RADIO
It's Thursday and we have hoops on our televisions! We truly are blessed. While there are only three games tipping off, two will be featured on TNT, headlined by the PHX/DAL matchup tipping off at 7:30 PM ET. Despite the lighter slate, DFS is still a thing and there are still plenty of opportunities to put together a winning lineup.
The only thing better than NBA DFS itself is winning money, and that's exactly what we're going to do here. With six teams taking the floor on Thursday, there will be lots of options to choose from. Continue reading to see which players I am targeting on Thursday!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/20/22. Remember to monitor NBA injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Let's cut right to the chase and dive into my favorite DraftKings and FanDuel plays for Thursday's three-game slate.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Luka Doncic - PG, DAL vs. PHX (10,400 DK, $10,900 FD)
Doncic has triple-doubled in three of his past five games ahead of a marquis matchup against the Suns on national TV. Despite his impressive play, his DraftKings salary is laughably low at $10,400. He'll likely see a lot of Mikal Bridges in this one, but Doncic's heavy usage will ensure he produces regardless. I would much rather build my lineup around Luka than Stephen Curry.
Klay Thompson - SG, GSW vs. IND ($5,300 DK, $6,500 FD)
Man, it sure feels nice to write Thompson's name down here. It's certainly been way too long. He deserves the nod, though, as he's quietly finding his groove after the long layoff. He just posted a season-high 21 points en route to 35.8 DraftKings points in Tuesday's win over the Pistons. He now gets a nice matchup at home against the Pacers, who are just outside the bottom-five in 3PT% allowed this season at 36%. Thompson's salary should slowly climb as the games go on but I am comfortable throwing him into my lineup in the low $5,000s.
Brandon Ingram - SG/SF, NOP @ NYK ($8,000 DK, $8,200 FD)
Ingram has been great over his last six games, racking up at least 41 DraftKings points four times in that span. He gets a great matchup against the Knicks in this one and it's very possible that Devonte' Graham is forced to sit out with a left ankle issue. This would put the ball in Ingram's hands even more than it already is and that alone makes him an intriguing play. There aren't too many guys priced around $8,000 who will see as much usage as Ingram.
GPP PG:
Jose Alverado - PG, NOP @ NYK ($3,000 DK, $3,700 FD)
This might be the spiciest pick of the season, but it's smart to shoot for the moon on light slates like this one. Alverado is priced at the absolute lowest on DraftKings but may see some quality time if Devonte' Graham is forced to sit. He's seen double-digit minutes in his last eight games and scored double-digit fantasy points in his last five. If he hits, there's a good chance you win money.
Others to consider: Devin Booker ($8,300 DK, $9,000 FD), Malcolm Brogdon ($7,400 DK, $6,600 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jonathan Kuminga - PF, GSW vs. IND (4,300 DK, $5,900 FD)
Kuminga has done a fine job filling in for the injured Draymond Green, averaging well over 1.5 DraftKings points per minute over his last five games. He's averaged just under 30 minutes over his last three games and that should continue to trend up with Green scheduled to miss more time. With Domantas Sabonis likely switching to center with Myles Turner out of the lineup, Kuminga will likely match up with Torrey Craig, which is a boost for his fantasy value.
Domantas Sabonis - PF/C, IND @ GSW ($10,000 DK, $9,600 FD)
It's tough to pass up Sabonis here, especially on FanDuel. With Myles Turner out, he'll likely spend a lot of time at the center spot where he will match up with Kevon Looney. The Pacers will be on the second night of a back-to-back set on the road and will need to lean on their big man if they have any chance of taking down the daunting Warriors.
Cam Johnson - SF, PHO @ DAL ($4,600 DK, $5,700 FD)
Johnson enjoyed eight straight games of at least 21 DraftKings points before cooling off in Monday's win over the Spurs. He will look to pick things back up against the Mavericks in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Others to consider: Andrew Wiggins ($6,600 DK, $6,300 FD), Evan Fournier ($5,500 DK, $5,600 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jalen Smith - PF/C, PHX @ DAL ($4,100 DK, $3,800 FD)
With Deandre Ayton ruled out for this one, the masses will surely attack JaVale McGee in DFS. Taking Smith here is a sneaky move that could pay off big time. Kristaps Porzingis can stretch the floor with his three-point game and the Suns could look to Jalen Smith, who is more athletic and mobile than McGee, to match up against Porzingis. Don't be surprised to see Smith get more run than McGee solely based on match up.
Herbert Jones - PF/C, NOP vs. NYK (4,400 DK, $5,800 FD)
Jones has been impressive with heavy minutes over the last month and a half. He's an absolute steal on DraftKings against a Knicks defense who have been middle of the pack when it comes to slowing down power forwards and centers this season. He's priced $1,400 more on FanDuel, so this is solely a DraftKings call.
Others to consider: JaVale McGee ($4,000 DK, 4,800 FD), Bismack Biyombo ($4,000 DK, $5,200 FD)
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