DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (1/6/21): NBA DFS Lineups

The stars are out in droves Wednesday amidst another slate chock full of All-NBA performers. After a brief five-game pocket that featured oodles of low-priced, chalky plays Tuesday, the NBA DFS community returns to some semblance of normalcy with a plentiful 11-game showdown.

As of Tuesday night, three games had already pole vaulted over the 231-point expected total mark (Washington/Philadelphia, Charlotte/Atlanta, Chicago/Sacramento), setting fantasy managers up for a night of points in droves.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/6/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor globally, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.

DraftKings DFS Guards

Paul George - SG, LAC @ GS ($8,900)

Fantasy managers will want to monitor George’s (ankle) status throughout the day after he sat out Tuesday’s loss to San Antonio due to an ankle injury that popped up just prior to tip-off. It’s possible that the Clippers were merely staggering George and Kawhi Leonard during the team’s back-to-back, in which case, a rested George should be one of the top targets on Wednesday’s packed slate.

Golden State’s defensive struggles have been well-documented during the early portion of the year, but they’re worth reinforcing. The group is yielding a league-high 121.1 PPG allowed, all while seeing opponents shoot 40.7 percent from long range, which is the fourth-worst mark in the league. All of that bodes well for George, who has been firing from deep at will when healthy this year, knocking down his average of 8.7 three-point attempts at 49.2 percent.

Collin Sexton - PG/SG, CLE @ ORL ($7,200)

Cleveland enters Wednesday’s matchup with Orlando desperately thin in the backcourt, which is going to lead to heaps of opportunities for Sexton, one way or the other. Without Darius Garland (shoulder), Dante Exum (calf) or Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) available, the Cavs’ PG depth consists of Sexton and … no one else. It’s likely that a G League call-up gets made, but even in that case, Sexton’s minutes total should mirror the 39 that he saw in Monday’s loss.

That lack of help did contribute to Sexton posting a season-low two assists in his last meeting with the Magic, which may make some GPP-centric fantasy managers reluctant to add him to the mix. But his offensive usage rate is likely to be massive, and at his price tag, he’s likely going to see a hefty roster percentage in cash games. To help matters, Orlando has struggled to slow opposing backcourt members during the early portion of the year, elevating Sexton’s appeal further.

Derrick Rose - PG, DET @ MIL ($5,800)

Irrespective of whether or not Rose draws the start without Killian Hayes (hip) on the floor, expect to see him carry a large share of ball-handling duties, especially in crunch time. Delon Wright curiously found himself in the dog house during the first half of Monday’s outing against the Bucks, which makes it all the more apparent that Rose is set to carry a larger workload than usual.

Rose went for a season-high 24 points to go along with eight assists against Milwaukee just two days ago. Having not logged a turnover in his 25 minutes, the only downsides to rostering Rose are that the Pistons are heavy underdogs (13.5 points), in addition to his stable minutes total. There’s an argument to be made that either concerns could knock him from consideration in cash or GPP contests, but with Detroit so thin at the PG spot, he’ll force his way onto lineups across a crowded slate.

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Brandon Ingram - SF/PF, NO v. OKC ($8,400)

The last time that Ingram squared off against the Thunder, he was able to compile 20 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes prior to an ejection due to a Flagrant 2 foul. Based on his recent production -- which has included 31-point showings in each of his two most recent outings -- it’s not unreasonable to think that he could vastly exceed his previous numbers against Oklahoma City.

With multi-category contributions (6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists) and an average of 19.1 shot attempts per game, Ingram is producing at an elite rate, yet draws a price tag that won’t clog up lineups.

Otto Porter - SF/PF, CHI @ SAC ($6,500)

Paths to nightly fantasy relevance are rarely narrow, with Porter’s breakout having come with a few sizable hiccups -- and positive COVID-19 tests for teammates -- along the way. But after logging another double-double during Tuesday’s victory over the Blazers, Porter has shown that earning a starting role has made him a considerable DFS asset.

There are myriad ways to try and get hands on members of Wednesday’s Bulls/Kings matchup, but Porter is one of the most tantalizing GPP options due to his upside. His only clunker in his four starts this year came during a 30-point blowout defeat in which his minutes were capped due to the nature of the loss.

Doug McDermott - SF/PF, IND vs. HOU ($4,400)

The absence of T.J. Warren (foot) has given McDermott a perpetual green light to fire away, particularly from long range. While he remains a member of the team’s second unit, McDermott has seen the largest offensive role of his career during the early portion of the season, averaging a career-high 10.1 shots and 11.6 points per game. His marksmanship has been a work in progress, but as a career 40.9 percent shooter from deep, his 31.7 percent mark through seven contests isn’t likely to last.

Also working in his favor is that the Rockets are tied for the seventh-most triples allowed per game (13.8), ranking the same in opponents' three-point percentage (39.2). Likely to see more intrigue in cash contests due to his stable floor, McDermott could draw some GPP appeal as well due to his reliance on the deep shot with 41 of his 71 shots this year coming from behind the arc.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Joel Embiid - C, PHI vs. WAS ($9,900)

Embiid and the Wizards have faced one another 10 times throughout his career and not one of those matchups has ended without the two-time All-NBA performer compiling a double-double. Averaging 24.6 points and 13.5 rebounds against Washington, Embiid is in line to feast against an exploitable interior.

Thomas Bryant has made terrific offensive strides during the early going of the new season, but his defensive acumen has not been equally up to snuff. Entering play Wednesday, the Wizards are yielding the third-most DK points to opposing centers, which is the stuff of nightmares when having to contend with Embiid, who has five double-doubles across his first six games.

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