January 1, 2016

Jason Bales highlights the top NBA DFS lineup picks for 1/1/16, as well as a couple of sleepers to keep in mind while building your roster on FanDuel.

A week ago, Christmas around here was about 70 degrees. This week, the Sixers are starting to win games because of the fantastic play of Ish Smith. Next week, I'm assuming hell will freeze over. Oh, Happy New Year!

In this article, I will be providing you with my NBA DFS picks for DraftKings daily leagues on 1/1/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays.

Without wasting anymore time, let's get down to it!

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FanDuel DFS Guards

Ishmael Smith (at LAL, $5,800)

Ish Smith is playing exactly as predicted right now. He was great on the New Orleans Pelicans team when he got the minutes he needed to excel, and the Philadelphia 76ers are riding him to a couple of wins. In his last two games, he has over 30 minutes in each, which also led to over 40 fantasy points in each. Tonight, he faces off against the Los Angeles Lakers, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the entire league, and this game will most likely stay close. Both teams are fairly uptempo, and Ish Smith could realistically go over 50 fantasy points tonight. There is absolutely no reason to avoid him.

Hollis Thompson (at LAL, $3,500)

Unfortunately, Hollis Thompson was injured in the Sacramento Kings game the last time he took the court. He only played 13 minutes, and he never returned to action. He did have 14.4 fantasy points, which is extremely solid considering the amount of time he spent on the court. If he continues to play as well as he was in the beginning of the game, 30 plus fantasy points was not out of the question. He is more often than not a 20 plus fantasy point kind of player. His price tag is very low, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the second worst team in the league against the guard positions (behind the Sacramento Kings). Thompson will save some salary space, and he should at least return value.

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Pau Gasol (vs NYK, $8,700)

Prior to his poor performance against the Indiana Pacers in his last game (13 points, 11 rebounds, 29.7 fantasy points), Pau Gasol has been fantastic with over 40 fantasy points in three straight games. He has been playing 35 plus minutes per game with Joakim Noah out of the Bulls' lineup, and that should continue tonight. The New York Knicks are not great against the center position, and the Bulls should be able to score rather easily. Gasol is a little bit expensive, but with guard options like Ish Smith and Hollis Thompson, it should be fairly easy to slide him into your lineup. Do not hesitate to spend up on the better of the two brothers tonight.

Chandler Parsons (at MIA, $5,200)

Chandler Parsons did not look good in his last game against the Golden State Warriors, but everyone gets at least one mess up game. Aside from that game, he has been consistently hitting value. In fact, he is one of the most consistent small forward options on the board night in and night out. Granted, he does have the ability to drop around 10 fantasy points on any given night, but he is more likely to score 30 plus. The Miami Heat are not great defensively, and Parsons will take advantage of that. If Deron Williams sits out again, Parsons gets even better. If he does not sit out again, Parsons is still a reliable option.

FanDuel DFS Centers

Nikola Vucevic (at WAS, $8,200)

Nikola Vucevic only looked decent in his last game against the Brooklyn Nets. He posted 33.3 fantasy points, which is a lot lower than expected. In five of his prior six games, Vucevic posted over 40 fantasy points, and he even approached 50 on two occasions. The Washington Wizards are an uptempo team, and Vucevic should be able to out-rebound and score easily on Marcin Gortat. Gortat is a great offensive player, and I'm sure Vucevic will have a difficult defending him, but he isn't elite on defense. Considering the matchup and Vucevic's recent success, assuming 40 plus fantasy points out of the Orlando Magic center tonight is about accurate.

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