RADIO
We have a solid seven-game slate on tap Monday night, one highlighted by a Grizzlies-Kings showdown that caps off the night. There are more elevated spreads than narrow ones, but there are five game with projected totals over 230 points, which certainly holds some promise from a DFS perspective.
The injury report fortunately isn't overly populated with many short-term issues, either, which helps keep the player pool robust. We also have numerous players across the salary cap with favorable matchups, making it an interesting night for building tournament rosters.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the respective main slates on DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/23/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock, which is at 7:00 pm ET. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Damian Lillard - PG, POR vs. SAN ($10,100 DK, $10,200 FD)
Lillard has been running hot lately and already has a favorable history against the Spurs this season, making him a very appealing play on both sites despite his elevated salaries. The star guard has averaged 49.5 FD points across his last 13 games, a sample during which he's averaging a stellar 31.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds.
Lillard also already has one performance of 60.3 DK/56 FD points versus the Spurs, who are allowing an NBA-high 31.3 offensive efficiency rating to point guards along with the most DK (54.5) and FD (54) points per game to the position over the last 15 contests.
D'Angelo Russell - PG/SG, MIN at HOU ($6,700 DK, $6,500 FD)
Russell should be a key part of the game with a projected total of 239.5 points as of early Monday, and he checks in just having churned out a very favorable return against this same Rockets squad. Russell generated 39.3 DK/37.2 FD points across 31 minutes, a performance preceded by a 41.8 DK/40.2 FD-point tally against the Raptors.
The versatile point guard has also been a better shooter on the road, draining 49.0 percent of his attempts when traveling, including 38.6 percent of his shots from distance in that split. Then, the Rockets make for very viable targets on paper, as they're allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (29.6), along with an NBA-high 54.8 DK/53.9 FD points per game to the position.
Markelle Fultz - PG, ORL vs. BOS ($6,100 DK, $7,400 FD)
Fultz is able to contribute across the stat sheet and has been doing so consistently, and he checks into Monday's contest with a blistering hand over his last seven games. The 2017 first-overall pick is shooting a sizzling 61.3 percent, including 44.4 percent from distance, in that span, while putting up 15.7 points, 6.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.
Fultz's versatility helps keep his floor high, and Monday, he faces a Celtics team that's been more vulnerable to point guards as of late while allowing just under 50 fantasy points per game to the position on either site. Additionally, the fact Boston has had some ball security issues of late -- the Celts have allowed the sixth-most steals (8.0) in the last three games, a notable bump over their seasonal figure of 6.5 -- is relevant when considering Fultz, who is averaging 1.7 steals per contest on his home floor.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ja Morant - PG, MEM at SAC ($9,700 DK, $9,900 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Lauri Markkanen - PF, UTA vs. CHA ($9,400 DK, $8,600 FD)
Markkanen has been consistently delivering over 40 fantasy points on both sites this season, and he draws about as good a matchup as there is for frontcourt players in either conference Monday. Markkanen has been a linchpin for Utah throughout the campaign, and he'll enter Monday's battle averaging a stellar 30.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 50.4 percent, including 43.8 percent from behind the arc, in his last 14 contests.
The Hornets could well facilitate another prolific return, as Charlotte is yielding the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (28.6), as well as an NBA 53.7 DK/52.2 FD points per game to the position in the last 15 contests. The Hornets are also surrendering the fifth-most rebounds (53.9) and most blocks (6.0) per road game overall, two areas that Markkanen could well exploit to maximize his fantasy production.
Anthony Edwards - SF/SG, MIN at HOU ($9,300 DK, $8,900 FD)
Edwards is coming off just having scored a season-high 44 points against the same Rockets squad he'll face Monday, a performance that netted 71 DK/70.2 FD points and qualified as his fifth time eclipsing the 40-mark in the previous six games. The 2020 first-overall pick is now boasting a 30.5 percent usage rate and averaging 51.2 DK/FD points per 36 minutes without Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) and Rudy Gobert (groin) on the floor.
Gobert does have a chance to return for Monday's game, but Edwards should still have a significant role and therefore have a strong opportunity to once again thrive against a team that's surrendering the sixth-most DK (47.9) and FD (46.6) points per contest in the last seven to shooting guards. Houston is also ranked in the bottom 10 in three-point shooting percentage allowed overall (36.7), while Edwards is shooting a blistering 39.5 percent from behind the arc on the road.
Eric Gordon - SF, HOU vs. MIN ($4,400 DK, $5,200 FD)
Gordon could turn out to be one of the better fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the night if he comes close to approximating his recent performances. The veteran wing just put up 28.5 DK/28.3 FD points against the same Timberwolves squad he'll see again Monday, and he also eclipsed 30 fantasy points on either site in two other games over the last four.
Gordon has been at his best from distance at home, where he's shot 37.9 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, Gordon's teammate Kevin Porter Jr. will remain out Monday due to a foot injury, and Gordon sports a 24.3 percent usage rate and an average of 34.3 DK/32.5 FD points per 36 minutes with Porter off the floor this season. Finally, consider the T-Wolves have surrendered a Western Conference-high 24.6 offensive efficiency rating to small forwards, along with over 41 fantasy points per game to the position in the last 15 contests.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jayson Tatum - PF, BOS at ORL ($10,900 DK, $11,100 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Vucevic - C, CHI vs. ATL ($9,100 DK, $8,700 FD)
Vucevic is now averaging 40 DK/38.3 FD points per contest thanks to a near-month-long tear that's seen him average 19.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks across his last 12 games. The big man is also locked into a highly favorable matchup Monday against a Hawks team that's been consistently exploited by centers this season. Atlanta is yielding a co-NBA-high 35.8 offensive efficiency rating to centers, as well as the fifth-most DK (58) and FD (57.8) points per game to the position in the last 15 contests.
The Hawks are also conceding 35.9 percent three-point shooting on the road, which bodes well for the floor-spacing Vucevic, who's shooting an excellent 39.3 percent from distance at home this season. What's more, Atlanta has yielded the fourth-most rebounds (54.5) per road contest, while Vucevic carries a streak of 10 straight double-doubles into Monday's clash.
Mason Plumlee - C, CHA at UTA ($6,700 DK, $7,500 FD)
Plumlee is enjoying a career-best season overall, averaging career highs in points (11.8), rebounds (9.8), assists (3.6), and shooting percentage (66.5). The big man has been especially effective lately, coming into Monday having just scored a season-high 25 points against the Hawks that he complemented with 11 rebounds in a performance that netted 45.3 DK/44.2 FD points. The Jazz have essentially been the Western Conference version of the Hornets when it comes to porous frontcourts, surrendering the second-most DK (59.6) and FD (58.7) points per game to centers on the campaign.
Utah is also allowing the eighth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (33.6), along with the fifth-most points in the paint per home game (53.6) -- an area where Plumlee is scoring 75.2 percent of his points. Finally, consider Plumlee is averaging 38.7 DK/38.3 FD points per 36 minutes with Lonzo Ball (ankle/wrist) off the floor, and the latter remains questionable for Monday's game.
Jakob Poeltl - C, SAN at POR ($6,200 DK, $7,000 FD)
Poeltl's production has been a bit up and down recently, but he's offered a tangible reminder of his upside with three tallies of over 35 fantasy points on either site in the last seven games. Poeltl also happened to enjoy considerable success in his one prior encounter with the Trail Blazers this season, producing 57.5 DK/54.3 FD points across 32 minutes back on November 15.
Portland continues to be a facilitator of prolific fantasy production to centers, allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to the position (33.7), along with the fourth-most DK (57.3) and FD (56.6) points per game to the position on the season. The Blazers have been even more generous recently -- they've given up 61.9 DK/60 FD points per contest to fives in the last seven -- and Portland is also allowing the sixth-most points in the paint per home game (53.0), an area of the floor where 85.0 percent of Poeltl's scoring originates.
ALSO CONSIDER: Alperen Sengun - C, HOU vs. MIN ($8,400 DK; $8,400 FD)
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