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Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Jan. 17

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By @RoKnowsDFS

Building The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Jan. 17

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Compared to last night's massive slate of 13 games, tonight's schedule of eight seems light in comparison. However, it's still a substantial amount that can help anyone playing on FanDuel to construct the perfect lineup. There are many ways to go about doing it and I'm about to show you one of those ways. Please remember to always stay abreast of all NBA news to avoid choosing a player that ends up sitting. With that said, let's get to work.

(PG) Jeff Teague - Atlanta Hawks - $8,300

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(PG) Jeff Teague - Atlanta Hawks - $8,300

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The Atlanta Hawks are the hottest team in the NBA with an 11-game winning streak and Jeff Teague may be the hottest PG in the league right now. Over his last nine games, he has averaged 40 fantasy points and is making a very strong case to be a starter for the All-Star game. Facing a Chicago Bulls team tonight ranked 18th against opposing PGs, and performing worse than that rank over the past week, bodes well for Teague to score around 40.

(PG) Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - $6,800

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(PG) Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - $6,800

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One of my favorite tactics when building a lineup is starting players with great scoring ability facing each other. Those matchups tend to go back and forth as each player tries to one up the other. I believe this situation will happen tonight between Jeff Teague and an equally red-hot Derrick Rose. Over his past three games, Rose has averaged 41.5 fantasy points and that greatly exceeds the value of his current price. He will score at least 33.

(SG) James Harden - Houston Rockets - $11,000

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(SG) James Harden - Houston Rockets - $11,000

james harden houston rockets sg shooting guard
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Over his past five games, James Harden has averaged 47.5 fantasy points which includes consecutive 50-plus performances over his last two games. Tonight would seem like an average matchup for him since the Golden State Warriors are ranked 16th against opposing SGs. However, when they're on the road like tonight, they're actually ranked 23rd in that regard. Therefore, I feel that Harden will score at least 40 with 50-plus upside.

(SG) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Detroit Pistons - $4,400

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(SG) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Detroit Pistons - $4,400

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I absolutely love KCP as a value play tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers and their putrid defense against SGs. The SG situation for the Detroit Pistons appeared as if it was going to be controlled by Jodie Meeks, but Caldwell-Pope has actually been the better player lately. Over their last five games, Meeks has averaged 11.8 fantasy points while KCP has averaged 21. Therefore, Caldwell-Pope is the better choice and should score at least 20.

(SF) Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors - $7,800

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(SF) Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors - $7,800

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Draymond Green seems to have cooled off lately since he's only averaged 21 fantasy points over his last three games. This is a significant drop-off from his previous seven games before that where he scored no less than 31.3 and maxed out at 54.7. He has a great chance to score over 30 tonight against a Houston Rockets defense that's average at best in defending PFs (Green's actual position). I feel he will end up with 35-plus by the final buzzer.

(SF) Paul Pierce - Washington Wizards - $4,800

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(SF) Paul Pierce - Washington Wizards - $4,800

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Paul Pierce didn't completely live up to the "King of Narrative Street" title that I gave him yesterday, but he wasn't awful considering he played only 25 minutes and was clearly frustrated with the flow of the game. His current price indicates that he needs 24 fantasy points to make value and he ended last night with 18.7. In a road rematch against the Brooklyn Nets tonight, I expect Pierce to bounce back and score 24-plus.

(PF) Paul Millsap - Atlanta Hawks - $8,100

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(PF) Paul Millsap - Atlanta Hawks - $8,100

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As proven by Jared Sullinger last night and other players during the season, there is no reason to fear the defensive efficiency of the Chicago Bulls against PFs as they're ranked 26th in that regard. Therefore, Paul Millsap has a great chance tonight to extend his streak of 35-plus games to three. As a matter of fact, I feel that he will score the 40.5 fantasy points that he needs to justify the $8,100 price that he's tagged with.

(PF) J.J. Hickson - Denver Nuggets - $4500

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(PF) J.J. Hickson - Denver Nuggets - $4500

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Over his last five games, this former NC State standout has averaged 26.8 fantasy points and that average exceeds the value of his current price. Hickson has become one of my favorite bargain plays at the PF position and will remain so until JaVale McGee returns to have a better idea of how that will affect his minutes. Until then, and against the Minnesota Timberwolves' league-worst defense against PFs, I'm starting Hickson and expect 22-plus.

(C) Meyers Leonard - Portland Trail Blazers - $4300

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(C) Meyers Leonard - Portland Trail Blazers - $4300

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Some may wonder if I bumped my head with the selection of Meyers Leonard and I can understand why. However, the Memphis Grizzlies haven't been defending the center position lately in comparison to their season-long rank of fourth. Additionally, the Grizzlies' bench ranks 20th in overall defensive efficiency and that's who Leonard will see the most. He's averaged 23.8 fantasy points over his last two games and I feel he will score 20-plus tonight.

 

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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