It's going to be a down night in the NBA as James Harden, already named 2019 MVP, is not in action. We will have to make due with some second tier players it looks like as we dive into Friday's 10-game card. LeBron James misses his 5th game with an injured groin and Kyrie Irving joins him on the injury list with eye inflammation. Does Russell Westbrook ($11,300) go off tonight because of jealousy of the attention that Harden is getting? It's a pretty solid bet.

Tonight's Headline Games

Who steps up for the Boston Celtics (-5.5) in Irving's absence as they host the Dallas Mavericks who are just 3-16 on the road? Terry Rozier ($6,100) is the main backcourt replacement for the C's.

The Indiana Pacers (-6.5) are a solid bet to make it 6 wins in a row when they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls. Myles Turner ($7,600) had 18 and 11 when the teams met up on 12/4. Doug McDermott ($3,000) could also be a sleeper against his old team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (PK) and Portland Trail Blazers have combined to win 14 of their last 20 games. Is Portland's CJ McCollum ($6,400) the value play here, as he is averaging 51 fantasy points vs. OKC the last two games dating back to last year.

Avoiding a letdown is the name of the game for the Los Angeles Lakers (-8) as they host a New York Knicks team that has made tanking an art, losing 8 in a row.

Guards

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DK: $4,900, FD: $4,500 Y! $12)

There's solid upside for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tonight for a variety of reasons. First of all, the Lakers are hosting the Knicks who have dropped 8 straight games. That should mean a lot of playing time for KCP, who has logged 25+ in five straight games. Caldwell-Pope has seen his usage increase with LeBron James and Rajon Rondo out of the lineup and he's responded with 26 and 25 points scored the last two (37 and 38 fp). Kyle Kuzma could also miss tonight's game, which means an even more expanded role for KCP and all for less than $5,000.

De'Anthony Melton (DK: $3,700 FD: $4,500 Y! $10)

If De'Anthony Melton would get more shots in the Suns offense, he'd be a very valuable play night in and night out. He's worth a chance on Friday vs. a Clippers team giving up 37 fppg to PG starters. LA is 25th vs. the PG over the past five games and have given up 35+ fantasy points to 4 of 5. Melton is a North Hollywood kid so maybe playing the Clippers gives him extra incentive tonight? He did have 13 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds when the teams met up at the beginning of December.

Trae Young (DK: $5,900 FD: $6,600 Y! $21)

Trae Young is more of a sure thing Friday than similarly priced, yet inconsistent PG's such as Ricky Rubio. The Hawks are in a tough matchup as 13 point 'dogs to the Bucks, but don't expect full on exertion from Milwaukee as they travel to Toronto Saturday for a Battle of the East...in the North. Young had his 2nd lowest scoring output of the season January 2nd vs. the Wizards, so expect him to be fired up. He still managed a decent 23 fp in that game and it was the 1st time in 8 games he hadn't eclipsed 30 fantasy points.

Forwards

Jaren Jackson (DK: $5,600, FD; $6,300 Y! $18 )

He rewarded the loyalty on January 2nd with an 8/11, 10 rebound night that netted 43 fantasy points. So do DFS players go back to the Jaren Jackson, Jr. well tonight? Jackson got his obligatory 6 personal fouls but still managed 34 minutes, which is a positive sign. Others might be straying on Jackson a bit Friday, not only because of potential foul trouble but because the Grizzlies are in the 1st leg of a B2B. Jackson's output dips to a 15.94 average in four games this season on the 1st part of a B2B. Even so, he had 36 points and 8 rebounds when Memphis played Brooklyn at the end of November, so Jackson is worth a play vs. the Nets.

Chandler Hutchison (DK: $3,000, FD: $3,500 Y! $10 )

This is kind of a 'throw something at the wall and see if it sticks' kind of play as the Bulls give Chandler Hutchison the first shot at the starting SF position after the trade of Justin Holiday to Memphis. The rookie out of Boise State is largely an unknown as he's been averaging about 17 mpg so far this year. Holiday had been putting in 34+ minutes of court time per game, so expect a big increase in usage for Hutchison, Chicago's only true option at SF. It's a risk, but one that comes at a great price.

Rodney Hood (DK: $4,300 FD: $4,000 Y! $11)

NBA fans are probably a bit burnt out on the 'revenge angle' of plays after last night's Kawhi Leonard - DeMar Derozan - Raptors - Spurs contest. Just one more though. Rodney Hood hosts his former team Utah on Friday. Granted, there was a lot less drama when Hood came to the Cavs and he still has close friends on the Jazz. That's a good thing for Hood's DFS output as he's "excited to talk trash" to Utah players. Hood is still working his way back from an Achilles injury but he logged 26 minutes of court time on January 2nd. Hopefully that usage can increase vs. a Jazz team that is 30th vs. the SF over the last 5 days and 20th on the season.

Centers

Deandre Jordan (DK: $6,400 FD: $6,800 Y! $24)

You have to like the value at the C position for Deandre Jordan on Friday, as he can erupt for a 15-20 rebound outing on any given night. The Mavs travel to Boston, which is favorable as the C's are allowing 10.2 reb/game to opposing centers. Jordan has had a couple down games in a row and his usage may be down a bit as Dallas is on the 1st leg of a B2B. Even so, the upside vs. Boston is too much to pass up for the price.

Luke Kornet ( DK: $5,400, FD: $5,500 Y! $14)

His price is going to keep rising moving forward but as of now, Knicks C Luke Kornet is worth a roster spot every night due to his value / upside. Since becoming New York's starting C three games ago, Kornet has put up back-to-back-to-back 30+ point fantasy nights. New York could be tiring a bit on their 4th of 6 games on the road, but Kornet should still see quality court time vs. the Lakers.

Brook Lopez (DK:$5,700 FD: $5,600 Y! $17)

The court time of Brook Lopez tonight is going to be an enigma as Milwaukee kind of preps for an Eastern Conference battle in Toronto on Saturday night. Friday is a very winnable contest vs. the Hawks and Lopez is coming off two solid outings, a 34 and 36 fantasy point night. He's gotten double digit field goal attempts in five straight games, which is also positive. We need Atlanta to keep it close for Lopez to reach his potential - not impossible.

We've made it through the 1st week of 2019 with minimal bumps and bruises. It's a great sports weekend with the NFL playoffs, college hoops getting fully into conference play, and the college football national championship on Monday. Oh yeah, and a full weekend of NBA too. Check in with me Carl Taylor (@dailydogsports) and as always, enjoy the action.

Freeroll

The NBA freeroll contests will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on DraftKings:

1st Place: $10 via PayPal

2nd & 3rd Places: Your choice of one-month LineStar Premium, a t-shirt, or a coffee mug

Bonus: If you place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the LineStar Freeroll and you are using the LineStar avatar below, you will receive 2x that prize!

Here’s a link for today’s freeroll.

Please Note - While you may enter the LineStar freeroll as often as you’d like, you can only win each prize 1 time.