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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 14th, 2023. Kyle Ringstad provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a smaller slate to work with in the NBA tonight, which is what we typically see on weekends. All six matchups are viable to target in DFS contests tonight, but we have a situation where the Pacers will be extremely shorthanded, and DraftKings didn't get around to pricing the rotational players up yet. This means we can work those players into our lineups and truly get to whatever plays we want at the top, which includes players like Jayson Tatum (without Brown) and an underpriced Joel Embiid. Damian Lillard, Christian Wood, Tobias Harris, Malcolm Brogdon, Gordon Hayward, Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke are among the names to keep tabs on as they entered today with questionable tags. Let's get to it.
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 1/14/23. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Derrick White, vs. CHA (FD: $5,600, DK: $5,000)
White and Smart are viable options tonight, as they're both very similar plays at similar price points. White (19.8% usage rate, 1.06 FPTS/min) is a slightly better per-minute producer than Smart (19.8% usage rate, 1.04 FPTS/min) with Brown and Brogdon off the floor this season, so the tie goes to the player with the cheaper salary tonight in White. He's not a player to count on for an outlier ceiling game, but he only needs 25 DK points for 5x value on DraftKings, and he has been right at or over that number in three of his last four games. Charlotte allows the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing teams this season, and this matchup is one of the best game environments on the slate, so we can safely bake in a few extra points into his projection.
T.J. McConnell, vs. MEM (DK: $4,000) DraftKings only
McConnell is coming off his two best games of the year, scoring 38 DK points with Haliburton still in the lineup and 35.75 DK points in the first game without the star guard last night. DraftKings is asleep at the wheel and still has him priced like a backup who plays 10 minutes a night, so here's our chance to pounce on value and be able to squeeze in two (or more) stars in a single lineup. The Grizzlies do a great job of limiting point guard production, but they allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards, so there's some room for upside against this defense. This should be a fast-paced, high-scoring contest, and it's wise to take advantage by getting to the seventh-year guard out of Arizona tonight.
Buddy Hield, Andrew Nembhard (vs. Memphis Grizzlies)
Also consider: Darius Garland, Marcus Smart, Gary Trent Jr., James Harden, Luka Doncic
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum, vs. CHA (FD: $10,800, DK: $10,600)
Tatum had a let-down performance in his last game, dropping only 44.25 DK points despite playing without Jaylen Brown in a great matchup against the Nets. He shot 7-for-22 (2-for-10 3PT) from the field and scored his lowest point total (20) since 12/12 against the Clippers. I don't see a repeat happening tonight against Charlotte. The Hornets rank 27th in defensive efficiency and allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing teams this season. They've been even worse recently, allowing the second-most fantasy points per game over their last seven and 15 games. Jaylen Brown has already been ruled out tonight, and Malcolm Brogdon has been downgraded to questionable with a personal matter. This opens up a ton of usage and fantasy production for the remaining players in the rotation. Tatum averages a sky-high 37.7% usage rate and 1.53 FPTS/min with those two off the floor this season. Lock n' load.
Isaiah Jackson, vs. MEM (FD: $4,400, DK: $3,000)
You can mix and match all six Pacers' players (Jackson, Jalen Smith, T.J. McConnell, Buddy Hield, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard) in your lineups for value tonight on DraftKings, while only Jackson and Hield profile as top plays at their respective salaries on FanDuel. Out of all of them, I like Jackson the most. He's at the minimum salary on DraftKings, and he just put up 37.5 DK points over 28 minutes against the Hawks last night as he started for the injured Myles Turner. He'll likely get the start again tonight after that performance, and we can't find a better value on this entire slate if that's the case. The Grizzlies rank middle-of-the-pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing teams, but both squads play at a top-10 pace, and this game has the highest implied total on the board. I'm all over Jackson and the Pacers tonight.
Jalen Smith, Buddy Hield, Bennedict Mathurin (vs. Memphis Grizzlies)
Also consider: Grant Williams, Evan Mobley, Jalen McDaniels, Oshae Brissett, Gary Trent Jr., PJ Washington, De'Andre Hunter, OG Anunoby, Jaden McDaniels
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid, vs. UTA (FD: $11,600, DK: $11,000)
Embiid is at an incredible price point and is faced with a golden matchup tonight. This is a combination we want to target in DFS. His $11,000 salary on DraftKings feels way too low as he'd need 55 DK points to hit 5x value tonight and his season average is 57.6 DK points. We all know he can spike for some monster ceiling games, too, as he did on 1/2 (67.75 DK points) and 12/27 (74.5 DK points). Tonight's matchup against the Jazz represents a perfect opportunity for him to hit another 70- burger as the game environment is elite and Utah has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers this season. They don't have the horses to slow the big man down, making Embiid one of my top pay-up options on the slate tonight.
Also consider: Walker Kessler, Onyeka Okongwu, Mason Plumlee, Steven Adams
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