DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (1/4/21): NBA DFS Lineups

January 4, 2021

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 3, 2021. Eric Moody provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

The NBA schedule has nine games on the slate for Monday. Did you know that none of them have an implied point total of 225 or more? You’ll have an adequate number of players to choose from, but here are three tips on how to attack it.

First of all, it’s important to look at the pace and Vegas lines. Second, it’s also useful to understand the number of fantasy points a team gives up to a specific position. The final tip is to identify value plays which is critical on a slate of any size. You don’t have to necessarily go for the cheapest value, but you want to identify players who have a high floor and a high ceiling. 

This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/4/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks! 

DraftKings DFS Guards

Luka Doncic - PG, DAL vs. HOU ($10,300)

Doncic was ruled out for the Mavericks game against the Bulls on Sunday due to an injury. He injured his quad last Friday night against the Heat. Doncic left the game with 27 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and a block. The quad issue shouldn’t lead to an extended absence and Doncic is expected to return to the fold tonight against the Rockets. His Usage Rate is one of the highest in the NBA at 36.6%. This metric is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor. If Doncic were to miss Monday’s game then his statistical contributions would be replaced by Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke. Trae Young is another viable point guard option with a similar ceiling and salary to Doncic that you could also pivot to.  

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG, OKC vs. MIA ($7,800)

Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled over the last two games. He’s only averaged 31.5 minutes, 12 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.5 blocks per game over that time frame. Gilgeous-Alexander began the season with three consecutive games of 20 or more points. He’s had a Usage Rate of 27.7% this season and will look to bounce back against the Heat. Miami has been a favorable matchup for guards all season. 

Jrue Holiday - PG, MIL vs. DET ($6,800)

Holiday’s statistical production has been up and down all season. He’s averaged 29.5 minutes, 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 0.7 blocks per game this season. Holiday only has three games with over 30 or more DraftKings points this season. His Usage Rate for the Bucks this season has been 19.7%. Holiday has a favorable matchup against a Pistons team that has allowed the 11th most DraftKings points to point guards this season. 

Bonus Guards: RJ Barrett ($6,700), Tyler Herro ($6,400), Fred Vanvleet ($7,700)

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo - PG, MIL vs. DET ($10,800)

Antetokounmpo posted 29 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks in 28 minutes against the Bulls last Friday. Did you know that this was his fourth double-double of the season? Antetokounmpo has a Usage Rate of 33% and a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 30.2 which ranks 11th amongst all NBA players. PER sums up all a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns a per-minute rating of a player’s performance. Antetokounmpo and Doncic have the two highest ceilings of any players on the Monday slate. 

Jimmy Butler - PG/SF, MIA vs. OKC ($7,400)

Butler left a bad taste in the mouths of fantasy players with his performance last Friday against the Mavericks. He recorded two points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 27 minutes. Butler has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury and is well-positioned to bounce back against the Thunder on Monday. As a gentle reminder, he averaged 20 points, 6.7 rebounds, six assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks on a per-game basis during the 2019-2020 campaign. Butler is the alpha on the Heat and will be the driving force behind everything Miami does offensively. 

Aaron Gordon - PF, ORL vs. CLE ($5,900)

Gordon scored 15 points, accumulated eight rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes against the Thunder. He’s averaged 33.5 DraftKings points per game in the three Gordon has played 26 or more minutes. He’s in a very good position to go boom on Monday against a Cavaliers team that allowed the 11th most fantasy points to Power Forwards this season. 

Bonus Forwards: Khris Middleton (($7,700), Darius Bazley ($5,800), Al Horford ($6,300), Chris Boucher ($5,100)

DraftKings DFS Centers

Andre Drummond - C, CLE vs. ORL ($9,200)

Drummond was unable to overcome a slow start against the Hawks on Saturday. The game’s slow pace also negatively impacted him. Drummond only scored 12 points and accumulated 11 rebounds across 20 minutes. This resulted in his worst game of the season from a DraftKings point perspective. Drummond has averaged 51.3 fantasy points per game in the five previous games this season. His Usage Rate this season is 31% and that trend will continue. Drummond will look to bounce back on Monday night against a Magic team that has allowed a high number of fantasy points to centers this season. 

Christian Wood - C, HOU vs. DAL ($7,400)

Wood has averaged 48 DraftKings points per game this season. He can coexist with James Harden. Last Saturday he finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, one assist, and one steal in 33 minutes against the Kings. Wood has a True Shooting Percentage of 61.3% and a Usage Rate of 25% this season. True Shooting Percentage is a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account field goals, three-pointers, and free throws. Did you know that Woods has had three double-doubles this season? His productive play will continue against the Mavericks on Monday night.  

Bonus Centers: Clint Capela ($6,100), Steven Adams ($6,200), Myles Turner ($6,400), Mitchell Robinson ($5,700)

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