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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 11, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! Six games occupy our main slate, with some of the best teams in either conference taking the floor. Golden State, Memphis, and Phoenix are repping the top of the Western Conference, while Chicago is the top dog in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors and Grizzlies have a showdown in Memphis, and it will be one of the must-watch games to see how they stack up against one another.
Minnesota-New Orleans comes in with the highest over/under on the schedule at 227 points. Meanwhile, the Detroit-Chicago duel projects to have the most possessions, according to my sheets. Finally, the Denver-Los Angeles game is one to fade because of their low Vegas peripherals. Still, it's never a bright idea to eliminate reigning MVP Nikola Jokix from your player pool.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/11/22. And instead of meticulously trying to comb through the rest of the myriad of injury and "health and safety protocols" issues in play, be sure to check out our NBA Injuries Report as well as NBA Player News for updated information.
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
D'Angelo Russell - PG/SG, MIN at NOP ($8,000 DraftKings; $7,600 FanDuel)
Sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due. Despite being a terrible real-life basketball player in terms of winning or creating a positive culture, D'Angelo Russell has been getting it done for our DFS rosters over the last couple of weeks. The 25-year old has played at least 31 minutes in four of his previous five games and gives us fantastic fantasy performances when he hits that number. In fact, Russell posted a double-double in all four contests and hit four or more three-pointers in three of four while averaging 46.88 DK FPPG (DraftKings Fantasy Points Per Game). This game against the Pelicans owns the highest over/under on the slate, and there will be plenty of fantasy points going around the court for Russell to get his numbers.
Coby White - PG/SG, CHI vs. DET ($5,600 DK; $5,800 FD)
The days of hoping Colby White could be a significant part of a starting lineup could be out the door. However, he's growing in his role with these Bulls and is becoming an excellent offensive option with the second unit. Chicago is a 13.5-point favorite over the Pistons tonight, with an implied total of 117 points. This should spell another good game for the former Tarheel, as he seems to come up big when the Bulls are firing on all cylinders. Since Dec. 29, White has played at least 32 minutes in five of his previous six games. When he surpasses that minutes mark, the 2019 first-round pick averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 three-pointers, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 stocks (steals+blocks). Over the last 15 games, Detroit is the fourth-worst defense versus shooting guards, and White will have the opportunity to exploit this defense if the foreshadowed blowout becomes true.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kyle Kuzma - SF/PF, WAS vs. OKC ($8,400 DK; $8,800 FD)
Kyle Kuzma's hot streak will make him a heavily-rostered player among Tuesday's six-game slate. As a result, some tournament-leaning players may fade him, but not me. I'm riding this form until it falls off a cliff. Kuzma is playing the best basketball of his career while sporting a Wizard's jersey, and it has Laker's fans holding a boom box outside his window begging for him to return. Fortunately for us DFS managers, Kuzma is thriving away from Los Angeles. Over his previous six contests, the 26-year old is averaging 27 points on 19.5 attempts, along with 13 rebounds, 2.7 assists, two three-pointers, and 1.7 stocks (steals+blocks) a night. During this stretch, Kuzma's reached 40 DraftKings points each night and is sitting at 51.17 DK FPPG. Facing a bottom-10 Thunder defense, I like Kuzma in cash games and as a pivot against the pivot in tournaments.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM vs. GSW ($7,100 DK; $7,000 FD)
After demolishing the Lakers and Clippers on the West Coast over the weekend, a $7,100 price tag on Jaren Jackson Jr. seems far too cheap. The 2018 draft pick was sensational under the bright lights and helped secure two massive wins for the streaking Grizzlies. Across two games in the Staples Center (you're going to have to give me a while before I call it anything else), JJJ posted 23.5 points, 10 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, two steals, and two assists. Altogether, it provided 54.75 DraftKings points for DFS managers and should've pushed many people over the green line in their contests. Now, he still sits at $7,100 as a massive discount despite showing us the type of ceiling he has in his arsenal. Plus, he's meeting a below-average Warriors defense versus power forwards on a slate with several formidable defenses against the position. Another 50-point evening may not be in the cards, but it doesn't have to be at Jackson's cost. I'll sign up for that kind of ceiling on every slate without hesitation.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Karl-Anthony Towns - C, MIN at NOP ($10,000 DK; $9,700 FD)
It's a little controversial to go against Nikola Jokic at the center position with the form he's in, but I'll risk it for the biscuit and take Karl-Anthony Towns at $2,000 less. KAT missed six games in late December, but he's been the electric DFS player we all know and love since his return. In his three 2022 appearances, the two-time All-Star is averaging 25.3 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.6 three-pointers, and a steal for 51.3 DK FPPG. Additionally, Towns is coming off a season-high 40-point outing versus the Houston Rockets and now meets a New Orleans defense allowing the ninth most DK FPPG to centers over the last 15 games. So the form, the savings, and the matchup give Towns the edge over Jokic as my main center tonight.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - PF/C, OKC at WAS ($3,700 DK; $4,100 FD)
The Thunder enters most slates as the team is likely to be blown out, but it can also enable some value on their roster. Tonight, every Oklahoma City center is under $4,000 on DraftKings. Among the candidates, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is my guy. The rookie has earned his way into the starting five and is getting consistent enough minutes to become a worthy DFS candidate. In four of his previous six games, the 21-year old has played at least 26 minutes. In those four contests, Robinson-Earl averages 13 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 three-pointers for 25.56 DK FPPG. At his low-cost salary on Tuesday's slate, JRE is firmly in my player pool as a punt-option at center.
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