lineups in the one exception (5.75 fantasy points) during that eight-game span. (Perhaps my inclusion of Parsons on this list is your cue to stay as far away as you can.)

Others to consider: Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,600); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,000); Jared Dudley (if he starts again), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500);

PF - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (vs. DEN), $6,500: After a one-game punishment (benching) for being late, Sully was back in the starting lineup last night and delivered 41.75 fantasy points against the Knicks front court. Tonight, he gets an even more favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over the past 14 games (minus the one-game benching), Sullinger has scored more than 25 fantasy points in every game.

Others to consider: David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,300); Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,200); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,600); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000); Kris Humphries, Washington Wizards ($4,600); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,300); Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,200)

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at HOU), $6,400: Over a one-week span (Sat., Jan. 31st to Fri., Feb. 6th), the Bulls will play only one game -- tonight against the Dwight Howard-less Rockets. Over his past three games, Noah has scored a minimum of 34.5 fantasy points and averaged 43.5 fantasy points. During that three-game span, he averaged 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 6.67 assists with a block and a steal per game.

Others to consider: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($6,300); Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers ($3,300)

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Report: Ricky Rubio out for year with torn ACL

Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio left last night's game with a knee injury. The results from today's MRI are not good.

Per Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Rubio will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Even after last night's loss to the Lakers, the 'Wolves are above .500 (21-20) and there was plenty of reason for optimism with the young duo of Rubio and Kevin Love.

The Timberwolves haven't finished with a .500 record since 2004-05 and haven't won more than 30 percent of their games in any of the past four seasons. In fact, they have already won more games this year than they did in all of last season (17) or the previous season (15).

Rubio ranks fifth in the NBA in assists (8.2 per game) and third in steals (2.2 per game).

With Rubio out, the fantasy value of Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea increases. Ridnour is owned in only 47 percent of Yahoo! leagues and Barea is owned in 11 percent of leagues.

Mavs sweep Lakers with 36-point blowout

Ugly. Embarrassing. Classless.

All words that could be used to describe what happened in Game 4 of the Mavs-Lakers series.

Not only did the Mavericks sweep the Lakers with today's 36-point blowout win, but both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were ejected in the fourth quarter for cheap shots.

Per Elias (via ESPN Stats & Info), today's victory was the largest margin of victory in Game 4 of an NBA playoff series sweep.

Within one minute of play, Odom shoved Dirk Nowitzki and Bynum closedlined J.J. Barea with elbow to the chest on a lay-up attempt.

Before this series, teams that had lost the first three games of an NBA playoff series were 0-for-98. Now, they are 0-for-99.

However, this was the first time in Phil Jackson's coaching career that he was swept in a playoff series.

In fact, Jackson's titles (11) exceed the number of times he has even lost a playoff series (10). Jackson finishes with a record of 229-104 (.688) record in the post-season, which are records for wins and winning percentage.

Speaking of records, the Mavs tied an NBA record with 20 three-pointers made and Jason Terry accounted for nine of them, which also ties the NBA record.

Three players in this game scored 20-plus points and all of them came off the Mavs' bench: Terry (32), Barea (22) and Peja Stojakovic (21).

Many expect changes to be on the horizon for the Lakers.

One of the guys that could be gone is Pau Gasol, who averaged only 12.5 points on 42.2-percent shooting and 9.3 rebounds per game this season. In the regular season, Gasol averaged 18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and shot 52.9 percent from the field.

And, of course, expect rumors involving Dwight Howard trade to the Lakers to continue to heat up over the next couple of months before the official start of the free-agency period.