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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 2, 2019. Jake Finnen provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Last night was a massive night in terms of DFS and fantasy basketball in general. Players posted huge stat lines, career-highs, and we even had Jusuf Nurkic post a rare 5x5. I could spend hours talking about yesterday's slate, but instead, let's look forward to the big games tonight. The Nets and the Pelicans will be in a high-scoring contest with minimal frontcourt defense, so target those areas. Julius Randle should be a decent pivot for tonight, so make sure you are checking player status' whenever you get the chance. With nine games total tonight, the Thunder-Laker game is still projected to be the highest scoring. While the Thunder are ranked among the top against opposing backcourts, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart still have upside because of their ability to produce away from the ball.
Do not get caught up in the big name options available, because one game that will, unfortunately, fly under the radar is the Hawks-Wizards. There is a ton of scoring potential here, and although Trae Young has struggled to find his shot this season, he has been able to score against Washington more than other teams he has faced. While the Hawks offense starts with Young, look for players like Kevin Huerter, DeAndre' Bembry, and the Wizards' Otto Porter to have a ton of upside tonight.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/2/19. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with questions.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Reggie Jackson - PG/SG, DET @ MEM - $4,700
Initially, I was going to go in the opposite direction with this pick. Shelvin Mack offers value tonight and won't have much opposition, but it's hard to predict what his role should be every night. Reggie Jackson on the other hand, will get his minutes and his fair share of usage, not to mention that Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond should need some help from the backcourt tonight. The Grizzlies started off strong and quickly fell back down to reality, but their defense and ability to keep games close has been consistent, gives me reason to think this game has plenty of upside. Jackson has picked up momentum over the past two games and Memphis ranking 8th against opposing point guards does nothing but make me think Jackson will go under-owned tonight.
Dennis Schroder - PG/SG, OKC @ LAL - $5,400
Both Reggie Jackson and Dennis Schroder are similar plays tonight, but all the upside remains with Schroder. He is the more expensive pick and rightly so, especially against a Lakers backcourt. The rank in the worst half of the league when it comes to guarding opposing guards, and we all know Schroder is one of the hardest covers in that department. His quickness and pass-out ability make it easy for him to get defenses shifting and the Lakers are going to struggle to accommodate for Schroder every time he's on the court. I worry that he will be making the passes that simply get the ball moving, hurting his upside in assists, but he should be able to get to the rim without and real problems, even with JaVale McGee back in the lineup.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Justin Holiday - SG/SF, CHI vs. ORL - $4,800
The Orlando Magic haven't been terrible, but their defense has been suspect all season. They have been keeping games competitive through their offense, and that is exactly what this game will come down to. While Justin Holiday will have to deal with Aaron Gordon for most of this game, that doesn't keep from liking his upside everywhere else. Lately, his stat lines have been modest, but his defense has literally kept him relevant. Until his price hit's closer to $5,500 or so, Holiday will have upside strictly from his ability to hit multiple threes in any game combined with his dedication to defense and getting steals nightly.
Jeff Green - SG/SF, WAS vs. ATL - $4,400
Is it really note-worthy if you call the annual Jeff Green game when it's against a really bad team? If the Hawks were healthy and both Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore were completely healthy, it still wouldn't change my perspective. Jeff Green is one of those players that can do a bit of everything, but struggles to do it consistently. Since he is a veteran, he knows his role and will look to get the Wizards' shooters going quickly, but I still think he is going to find himself in situations where he needs to be the one producing. Green is a moderate price and lately, his minutes have been closer to superstar levels rather than just being a starter. If he can hit threes, that will be an added bonus, but I'm banking on him dissecting the Wizards defense and opening the game up for everyone else. He will produce heavily this game, but do be concerned that Otto Porter returning could take from his usage.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Ed Davis - PF/C, BKN vs. NOP - $3,400
As you can already see with his price, this is pretty high-risk. Regardless, the Nets will NEED someone to rebound the ball that can keep up with the "toughness" of the Pelicans. I have that in quotes because New Orleans isn't actually tough, they just have strong rebounders. Ed Davis has been battling against some of the best rebounders for some time, and rebounding is his primary attribute. Just like the rest of the players in this article, Ed Davis should have a low ownership rate and coming off of rest, he should have maximized upside. Davis' best games have come against teams with talented centers so hopefully playing against Anthony Davis keeps everyone away from the Nets frontcourt.
