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NBA DFS sleepers and values plays for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 25, 2023. Juan Carlos Blanco gives you his top NBA DFS picks and lineup targets.
We have our typical big Wednesday night slate on tap, as 10 games are on the docket. There are several big-name matchups on tap, including a Nets-76ers battle in Philly and a Nuggets-Bucks interconference showdown that could prove to be a Finals preview.
Not only do the spreads portend a competitive night -- all but two games have lines of 5.5 points or fewer as of early Wednesday -- but there are also eight games with projected totals of more than 230 points, including two over 240. Those types of numbers all up the chances of a night full of prolific individual performances, certainly a good sign for us as DFS players.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the respective main slates on DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/25/23. 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
Ja Morant - PG, MEM at GSW ($9,700 DK, $9,900 FD)
Morant is clear to play Wednesday after missing Monday's loss to the Kings with an ankle injury, so he should be particularly refreshed for a favorable positional matchup against the Warriors. The star guard recorded 56.8 DK/53.4 FD points across 41 minutes when he saw Golden State on Christmas Day, and the Dubs check in allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (28.3).
The Warriors are also surrendering 37.2 percent three-point shooting to PGs, along with the fourth-most DK (52.1) and third-most FD (51.3) points per game to the position in the last 15 games. Morant has been a more efficient shooter on the road as well, draining 47.9 percent of his attempts, and he's shooting a sizzling 50.5 percent over his last 10 games overall.
Jrue Holiday - PG/SG, MIL vs. DEN ($8,900 DK, $8,400 FD)
Holiday has both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton back on the floor with him, but the veteran point guard still put up 36 DK/37.3 FD points across 30 minutes in the return of both from injury Monday. Although his salaries remain elevated Wednesday, he draws a highly favorable position matchup against a Nuggets team that's struggled to contain point guards all season and could therefore facilitate a very strong return.
The Nuggets are giving up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (28.9), along with the fifth-most DK (51.7) and sixth-most FD (49.9) points per game to the position. Denver is also tied for the fifth-most assists per road game surrendered (26.4) and has yielded the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage on the road as well (37.9), two more numbers that could give him paths to fantasy success in what could be a wire-to-wire affair.
Monte Morris - PG, WAS at HOU ($5,100 DK, $5,600 FD)
Morris put together a solid 24.8 DK/24.1 FD points against the Mavericks on Tuesday night with Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) sidelined, and the big man is projected to miss at least two weeks overall. Therefore, despite the second night of the back-to-back set, Morris is a viable candidate at his salaries again Wednesday, when his matchup is one of the best in the league for point guards.
The Rockets have given up the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (29.5), along with the most DK (54.8) and FD (53.9) points per game to the position on the season. Houston is also giving up the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage (36.7) overall, while Morris is shooting a sizzling 56.3 percent from behind the arc over the last four games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bradley Beal, WAS at HOU ($7,200 DK, $8,200 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James - PF, LAL vs. SAN ($11,700 DK, $11,100 FD)
Assuming James plays through his ankle soreness for a second straight night Wednesday after a massive 46-point tally in a losing effort versus the Clippers on Tuesday, he'll draw a highly favorable matchup against a Spurs team that's been vulnerable down low all season. LeBron also already produced 64.3 DK/58.7 FD points in one prior meeting with San Antonio this season and James checks in having scored over 50 fantasy points on each site in eight straight games.
The Spurs have given up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (28.6), along with a co-NBA-high 49.4 DK/47.3 FD points per game to the position on the campaign. San Antonio is also yielding NBA-high 43.0 percent three-point shooting on the road and a Western Conference-high 55.9 points in the paint per contest in that split as well, two other metrics that support the notion of another prolific effort for LeBron.
Paolo Banchero - SF/PF, ORL vs. IND ($7,000 DK, $7,400 FD)
Banchero is averaging 36.9 DK/36.2 FD points per game this season, and he's eclipsed the 30-mark on DK in nine of his last 11 games. The rookie has also been at his most productive at home, where he's putting up 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across 20 contests. The top overall selection checks in averaging an elevated 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals over his last 10 games.
Banchero is averaging 34.6 FD points over that span, and he's getting his first crack at a Pacers team that's given up the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (29.0). Indiana is also yielding 50.8 DK/48.9 FD points per game in the last seven games to fours, along with the second-most rebounds per road game (54.9). Banchero has seven double-doubles on the season, and he could have a solid shot of accomplishing the feat again versus a Pacers frontcourt that's been vulnerable throughout the season.
Draymond Green - PF, GSW vs. MEM ($6,300 DK, $6,800 FD)
Green generated 45.8 DK/45.1 FD points against the Grizzlies on Christmas Day, and he heads into Wednesday night's rematch in the midst of a particularly strong stretch of play. The veteran is averaging a well-rounded 9.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals across his last six games while shooting 51.4 percent, including 41.7 percent from three-point range.
The Grizzlies continue to be appealing targets, as Memphis has allowed the most DK (55.8) and FD (54.1) points per game to power forwards in the last seven games. The Grizzlies are also tied for the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage surrendered on the road (37.9), and they're tied for the fourth-most assists per away contest allowed as well (26.9). Given Green's ability to capitalize on both weaknesses, he makes for an even more appealing play at his salaries.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kyle Kuzma - SF/PF, WAS at HOU ($8,800 DK, $8,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. BKN ($11,400 DK, $11,500 FD)
Embiid carries a questionable tag into Wednesday due to his foot injury, but if he suits up, he'll be looking to extend a streak of 50-point performances on either site to four games. The big man is also going up against a Nets team that's surrendered over 52 fantasy points per game to centers on either site over the last 15 contests, and they rank in the bottom half of the league with 52.9 rebounds per road game surrendered as well.
Embiid missed the first matchup against the Nets this season, but he posted over 50 DK/FD points in two of the four games versus Brooklyn and Nicolas Claxton last season. The presence of former teammate Ben Simmons down low does present a stiff defensive challenge, but Embiid has been outstanding at home all season with averages of 35.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest.
Myles Turner - C, IND at ORL ($7,100 DK, $8,000 FD)
Turner is averaging over 35 fantasy points per contest on both sites over the last five games, a stretch during which his contributions included 18.8 points and 3.4 blocks per outing. The big man is putting up career-best figures in points (17.0), rebounds (7.8), field-goal percentage (55.1), and three-point shooting percentage (39.6), and he'll tangle with a Magic squad he's already put up one tally of 38.8 DK/37.2 FD points against.
Orlando is also allowing the ninth-highest offensive offensive efficiency rating (32.6) to centers, and the Magic have been especially vulnerable to the position recently by allowing 61.3 DK/60.8 FD points to the position in the last seven games.
Clint Capela - C, ATL at OKC ($5,700 DK, $6,500 FD)
Capela saw a big boost in playing time Monday night against the Bulls after not exceeding 24 minutes in his first four games back from a calf injury, leading to a tally of 41 DK/41.9 FD points. The big man's increase in opportunity could carry over Wednesday if Onyeka Okongwu sits out a second straight game due to a hamstring injury, and Capela will be in a good position to deliver another strong return considering the Thunder's struggles against centers all season.
OKC is ranked 19th in offensive efficiency rating allowed to centers on the season (32.1), along with 56.7 DK/55.6 FD points per game to the position. The Thunder are also yielding the third-most rebounds (55.0) and ninth-most points in the paint (51.2) per home game, two other weaknesses that Capela is certainly highly capable of capitalizing on.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. UTA ($7,000 DK, $7,700 FD)
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