The top DraftKings daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for 1/8/17 by Justin Bales. Expert NBA DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for DraftKings.

This is arguably the worst possible scenario DraftKings could come up with. There are eight games tonight, but they have been split into two four games slates. I have opted to use players from each slate, so you have enough options regardless of what slate you are looking to play tonight.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/8/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @BalesSJustin.

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DraftKings DFS Guards

Kyrie Irving – PG, at PHO ($8,200)

Irving continues to be underpriced, as he has been on fire recently. He returned from injury in Cleveland’s last game, and he scored 47.25 fantasy points against the Nets. He has scored at least 40 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games, including three games with 60 or more fantasy points. He gets a great matchup against the Suns tonight, and Irving’s price is going to skyrocket soon. He can safely be used in all leagues on this slate.

George Hill – PG, at MEM ($6,000)

Hill has been dealing with multiple injuries this season, but he has been an elite fantasy option when he plays. He’s averaging 32.8 fantasy points in 30.3 minutes per game in his first 13 games this season. He has been a consistent player with elite upside when he plays a full games worth of minutes, and he’s entirely too cheap tonight. He gets a tough matchup against the Grizzlies tonight, but Hill is cheap enough to be used in all leagues tonight.

Ty Lawson – PG, vs GS ($4,200)

Lawson has had his ups and downs this season, but he has been a solid option when given full minutes. He scored 32 fantasy points in 37 minutes in his last game, but he also scored six fantasy points in 10 minutes a few games ago. He has also scored at least 25 fantasy points in six of his last eight games. He gets a matchup against a fast paced Golden State team, and Lawson will see plenty of opportunities to score fantasy points while on the court. His minutes are far from guaranteed, though, and he’s a tournament only option tonight.

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Joel Embiid – PF/C, at BKN ($7,900) 

Embiid has looked outstanding in his last few games, as he has scored at least 40 fantasy points in each of his last five games. Over that span, he’s averaging 42.4 fantasy points in only 28.4 minutes per game. He has been playing as many as 30 minutes on any given night, and he gets an elite matchup against a terrible Brooklyn defense. Embiid scored 58 fantasy points against the Nets in their only matchup this season, and he can be used in all leagues.

Julius Randle – PF/C, vs ORL ($7,000)

Randle has displayed great versatility for a big man over the last 10 days, as he’s averaging 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game over that span. He recently triple doubled for the second time this season, and Randle is one of very few players to have done that this year. He gets a decent matchup against the Magic, but most importantly this game will be played in LA. Randle has been a significantly better player at home, and he has been playing well enough to be used in all leagues tonight.

Terrence Ross – SG/SF, vs HOU ($3,900)

Ross has been heating up for the Raptors recently, as he has finally been seeing consistent minutes. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 28.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He is a solid scorer, who can also contribute in other categories, as well. His price tag is still surprisingly low, and he gets a solid matchup against the Rockets, who he played well against earlier this season. Ross does come with a bit of risk, but he can be used in all leagues because of his low price tag.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Rudy Gobert – C, at MEM ($6,600) 

Gobert continues to make an elite option, as he is a nightly double double. He is averaging nearly as many rebounds per game as points, which is good for his upside, but also shows that he isn’t a huge part of the Jazz offense. He also gets upside from his block rate, as he’s averaging 2.6 blocks per game on the season. He gets a tough matchup against the Grizzlies, but Gobert has been an elite option the entire season, and he saw his price drop significantly tonight. He can be used in all leagues.

Marcin Gortat – C, at MIL ($6,400)

Gortat has been one of the hottest centers in the NBA recently, as he’s averaging 15.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 block per game over the last 10 days. He’s playing big minutes for the Wizards, and he isn’t a player that generally gets in foul trouble. He has double doubled in each of his last five games, and he gets a decent matchup against the Bucks tonight. He’s still surprisingly cheap, and Gortat can be used in all leagues tonight.

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