RADIO
Welcome to our Sleeper NBA DFS prop picks for Friday, January 19. January is usually around the time when NBA basketball is at it’s absolute worst. The blowouts are heavy and random. The players are resting for seemingly no reason, and the skill-level takes a significant drop-off with so little at stake. Luckily, this week has been a bright spot in an arguably boring month of basketball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Jaden Ivey, and Dejounte Murray have done their part to make this week exciting, and Friday’s seven-game slate is covered in potentially thrilling matchups that set us up for a modest 11-game weekend.
Sleeper offers some of the best and easiest-to-win NBA DFS games in the industry. Sleeper DFS works just like regular player prop betting -- there are no large-field tournaments to get lost in. You're not playing against other people; you're just playing against the projections. Here are some of our favorite NBA prop picks for Friday’s seven-game slate.
Announcement: We have two awesome new Props Optimizers for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and NCAA! The PrizePicks Optimizer and Prop Bets Optimizer are both available in our new Props Premium Package, which includes exclusive access to RotoBaller's VIP Discord chat rooms for props and betting.
NBA DFS Props - Over/Under Picks for Friday, January 19
Kyle Lowry OVER 6.5 Rebounds + Assists
This is the top-rated bet on RotoBaller’s Prop-timizer and there’s two ways to go about it. One, it’s a great under bet because Kyle Lowry is easily one of the least-productive members on the Heat, especially when Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro are healthy. There have been very, very, few games this year where Butler, Herro, and Lowry all played significant minutes and Lowry reached a usage rate over 15%. It’s not that he can’t produce, but when the chances are minimized, he’s not going out of his way to take from other players.
The second way to look at this bet is that optimizers never tell the whole story. Lowry might be the least-productive Miami player, but he’s efficient. His playmaking has fallen off a cliff from his Raptor days, but he has tools at his disposal that open up the floor for him, not to mention he will chase rebounds. The Hawks are barely ahead of the Spurs and Wizards in terms of defense and that alone is enough to make this bet fall away from us. The Prop-timizer says take the under, but the more important question is, what circumstances will happen in order for Lowry to do less this game than he has during his last six games against clearly more competitive opponents?
Brando Ingram OVER 5.5 Assists
Right now, the Pelicans offense is run and dictated by Brandon Ingram. He’s got the ball in his hands most of the game, makes the right plays and helps the Pelicans play at a level that keeps them competitive with every other team. Until a new direction opens itself up, New Orleans has to stick with what’s working. Right now, it’s Ingram running the offense and posting triple-double-esque stats.
The Prop-timizer doesn’t prefer either his assists or combination props and those projections clearly consider more defense than offense. Until projections are able to comprehend the most important aspect of the NBA, great offense beats great defense, they will always fail to register trends and accurate dynamics of basketball. The Prop-timizer projects Ingram to finish with 5.94 assists, but recommends the u5.5 assist line. Combine that with the 4.4 line-projection on a u4.5 rebound line and taking the optimizer as law is likely to get you burned here.
Jeremy Sochan OVER 10.5 Rebounds + Assists
Earlier in the year, Jeremy Sochan assist overs were cashing with ease. He bought into Spurs basketball and carved out a massive role for himself within this starting unit. Every lineup needs a glue-guy, or someone who will do the little things. Ultimately, that’s what Spurs basketball culture creates, a team of players who emphasize the small things to make the big things come easier. Sochan is the epitome of that and while it may be a result of his inability to score efficiently, it gives his peripheral stats a massive boost.
Despite not being as explosive as Victor Wembanyama or as energetic as Tre Jones, his involvement and usage stays consistent because of his positioning. A player who is always in the right position to make the right play has done 50% of the work. Apply this to both offense and defense and it makes sense why Sochan has been so consistent at producing non-point statistics. San Antonio are playing their easiest back-to-back of the year starting with Charlotte tonight and the Wizards tomorrow.
Be sure to also check out our brand new PrizePicks Optimizer tool and the free PrizePicks DFS Props Tool to see more recommended picks.
Play the NBA DFS Picks Now on Sleeper
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!
