RADIO
There are seven games on a Saturday main slate with a pushed back start time of 8:00 ET. We have some really great matchups (MIA/BKN, HOU/DAL, DEN/PHX) as well as a few that should provide fantasy fireworks (NOP/MIN, GS/UTA). Let's make some money today.
* NOTE: Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul join Cameron Johnson as great DFS plays in the event that Devin Booker sits (which is looking likely)
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/23/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor globally, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Luka Doncic - PG, DAL vs. HOU ($10,700)
Doncic is my favorite pay-up option tonight in a fun matchup against the new-look Houston Rockets. The Rockets rank 23rd in DEFF against point guards and allow the ninth-most DK points per game to the position, and tonight they'll be without John Wall and Christian Wood. Doncic is rocking an insane 35% usage rate and 1.66 DK points per minute average for the season, and he has two games over 66 DK points in his last four (including 87.5 DK points on 1/17). There's slightly more volatility when it comes to predicting his "ceiling" games now the Porzingis is back and playing full minutes, but he's incredibly tough to pass on in this spot.
Donovan Mitchell - PG/SG, UTA vs. GS ($7,800)
Mitchell went off for 55.25 DK points in his last game and then got called out by Shaq in the post-game interview. Narrative stuff like that is just simply "noise" and should be generally disregarded, but this one does seem a bit notable than the usual fluff. His pricing is right about where it should be as he's averaging 39.2 DK points per game, but we could easily see a ceiling game out of him here with this game sporting one of the higher projected paces and totals on the slate. His 32.1% usage rate leads the team by quite a bit, and his form is great as his DK points per minute rate has increased by 7.7% (to 1.26) over the last two weeks. The matchup sets up nice for him with the Warriors ranking 21st in DEFF against shooting guards and allowing the eighth-most DK points per game to the position. Fire up Spida.
Josh Jackson - SG/SF, DET vs. PHI ($3,700)
Jackson is extremely cheap and is all but guaranteed to get minutes in the low-to-mid 20's tonight. He crushed DFS value with a 12/3/2/3/1 line (25.25 DK points) over 31 minutes last night, and he fouled out of the game. Just know that the floor is apparent - he's pretty clearly only a GPP/tournament play. The Sixers aren't the best matchup in the world, but they do rank 26th in DvP.
Bonus G: Derrick Rose ($5,500), Goran Dragic ($6,200), James Harden ($10,500)
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson - PF/C, NOP vs. MIN ($7,600)
You'd be excused if you said you haven't been paying much attention to the Wolves lately. I'll save you the trouble - it has been extremely ugly on both ends of the floor with Towns missing extended time. They allow the third-most DK points per game overall and the second-highest rebounding rate, and they've been getting absolutely hammered on the glass recently. They're allowing the seventh-most DK points per game to power forwards, as well. Zion and his 27% usage rate will see a lot of Jared Vanderbilt, who's a great individual defender but just simply not on Zion's level. All of this sets up for Williamson to crush his DFS tag tonight, making him my favorite player at the position. He seems a tad underpriced - he averages 37.9 DK points per game but a 40-pointer (or an explosion game that we haven't quite seen yet this year) is likely in the cards. Note: Clint Capela just recorded a triple-double against the Wolves last night, with 10 blocks. 10. Blocks. Smash Zion here.
Jerami Grant - SF/PF, DET vs. PHI ($7,800)
This is the time to jump back on Grant, especially if his rostership dips after a rare occurrence of him falling short of DFS value with 39.5 DK points yesterday. He averages 42.2 DK points on the year but has regularly spiked into the 45-55+ range as his 27% usage rate and 1.14 DK points per minute play well in DFS. The return of usage-leader Derrick Rose actually helps Grant as he sees a slight usage bump with the veteran on the floor. The Sixers are actually a great matchup for him as they rank 26th in DvP and 19th in DEFF against power forwards. Look for another useful game out of Grant here.
Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, PHX vs. DEN ($4,400)
This is simply a cheap lineup filler that you may want to consider. He averages about 24 minutes per game but has seen a spike to 32 minutes and 28 minutes in his last two games, scoring 10.25 and 22.25 DK points, respectively. His usage rate is never going to impress (currently 18%), but he takes enough shots (9.1 FGA/game) and averages 0.86 DK points per minute, so there's some room for a little upside here. The Nuggets rank 24th in DEFF against power forwards, so the matchup is there for him. Bump up if Booker sits.
Bonus F: Saddiq Bey ($3,100), Brandon Ingram ($8,100), LeBron James ($9,400)
DraftKings DFS Centers
DeMarcus Cousins - C, HOU vs. DAL ($5,100)
A wise man named Dan Paylo (@ThunderDanDFS) once said, "Two centers on DK or you're not doing it right." That was just last night, when Nikola Jokic (62 DK points), Clint Capela (63.25), and DeMarcus Cousins (36.25) absolutely crushed their price tags. This could very well be the case again tonight. Cousins profiles as the best value on the slate due mostly to his 27.8% usage rate and 1.24 DK points per minute rate that he averages with Wall, Wood, and Harden off the floor this season. Dallas has been a top-10 defense against centers in DFS this year, but they rank just 19th in DEFF against the position and Cousins' price tag is too low to ignore. Feel free to pair him with one of the stud centers on this slate as well, such as Jokic or Adebayo.
Bonus C: Nikola Jokic ($10,800), Bam Adebayo ($8,500), Rudy Gobert ($7,300)
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