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Building the Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Jan. 9

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By @RoKnowsDFS

Building the Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Jan. 9

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After a small three-game offering last night, the NBA comes back with a much bigger slate of 11 games for tonight. This means that there are over a thousand ways to build the perfect FanDuel lineup to dominate your competition. With that being said, let's take a look at one of the many ways to build that ideal roster and kick your weekend off the right way. Please remember to stay abreast of all NBA news in order to avoid picking late scratches.

9. (PG) Brandon Knight - Milwaukee Bucks - $7300

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9. (PG) Brandon Knight - Milwaukee Bucks - $7300

brandon knight milwaukee bucks pg point guard
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Brandon Knight has excelled during his first year under Jason Kidd's tutelage. Over his last five games, he's averaged 33.3 fantasy points and now gets to face a Minnesota Timberwolves team ranked 29th against opposing PGs. They also have not shown signs of improvement in that regard over the season, so this is too good of a matchup to pass up. Knight should be able to score at least 30 fantasy points with 40-plus upside if the game stays close.

8. (PG) John Wall - Washington Wizards - $9200

john wall washington wizards pg point guard
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8. (PG) John Wall - Washington Wizards - $9200

john wall washington wizards pg point guard
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Everyone should know by now that John Wall is a beast of a PG, especially when he's at home. Tonight presents that very scenario as he gets to face a Chicago Bulls team that hasn't defended the PG position particularly well this season. Overall, they're ranked 19th and have been bouncing between the ranks of 20 and 21 over their last three to 10 games. Therefore, in what should be a very competitive game, Wall should score 40-plus.

7. (SG) Arron Afflalo - Denver Nuggets - $5600

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7. (SG) Arron Afflalo - Denver Nuggets - $5600

arron afflalo denver nuggets sg shooting guard
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While he's been inconsistent throughout the season, Arron Afflalo has a plus matchup against a Sacramento Kings team that's been struggling mightily to defend SGs recently. Even though they're ranked 14th in that regard for the season, they've bounced between the ranks of 22 and 29 over their past three to 10 games. They're ripe for the picking, and Afflalo should be able to score the 28 fantasy points he needs to make value.

6. (SG) Joe Johnson - Brooklyn Nets - $6900

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6. (SG) Joe Johnson - Brooklyn Nets - $6900

joe johnson brooklyn nets sg shooting guard
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Despite the recent struggles of his team, Joe Johnson has not been struggling at all. Over his last seven games, he's averaged 29.7 fantasy points and has done his best to keep the Brooklyn Nets competitive in games. Tonight, he gets to face the Philadelphia 76ers and their horrific defense against SGs that's currently ranked 26th. Johnson needs about 35 fantasy points to make value, and he should be able to achieve that score.

5. (SF) Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors - $8200

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5. (SF) Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors - $8200

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Draymond Green is one of my favorite SFs to roster on FanDuel due to his ability to always flirt with making value without needing to sink a lot of shots. He rebounds well and provides a good amount of defensive stats that make up for any lack of scoring. Tonight, he gets to face a Cleveland defense that is below average against PFs which is Green's actual starting position. He should be good for at least 30 with 45-plus upside.

4. (SF) Harrison Barnes - Golden State Warriors - $5000

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4. (SF) Harrison Barnes - Golden State Warriors - $5000

harrison barnes golden state warriors sf small forward
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While this is an obvious statement, the Cleveland Cavaliers sorely miss the presence of LeBron James as they simply can't guard the SF position effectively without him. They've been ranked 29th in that regard over their last 10 games, and this bodes well for Harrison Barnes who, while inconsistent, tends to take advantage of plus matchups such as this. He will score at least 25 fantasy points and justify his current price of $ 5000.

3. (PF) Derrick Favors - Utah Jazz - $7800

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3. (PF) Derrick Favors - Utah Jazz - $7800

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Derrick Favors may have burned many FanDuel players in the past, but he is finally having the breakout season that everyone has expected of him since being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Over his last five games, he's averaged 33.6 fantasy points and gets to face an Oklahoma City Thunder team currently ranked 22nd against opposing PFs. This lines up well for him to at least score 30 fantasy points tonight with 36-plus upside.

2. (PF) J.J. Hickson - Denver Nuggets - $4300

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2. (PF) J.J. Hickson - Denver Nuggets - $4300

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The trade of Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets to the Cleveland Cavaliers not only benefited Jusuf Nurkic, but it helped out J.J. Hickson as well. In the first game where Nurkic started as the center, Hickson came off the bench and logged 30 minutes as a hybrid PF/C while producing 27.5 fantasy points. Facing a Sacramento Kings ranked 24th against opposing PFs and 20th against centers bodes well for him to score at least 21.5 points.

1. (C) Zaza Pachulia - Milwaukee Bucks - $5500

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1. (C) Zaza Pachulia - Milwaukee Bucks - $5500

zaza pachulia milwaukee bucks c center
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Over his past four games, Zaza Pachulia has averaged 30.8 fantasy points, and he needs to score 27.5 tonighto to make value. Lucky for him, he gets to face the Minnesota Timberwolves and their league-worst defense against opposing centers. This one doesn't require overthinking as playing any center against Minnesota is a good move. I fully expect Pachulia to score at least 25, and it wouldn't surprise me if he flirted with 35-plus.

Rojé Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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