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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 13th, 2022. John Brubaker provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Friday, RotoBallers! I hope you all had an excellent week to this point, and a great weekend is forthcoming! We have a plentiful NBA slate tonight, with a bunch of games on the board and some very fun matchups to look forward to. I'm a big fan of Friday slates since Thursday slates are typically underwhelming, and last night was no different. So let's take a look!
Tonight, we have ourselves a solid nine-game slate on this lovely Friday. With both FanDuel and DraftKings having multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates accordingly to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can also change during the day, so I'll do my best to update you as news comes out!
Without further adieu, here is my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 1/13/22. 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.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
De'Aaron Fox, vs HOU (FD: $8,500, DK: $9,000)
I'll start tonight's day off with De'Aaron Fox. When I go through each team's active roster, it surprises me that the Kings are seemingly always healthy. Now, Kevin Huerter is a game-time decision tonight, but it appears that he'll play. Fox is a model favorite, and for good reason, as he's averaging 23.8/4.4/6.1 on the season. Tonight, he projects to a 28.94% usage rate across 37 minutes against a Houston defense that ranks 26th in point guard efficiency.
Duane Washington Jr., at MIN (FD: $5,900, DK: $5,000)
I can honestly say that I never expected to write up Duane Washington Jr. in an article. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the Kings, the Suns are totally and completely banged up. They're missing seemingly every guard not named Duane Washington Jr., which opens up the door to make Washington a solid DFS play on tonight's slate. My model projects Washington for a 33.26% usage rate across 26 minutes tonight against Minnesota.
Jose Alvarado, at DET (FD: $4,900, DK: $4,200)
I'll finish up the guard position with Jose "Grand Theft" Alvarado (I just made that nickname up). Alvarado is a low-priced, high-upside player in this spot, especially with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson out of the lineup. He projects to a 20.81% usage rate across 23 minutes of game action tonight. The 23 minutes are the reason he's a more volatile GPP option but he should carry some low ownership on both sites tonight. Should he play 30 minutes, he could really take your lineup over the top.
Also consider: Jalen Brunson (FD: $8,500, DK: $8,400), TJ McConnell (FD: $5,000, DK: $4,100)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Lauri Markkanen, vs ORL (FD: $8,200, DK: $9,800)
Whew, talk about price disparity here. I normally try to put together a group of players that are good plays on both sites, but this has to be a FanDuel-specific play. Markkanen is averaging 24.8/8.8/1.4 over his last five games and gets a slight boost with Kelly Olynyk out of the lineup. He's in a high-paced matchup against Orlando, and my model projects him for a 25.47% usage rate across 36 minutes of action tonight.
Isaiah Stewart, vs NO (FD: $6,000, DK: $5,300)
Contrary to Markkanen, there's a price disparity that leans DraftKings for Isaiah Stewart. Now, I still rate Stewart as a solid play on both sites, given the fact that the Pistons will be taking on New Orleans without Marvin Bagley and Jalen Duren. While my model projects Stewart for a 17.19% usage rate across 29 minutes in tonight's matchup against the Pelicans, it's worth noting that Stewart has played at least 30 minutes in each of the Pistons' last three contests. I have Stewart on double-double watch tonight.
Kenyon Martin Jr., at SAC (FD: $3,900, DK: $3,800)
I'll finish things up at the forward position with Kenyon Martin Jr. Despite being relatively young myself, at 25 years old, it certainly makes me feel old writing up Kenyon Martin Jr. after watching his father play next to Carmelo Anthony as a kid. Martin will enter the starting lineup with Kevin Porter Jr. sidelined for tonight's matchup against the Kings, and my model projects him to a 17.72% usage rate across 28 minutes. His minutes "floor" makes him a solid cash option given his extremely cheap price on both sites.
Also consider: Paolo Banchero (FD: $8,000, DK: $8,300), Robert Covington (FD: $3,900, DK: $3,300)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Alperen Sengun, at SAC (FD: $6,400, DK: $6,900)
I'll wrap things up with Martin's teammate, Alperen Sengun. Sengun is a fantasy monster when he gets the minutes, and is averaging 1.3 DraftKings and 1.32 FanDuel points per minute while Porter is off of the floor. The matchup isn't necessarily ideal, as the Kings rank third in center efficiency. However, my model projects Sengun for a 22.27% usage rate across 32 minutes of game action tonight.
Also consider: Myles Turner (FD: $7,900, DK: $6,900)
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