🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Daily Fantasy NBA Lineup Picks for FanDuel (1/4/17) - DFS Basketball Advice

Good morning ladies and gentleman. Happy belated New Year to all of you - I hope you rang in 2017 with health and happiness - and today, we add a wealth component as we take down a tournament or two. Tonight's slate is a little lighter than a regular NBA Wednesday (just seven games), but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. There are a strong number of games with teams projected for more than 100 points and point spreads of just five points or less. Good basketball to watch, and good basketball to build a dozen lineups with.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/4/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel. Let's get to it, shall we?

 Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NBA and NFL Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Projected Game Totals

Before I get into the player selection and analysis, let's take a look at the games with the highest projected point totals (over/unders). The monster of the night is the Blazers at Warriors (224), but it also comes with a monstrous spread of 15-16 points, depending on your source. The most attractive games, in my opinion, are the Bucks at Knicks (212), Thunder at Hornets (209) and Bulls at Cavaliers (212) because they all feature what I consider to be "above average" overs and spreads of less than 4.5 points.

 

FanDuel DFS Guards

Elfrid Payton - PG, vs ATL ($6,000)

Payton carries a bit of risk tonight and is probably best suited for tournament play, but with that said, there aren't many enticing point guard options tonight and he is a great enough value on this smaller-than-usual slate that he could warrant cash game consideration as well. Why? Well, for one, his matchup is an excellent one. Of all the teams taking the floor tonight, only one allows more points to opposing point guards than the Hawks do and Payton has been soaring past his price implied value on any and every night where he shoots a half-decent percentage from the floor. He also carries tournament upside as he's passed 41 FanDuel points in a handful of games over the past month. Point guards at this price with that ceiling are tough to come by, especially tonight.

Victor Oladipo - SG, at CHA ($5,400)

I feel similarly about the shooting guard position as I do the point tonight - nothing outstanding, so I'm hunting for the combination of value and tournament upside. In that hunt, I landed at the feet of Victor Oladipo, who recently returned from injury and put up relatively big numbers on Monday night. His Usage rate, which sits at 20 for the season, is high for someone in this price range and he should get a number of offensive opportunities if he's relegated to the second unit.

Also Consider: Russell Westbrook - PG, at CHA ($11,800)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Carmelo Anthony - SF, vs MIL ($7,500)

It's not often this is the case, but I feel that Anthony  offers a similar ceiling to the one LeBron James does tonight, but at $2,500 less. Aside from the ejection game and the extremely rare benching, Anthony usually sees the floor for the 35+ minutes, which helps create a really high floor, and when he's on the court he's never shy about looking for his shot, which spells opportunity for you and me. On top of the fact that he's the owner of a 27.7 Usage rate, Anthony also has an excellent matchup tonight, as no other team taking the court has allowed more points to opposing small forwards than Milwaukee has.

Enes Kanter - PF, at CHA ($5,300)

Save for his most recent performance where he was an ugly 1-for-6 from the floor, Kanter has been crushing value lately. In the Thunder's last seven games, he's surpassed value in six of them and in five of those contests it was by a very large margin. He's priced as a bargain this evening, and he has a solid matchup as Charlotte is pretty banged up down low right now due to Cody Zeller's concussion. His usage rate is high at 24.4, especially for someone in this price tier, and it also helps make up for the fact that he plays roughly 25 minutes a game. When he's on the floor, however, he certainly makes the most of it, as he's posted a 23.64 PER this season.

Also Consider:  Kevin Love - PF, vs CHI ($8,500)

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

Greg Monroe - C, at NYK ($5,200) 

A few weeks ago I would never have imagined writing up a suggestion to roster Greg Monroe, but here we are. He has - almost sneakily - be an excellent value play for the past month or so. In the Bucks' last 10 games, he's managed to exceed value in six of them and by an impressive margin of nearly six FanDuel points per night. His salary tonight gives you a lot of flexibility to juice the rest of your roster with players with higher ceilings, and the matchup is a strong one as the Knicks have had tons of issues slowing down opposing centers this season. For the salary, it's also hard to find someone with a higher usage rate than the one Monroe owns this season at 22. In his last three games he's also seen an uptick in minutes, which helps to increase his floor, and he's been efficient in his time on the court, posting 1.15 fantasy points per minute.

Also Consider: DeMarcus Cousins - C, vs MIA ($11,200)

 

NBA & DFS Premium Subscription

Get an edge on your NBA DFS competition, every single night of the week:

  • DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks: Access to 10 deeply researched lineup picks, and sample lineups - seven days a week! Includes advanced stats to unlock NBA player values, and boost DFS success.
  • DFS Optimizer Tool: Generate optimal DFS lineups in seconds. Use advanced features and stats for including/excluding players, cash games vs. GPPs, stacks and more.
  • DFS Value Picks: Our Optimizer helps you find, sort and filter the best lineup values and DFS sleeper picks. Premium stats like "Usage Rate" and "Points/$1K" give you a leg up on the DFS competition.
  • Daily NBA Projections: Our secret sauce - the Optimizer Tool provides DFS points projections for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo scoring.

 

Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool


Click here to see a full size version of the tool


Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet

 

Premium NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet


Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mike Conley

Unavailable Friday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Downgraded to Out Thursday
Anthony Edwards

Iffy to Face Warriors
Davante Adams

Remains Absent From Practice Thursday
Kris Murray

Makes Third Start of the Campaign Thursday
Gary Trent Jr.

Replaces Jericho Sims in Starting Unit Thursday
Jarrett Allen

to Remain Sidelined Friday
AJ Green

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Officially Active on Thursday Night
Jordan Poole

Cleared for Action Thursday
Ja Morant

Listed as Questionable for Friday's Tilt
Mike Evans

Officially Active on Thursday Night
Miles McBride

to be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Robert Williams III

Yang Hansen Out Thursday
Lauri Markkanen

Available Friday Night
LaMelo Ball

Sidelined for Friday
Tyrese Maxey

Dealing With Illness But Expected to Play Friday
Nique Clifford

to Start Thursday
Kristaps Porzingis

Out of Action Versus Pistons Friday
Joel Embiid

Probable Ahead of Friday's Matchup With Pacers
Ryan Leonard

to Miss 3-4 Weeks
Mats Zuccarello

Lands on Injured Reserve
Timo Meier

Takes Leave of Absence
Draymond Green

Ruled Out for Friday Versus Timberwolves
Thatcher Demko

Back in Canucks Crease Thursday
Josh Norris

Out on Thursday
Boone Jenner

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Thursday
Stephen Curry

Off Injury Report for Friday's Matchup With Minnesota
Victor Hedman

Placed on Injured Reserve
Charlie McAvoy

Set to Return Thursday
Philip Rivers

Colts Prepping Philip Rivers to Start in Week 15?
John Konchar

Will Undergo Thumb Surgery
Zach Edey

Out at Least Four Weeks
CFB

Bryce Underwood Could Leave Michigan Without Buyout
Mike Evans

Expected to Play Thursday, But Only on Key Downs?
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Padres Not Considering Trading Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tarik Skubal

Tigers Engaged in "Serious Talks" Around Trading Tarik Skubal at the Winter Meetings
Josh Jacobs

Calling Himself Day-to-Day
CFB

Chris Brazzell II Declaring for NFL Draft
CeeDee Lamb

on Track to Play on Sunday Night
CFB

Fernando Mendoza Named AP College Football Player of the Year
Raisel Iglesias

to Remain the Braves Closer
Robert Suarez

Agrees on Three-Year Deal With Braves
T.J. Watt

Could Miss Monday's Game With a Lung Issue
Trey Hendrickson

Moved to Injured Reserve
Josh Jacobs

Likely to Miss a Second Straight Practice
De'Von Achane

to Start the Week as Limited in Practice
CFB

Sherrone Moore Remains in Police Custody
CFB

Joe Klanderman Joining Baylor Coaching Staff
Alex DeBrincat

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Dylan Guenther

Lights the Lamp Twice Wednesday
CFB

Kentucky Hiring Jay Bateman as Next Defensive Coordinator
Sam Bennett

Tallies Three Points Against Mammoth
Vince Dunn

Caps Off Three-Point Performance With Overtime Winner
Spencer Knight

Stops Rangers From Scoring Wednesday
Simon Edvinsson

Makes Early Exit Wednesday
Jared McCann

Injured in Wednesday's Win
Si Woo Kim

Closes 2025 With Strong Finish Among Putting Woes
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Rebound in 2026 After Down Year Off the Tee
Brian Harman

2025 Season a Step Back Despite Spring Win
Sam Burns

' Elite Putting Headlines a Solid 2025 Season
Sepp Straka

Ends Stellar 2025 Campaign on a High Note
Robert MacIntyre

Closes Out a Steady 2025 Campaign
CFB

Chip Kelly Interviews for Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

Louisville Receiver Chris Bell has a Torn ACL
Davante Adams

in Good Spot for Week 15 Despite Hamstring Soreness
Dakota Mermis

to Miss a Month
Jake Evans

to Miss Thursday's Matchup
Elias Pettersson

Unlikely to Play Thursday
Min Woo Lee

Breaks Through to Win in Texas This Year
Nick Bjugstad

to Miss at Least Three Games
PGA

Alex Noren Wins Twice on European Tour This Year
Connor Hellebuyck

Returns to Practice
John Carlson

Could Return Thursday
Wyndham Clark

has Up-and-Down 2025 Golf Season
CFB

Michigan Fires Head Coach Sherrone Moore
Corey Conners

Comes Close to Winning Again in Very Good 2025
Justin Rose

Turns Back the Clock in 2025
Mike Evans

Officially Questionable for Thursday Night Game
Geno Smith

Unlikely to Play in Week 15
CFB

Jim Knowles Expected to be Hired as Tennessee's Defensive Coordinator
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

"Good to Go" for Week 15
Harris English

Enjoys Solid Finish at Hero World Challenge
CeeDee Lamb

has "One or Two" Things Left to the Clear Concussion Protocol
Jayden Daniels

Commanders Not Shutting Down Jayden Daniels for the Year
CFB

Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles Not Being Retained at Penn State
CFB

Indiana's Stephen Daley Done for Season After Post-Game Injury
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Carries Momentum and a Questionable Tag into TNF
Drake London

Won't Play on Thursday Night
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Practicing Coming Out of the Bye Week
Garrett Wilson

Practice Window Still Hasn't Opened
Pete Alonso

Orioles Finalizing Five-Year Deal
Kyle Finnegan

Tigers, Kyle Finnegan Agree on Two-Year Deal
Bo Bichette

Red Sox Out on Bo Bichette For Now
Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson Through 2027 Season
Michael King

the Mets' Top Rotation Target?
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Move Back to Leadoff Spot
CFB

Florida, Wisconsin Among Suitors for QB Transfer Kenny Minchey
CFB

Bryan Harsin, Justin Wilcox Candidates for Washington State Head Coach Job?
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Agrees to Deal With the Dodgers
Kyle Schwarber

Returning to Phillies on Five-Year Deal
CFB

Ole Miss Hiring John David Baker as Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Ty Howle the Top Target for Virginia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
Shohei Ohtani

to be Used More as Traditional Starting Pitcher Next Year
Yordan Alvarez

to Become Full-Time DH in 2026?
Mason Miller

Padres Plan to Keep Mason Miller in the Bullpen
Ranger Suárez

Orioles Interested in Signing Ranger Suarez
Anthony Volpe

Yankees Don't Expect Anthony Volpe to be Ready in April
Gerrit Cole

Targeting a Return in May/June
CFB

Heisman Trophy Finalists Announced on Monday
CFB

Anthony Hill Jr. Declaring for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Ryan Walters a Candidate for Tennessee Defensive Coordinator Job?
Rory McIlroy

Ends 2025 as the Year's Most Unburdened Player
Aaron Rai

Needs to Figure Out Putting Woes This Offseason
Jordan Spieth

Plays Better on Paper in 2025 Than Results Show
PGA

Chris Gotterup Needs to Find Better Touch and Consistency This Offseason
Hideki Matsuyama

Ends 2025 Season With a Bookend Victory
CFB

Tennessee Fires Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
Scottie Scheffler

Comes Up Just Shy of Hero World Challenge Victory
Merab Dvalishvili

Drops A Decision At UFC 323
Petr Yan

Reclaims Bantamweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja

Era Ends With Gruesome Injury
Joshua Van

Becomes Second-Youngest UFC Champion
Brandon Moreno

Suffers His First TKO Loss
Brandon Moreno

Tatsuro Taira Becomes First Fighter To Finish Brandon Moreno
Henry Cejudo

Payton Talbott Retires Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo

Retires After UFC 323 Loss
Jan Blachowicz

Bogdan Guskov Vs. Jan Blachowicz Ends In A Majority Draw
Jan Blachowicz

And Bogdan Guskov Fight To Majority Draw
CFB

Texas RB CJ Baxter Entering Transfer Portal
San Francisco Giants

Jeff Kent Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Ketel Marte

Red Sox Interested in Trading for Ketel Marte
Kyle Schwarber

Pirates Make Four-Year Offer to Kyle Schwarber

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP