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Zach's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Friday, 1/31/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
The NBA wraps up the work week with a six-game fantasy basketball slate this Friday night. The Suns-Warriors game is not on the main slate, but the other six matchups provide good fantasy plays to consider as you build your roster. None of the 12 teams on the main slate are playing for the second day in a row, but the Hornets, Nuggets, and Spurs do have another game scheduled for Saturday to keep in mind.
As we take a closer look at the 12 teams in the player pool, some great options are available from a wide variety of price points. Let's dive in and find some good options to build around from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/31/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Damian Lillard, MIL – PG ($9,000)
Lillard didn't have a great game on Tuesday in his return to Portland, but before that contest, the superstar guard was rolling with six straight games of at least 25 points. He and the Bucks are in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and while the matchup in the frontcourt will get most of the attention, Lillard's a very solid play to build around at point guard since he brings an elite ceiling at a little lower salary.
In his last eight games, Lillard averaged 50.2 DraftKings points per contest on 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 0.9 blocked shots in 37.1 minutes per game. He had over 54 DraftKings points in three straight before Tuesday's down game, including this huge game against the Jazz that earned him 54.25 DraftKings points.
Damian Lillard vs Utah Jazz
35 PTS / 5 REB / 8 AST@Bucks W (26-18) pic.twitter.com/qzXIoE9txj
— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) January 28, 2025
Lillard had 26 points and 45.3 DraftKings points in his first matchup with the Spurs this season, and it should be an up-tempo matchup for him to post another big total on Friday.
Daniel Gafford, DAL – C ($7,400)
Without Dereck Lively II (ankle) for a few more weeks, Gafford will continue to carry a huge workload for Dallas in the frontcourt. He has been up to the challenge with four double-doubles in his last six games and an average of of 46 DraftKings points per contest over that stretch.
Daniel Gafford in his last three games:
19.7 PPG
11.7 RPG (6.3 OREB)
4.0 BPG
2.7 APG
67.6% FG
86.7% FTThe landlord has been on a different level.
pic.twitter.com/5SbUbUD9uc— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) January 30, 2025
Gafford's salary has skyrocketed with his extra minutes and production, but he is still outproducing his price point. He and Jalen Duren ($6,200) have both been surging lately and are both strong center options as they go head-to-head on Friday. Gafford's ceiling is just a little bit higher, so he's worth paying a little more for if you have the salary available.
Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI – SG ($6,300)
The Sixers host the Nuggets on Friday and will remain without Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (finger), Andre Drummond (toe), and Caleb Martin (hip). In their absences, Oubre has become a strong secondary scoring option behind Tyrese Maxey ($9,700). He's still relatively affordable at just over $6,000 and brings good upside Friday night.
Oubre has produced at least 35 DraftKings points in four straight games and six of his last eight, including a pair of double-doubles against the Cavaliers and Bulls that resulted in 48.75 and 46.0 DraftKings points, respectively.
Kelly Oubre Jr.'s last three games
20 pts / 8 reb / 5 ast / 8-18 fg
22 pts / 12 reb / 3 ast / 9-18 fg
22 pts / 13 reb / 3 stl / 8-16 fg#Sixers pic.twitter.com/NXfAecyVth— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) January 29, 2025
Without Embiid and George on the floor, Oubre's usage rate climbs more than two percentage points, and he has averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute in that scenario. He'll need to continue to step up and carry more work for the Sixers for as long as those other key parts of the team's rotation remain out.
Others Under Consideration: James Harden - PG ($9,300), Jalen Duren - C ($6,200), Kristaps Porzingis - C ($7,000)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL - PF/C ($11,500)
The monster matchup on Friday is Giannis against Victor Wembanyama ($11,000). Since Giannis also brings power forward eligibility, he's a little easier to include in roster builds than Wemby or Nikola Jokic ($12,000), although all three superstars bring sky-high ceilings. Giannis got the best of Wemby in their first meeting this season, finishing with 25 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, and 58.5 DraftKings points in their meeting earlier this month.
Giannis has been on fire lately, averaging 60.3 DraftKings points per game over his last six games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo over the last 6 games:
39 PTS - 12 REB - 5 AST - 71% FG
35 PTS - 18 REB - 7 AST - 70% FG
36 PTS - 13 REB - 1 AST - 54% FG
25 PTS - 12 REB - 4 AST - 55% FG
34 PTS - 15 REB - 6 AST - 76% FG
35 PTS - 13 REB - 3 AST - 60% FGNot being talked about enough. 🔥😤 pic.twitter.com/7potCONbcV
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 29, 2025
He leaves room to include two other centers on your roster if that's the way you choose to go, and he brings a very high ceiling to what should be a wildly entertaining game in San Antonio. You can definitely stack him and Lillard the way the two stars are playing right now, as long as you can find enough value in other roster spots.
Jaylen Brown, BOS - SG/SF ($7,600)
While Jayson Tatum ($9,500) continues to struggle a little bit while playing through a knee issue, Brown has helped pick up some of the slack and has been a great fantasy play over the past few weeks. He has over 40 DraftKings points in six of his last eight games and has been contributing solid numbers across the box score, averaging 22.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over that eight-game stretch.
Brown and the Celtics are in New Orleans in a favorable matchup on Friday, and if he continues to carry more of the workload, he'll be a very strong play under $8,000.
Jakob Poeltl, TOR - C ($6,600)
It's a good night to get some Poeltl power in your lineup if you can fit him into a stacked center spot. The 29-year-old big man has had a very good year overall for the Raptors, averaging 36.3 DraftKings points in 31.1 minutes per game in 42 contests.
He has shown the ability to produce over 50 DraftKings points in a game, like he did against the Pelicans on Monday.
Jakob Poeltl tonight vs the Pelicans:
21 points
14 rebounds
5 assists
3 blocks
10/15 FG🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/PwcNiBvEda
— RapsShowYo (@RapsShowYo) January 28, 2025
The Raptors have won seven of their last eight games, which is quite the turnaround after winning just eight of their first 39 contests. Poeltl has consistently put up strong numbers with his starting unit, and he should be a solid play with a high ceiling against the Bulls Friday.
Coby White, CHI - PG/SG ($5,900)
On the other side of that Eastern Conference matchup, the Bulls remain without Zach LaVine (personal), leaving White to carry the load. White just returned from a four-game absence with a bone bruise in his ankle, but he was able to play through the issue on Wednesday and ended up playing 31 minutes against Boston, despite coach Billy Donovan saying he would be limited to 25-to-28 minutes. White must have felt good in his return, and he should be ready for even more work on Friday.
In his six games without LaVine this season, White averaged 34.1 DraftKings points and saw his usage rate climb almost four percentage points to a team-high 27.4%.
His recent return from injury does make him a little higher risk which is why I like him more in tournaments, but he definitely has the potential to go off for a huge game in Toronto.
Others Under Consideration: Cade Cunningham - PG ($10,100), Tyrese Maxey - PG ($9,700), Nikola Jokic - C ($12,000), Scottie Barnes PG/SF ($9,400), Dejounte Murray - PG ($8,200), Trey Murphy III - SG/SF ($7,600), Devin Vassell - SG/SF ($6,100), Russell Westbrook - PG ($6,500)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Moussa Diabate, CHA – C ($4,200)
The Hornets continue to be a top source of value on Friday night as they host the Clippers. The team ruled out LaMelo Ball (ankle), Mark Williams (foot), and Cody Martin (abdomen), but they will get Josh Green ($4,400; foot, probable) on the wing. There is still plenty of playing time in the middle for Diabate, who has gotten big minutes in the last two games that Williams missed, even though veteran Taj Gibson ($3,300) actually got the starts.
Diabate had 13 points, eight rebounds, and 26 DraftKings points against the Nets on Wednesday and was even more impressive with nine points, 13 rebounds, and 33.25 DraftKings points against the Pelicans.
"CALL THE GAME WARDEN, WE'VE GOT A MOOSE ON THE LOOSE" 🤣
Moussa Diabaté's jam has Eric Collins HYPED 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/miPot7YZgL
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 30, 2025
Aaron Gordon, DEN – PF/C ($4,400)
Gordon returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday with 15 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes against the Knicks. He finished with 23.5 DraftKings points, and if he sticks in the starting five, he should be able to return value at his salary, which dropped significantly while he was coming off the bench for the last eight games.
After missing nine games due to a calf injury, he's slowly ramped back up to his typical role, and he looks like a great value against the Pistons as the Nuggets continue their road trip with a stop in the Motor City. Gordon's per-minute production has been solid, and now that he's back to his usual workload, he seems very underpriced.
Stephon Castle, SA – PG/SG ($5,200)
While he isn't as much of a bargain as some other options on Friday, Castle has been playing very well for the Spurs and should return solid backcourt value at just over $5,000. He has averaged 27.5 DraftKings points per game over his last seven games and is coming off a 20-point performance against the Clippers.
Stephon Castle tonight:
20 PTS
3 REB
1 STL
7-14 FG
2-7 3PTWill Area 51 make it past the trade deadline? 🤔
— Spurs Lead (@SpursLead) January 30, 2025
Castle has at least 17 points in five of his last seven games, and he has shown the ability to fill up the box score when he gets playing time. Even with all the trade rumors swirling, Castle continues to produce good numbers and remains a solid value play
Ricky Council IV, PHI – SF/PF ($4,200)
Council has been another member of the Sixers who has stepped up to help fill in lately. He started three games earlier this month, playing over 29 minutes in each of those contests and scoring at least 13 points in each game. Although he came off the bench on Wednesday, he still played 29 minutes against the Kings and had 13 points.
His non-scoring numbers are hit or miss, but in this favorable matchup against Denver, he's a great source of salary relief while still giving a high ceiling.
Others Under Consideration: Nick Smith Jr. - SG/SF ($5,000), Malik Beasley - SG ($5,100), Keldon Johnson - SF/PF ($4,000), Lonzo Ball - PG ($4,700), Kevin Porter Jr. - PG ($3,500), Justin Edwards - SF/PF ($4,000)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack
Bulls at Raptors (233 total)
Both teams rank in the top 10 in pace, so this contest should have plenty of fantasy points to go around. Chicago missing LaVine also gives lots of usage for Coby White ($5,900), Lonzo Ball ($4,700), and Ayo Dosunmu ($5,700) in the backcourt. Nikola Vucevic ($8,000), Patrick Williams ($4,200), and Matas Buzelis ($3,800) are also good plays in the front court with more work available.
The Raptors' recent momentum has been fueled by Jakob Poeltl ($6,600) along with Scottie Barnes ($9,400), RJ Barrett ($7,300), and Bruce Brown ($4,600) all putting together a nice string of good games. Jamal Shead ($3,300) and Chris Boucher ($3,900) have also been productive recently and make good value options under $4,000.
Bucks at Spurs (233 total)
A stack of Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) and Damian Lillard ($9,000) definitely isn't cheap, but the duo should excel in San Antonio on Friday night. Ryan Rollins ($3,200) and Andre Jackson ($3,600) have had some solid games lately and can help balance out your spending. Khris Middleton ($5,100; ankle, probable) is expected to play as a mid-range option, although his production has been very volatile lately.
The Spurs are relatively healthy coming into this matchup, which means the rotation is crowded behind Victor Wembanyama ($11,000). Stephon Castle ($5,200) and Devin Vassell ($6,100) have been good lately, and Vassell has scored 19+ points in six of the last seven. Keldon Johnson ($4,000) had 41.75 DraftKings points against the Bucks in their first meeting, but that was without Jeremy Sochan ($4,900), which opened up playing time. Veterans Chris Paul ($5,800) and Harrison Barnes ($4,700) are solid mid-range plays to round out the stack.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Daniel Gafford
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Kelly Oubre Jr.
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- My favorite VALUE play: Moussa Diabate
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