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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 25, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! A surprisingly-big eight-game Tuesday slate follows an unusually-small Monday night for the NBA. However, with the NFL winding down (at least in the number of games), basketball can begin to spread its matchups throughout the week more evenly. So as the season moves past the halfway point, I'll be looking forward to a few more games on different nights.
There are eight games scheduled for Tuesday night. Here are the current spreads, over/under, and implied totals for each matchup.
| AWAY | HOME | O/U | SPREAD | TOT (A) | TOT (H) |
| DEN | DET | 219.5 | 7.5 | 113.50 | 106.00 |
| CHA | TOR | 221.5 | -2.5 | 109.50 | 112.00 |
| LAC | WAS | 216.5 | -4.5 | 106.00 | 110.50 |
| NOP | PHI | 215.5 | -9 | 103.25 | 112.25 |
| SAC | BOS | 219 | -8.5 | 105.25 | 113.75 |
| LAL | BKN | 226 | 3 | 114.50 | 111.50 |
| SAS | HOU | 235.5 | 3.5 | 119.50 | 116.00 |
| DAL | GSW | 211.5 | -5 | 103.25 | 108.25 |
| MIN | POR | 227.5 | 3.5 | 115.50 | 112.00 |
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/25/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dejounte Murray - PG, SAS at HOU ($10,000 DraftKings; $10,300 FanDuel)
The I-10 rivalry hosts the highest projected pace game on the slate. It also has the highest over/under (235.5 points) and the two highest implied totals for the Spurs and Rockets. Therefore, we will be looking to grab as many pieces as we can get from this contest, and I'll start with Dejounte Murray. He's been phenomenal all season, but he's stepped it up recently. Over the last three games, the San Antonio guard has racked up 67, 61.5, and 49.75 DraftKings fantasy points. Meanwhile, over their previous 15 games, Houston allows the second most DK FPPG (DraftKings fantasy points per game) to point guards. With a high over/under and a turnstile defense, a fast-paced game makes Murray one of the biggest priorities tonight.
C.J. McCollum - PG/SG, POR vs. MIN ($7,500 DK; $7,900 FD)
No Dame Time has given CJ McCollum a runway to show what he can do as the Trail Blazers enter a trade deadline under a cloud of uncertainty. The 30-year old missed a month and a half of action, but it looks like he's shaken off the rust and is getting back to the standout shooting guard we all love to roster in DFS. Since his return (four games), McCollum's averaging 20.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and four assists while making 50 percent of his field-goal and three-point attempts. In the last two games, CJ averaged 43.37 DK FPPG, and tonight, he will see a Timberwolves defense allowing 45.72 DK FPPG, the fourth-highest mark leaguewide.
Patty Mills - PG/SF, BKN vs. LAL ($4,900 DK; $5,200 FD)
Kyrie Irving will not be playing against the Lakers with the Nets playing at home. No Kyrie and no Kevin Durant (knee) will leave dozens of shots on the floor for any Nets player willing to take them. Patty Mills at less than $5,000 on DraftKings already had my attention, but the absences of his teammates make him a fantastic but chalky play.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum - SF/PF, BOS vs. SAC ($10,400 DK; $9,100 FD)
What will Tatum do to follow up his 50-point game? I'm willing to have him on my DFS roster to find out. Another 50 burger is unlikely, but not impossible. Sometimes players get on a roll like this, and they simply don't miss. Tatum joined an elite with Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Jamal Murray as the only players with 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and nine threes in a single game. While we won't get points for his previous performance, I'm riding the wave as he was in a terrible slump before his history-making game on Sunday.
After missing four games around the holidays, he returned to the court and immediately went into a shooting slump. He made 41.1 percent of his shots and 24.3 percent of his threes. However, he got out of it two days ago by doing what all shooters do to break slumps: continue to shoot. On Sunday, he made 18 of 28 attempts from the floor and nine of 14 shots from downtown. A spark of confidence should unlock the potential greatness Tatum can show us. And against the second-worst defense to power forwards, I expect the 23-year old to continue busting his recent slump.
OG Anunoby - SG/SF, TOR vs. CHA ($6,900 DK; $6,300 FD)
My spreadsheet tells me the small forwards for Toronto should thrive in this matchup with the Hornets. However, the eye test tells me to stay away. Against my better judgment, I will trust the process and see what OG Anunoby can do for my DFS team against Charlotte and their second-worst defense to small forwards.
Anunoby is not bringing it right now for DFS purposes, making 38.5 percent of his field goals and 25 percent of his threes. Still, I can't resist a sub-$7,000 player with the upside of Anunoby, playing upwards of 40 minutes in a fantastic matchup. Smarter DFS minds may have him out of their player pool, but there is too much smoke here for me to ignore. As a result, Anunoby will be in a few of my lineups.
Keldon Johnson - PF, SAS at HOU ($5,000 DK; $5,300 FD)
When I mentioned Dejounte Murray, I told you we would need multiple pieces from this game. Keldon Johnson fits the bill as a discount option because he gets the minutes we require to put up a decent DFS total. The third-year forward has logged at least 30 minutes in five of the seven contests since he returned from a stint with the COVID-19 protocols.
Over those seven games, Johnson's averaging 15.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 triples while making 52 percent of his takes. He's made multiples three in all seven games and topped 17 points in four of the seven games. While the former Kentucky standout doesn't have the ceiling of a Tatum, or even his teammate Murray, Johnson is a more than suitable roster filler in an enticing matchup with Houston.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN at DET ($12,500 DK; $11,800 FD)
There is no arguing who the best player in DFS is right now. It's probably been this way for two or three years at this point, but it finally feels like Nikola Jokic is getting the plaudits to accompany the eye-popping numbers. He should be the favorite to win another MVP (is that a hot take?) and is, frankly, the only option you should consider in cash games for the center position.
Over the last five games, the Serbian has been posting 70.9 DK FPPG thanks to 30.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.4 assists, two steals, and 1.8 three-pointers per contest. The man is unstoppable. Naturally, you can attempt to fade him in tournaments or pivot to Joel Embiid, but I can't recommend it in cash games. The Joker is currently the King of NBA DFS, and I have to fit him on my teams tonight.
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