NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (1/23/26)

January 23, 2026

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Max's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on January 23rd, 2026.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! Tonight, we have an eight-game slate of NBA games, highlighted by the doubleheader on Amazon Prime of the Rockets at Pistons and the Nuggets at Bucks. Note that DraftKings and FanDuel are both not including the Nuggets at Bucks, and Raptors at Blazers games on the main slate. For this article, I will only feature players in games on both sites. Whichever site you're playing on, there are plenty of good DFS fantasy basketball options to consider. These articles focus on the best overall plays, which are typically more suited to cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate.

As always, watching the injury report updates will be critical to finalizing your strategy. Some big names, such as Ja Morant, Derrick White, Jalen Williams, and Darius Garland, are already confirmed out. There are many more players out, and there will undoubtedly be players who pop up on the injury report tomorrow, or even get ruled out, so keep a close eye on the NBA injury news and make adjustments as needed.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/23/26. 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 FanDuel and DraftKings. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab the RotoBaller Premium Pass, which is highly discounted and includes DFS, betting, props, and season-long tools like the Team Sync platform. and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

Today's NBA DFS Matchup Ratings Projections

Be sure to bookmark our free NBA DFS Matchup Ratings Projections tool to see the top-ranked players and key stats for setting winning NBA DFS lineups:

Today's NBA DFS Core Picks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC - PG

• DraftKings: $10.7K
• FanDuel: $11K

The reigning MVP & Finals MVP is coming off his best fantasy performance of the season, dropping 40/7/11 on 84.2% shooting. The Thunder were already missing Jalen Williams, and now Ajay Mitchell is sidelined tonight after getting hurt on Wednesday, leaving the OKC backcourt shorthanded. In a plus matchup against the last-place Pacers, I fully expect SGA to be heavily utilized.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 40 PTS, 7 REB, 11 AST, 16/19 FG, 2/2 3FG, 90.6% TS vs Bucks https://t.co/4V4pc89NsB pic.twitter.com/Zp2nu0dPbx

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 22, 2026

The concerns about a Thunder blowout limit his ceiling outcomes (the Thunder are 16-point favorites at the time of writing), but he's a lock to take 20+ shots and at least touch the ball on every possession he's on the floor.

Onyeka Okongwu, C/PF (FD) - ATL

• DraftKings: $7.2K
• FanDuel: $7.4K

Okongwu continues to start and play big minutes for the middling Hawks while Kristaps Porzingis continues to miss time. Okongwu has scored 35+ fantasy points in three of his last 14 games, and has played at least 30 minutes in every single one of those games (except for the last game when he fouled out at 28 minutes).

He profiles much better for cash games, since he doesn't exactly have the highest of ceilings. However, he's averaging 35.8 fantasy PPG so far this year, so even an average game should translate into a positive fantasy performance.

Today's NBA DFS GPP Pivots

Donovan Mitchell, CLE - SG/PG (FD)

• DraftKings: $9.7K
• FanDuel: $9.4K

Mitchell has been cold lately, shooting under 45% in five of his last six games, but I believe there's reason for optimism tonight. With the Cavs missing both Garland and Sam Merrill, the Cavs remain thin in the backcourt. The Kings allow the fourth-most PPG, and allow the second-highest opponent FG% in the league, which could be the remedy for a struggling superstar like Mitchell.

Donovan Mitchell this season:

29.2 PPG
4.8 RPG
5.7 APG

Not an all star starter 😑 pic.twitter.com/MEusyfmzf7

— MitchellMuse (@mitch_muse) January 19, 2026

Mitchell ranks fifth in the entire NBA in usage rate. When combined with the lack of alternative options and the matchup, it's easy to see Mitchell's path to an explosive game.

Payton Pritchard, PG/SG (FD) - BOS

• DraftKings: $7K
• FanDuel: $6.5K

Pritchard is the definition of a boom-or-bust player. He has had some subpar games with under-30-point performances, but he is capable of scoring 45+ fantasy points, which would be a great return at only $7k.

With White resting tonight, Pritchard will certainly play more than usual. Pritchard is isolated in price compared to the rest of the Celtics, who look to be relatively popular plays, which makes him a great piece of leverage compared to his more popular teammates.

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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

Sam Hauser, BOS - SF/PF

• DraftKings: $5.2K
• FanDuel $4.3K

The Celtics bench will all see a bump in ownership tonight with White out, but it feels like the main decision to make with this team is Hauser or Anfernee Simons, who is the most likely candidate to start in his place. Even though he's $200 more expensive, I lean toward Hauser, who also has dropped a 50-point fantasy performance in the last week and has been more consistent of late.

Oklahoma City Thunder

This Thunder team has been ravaged by injuries through the first half of this season, and they're currently going through another full wave of players missing games. Both their first and second units are missing key pieces, and depending on some players with Questionable tags, there are seven Thunder players priced under $5k that will be contributors to sort through.

If Jaylin Williams misses his second straight game, Kenrich Williams would not only be the most appealing option on the Thunder, he would likely instantly become one of the most popular plays on the slate.

John Konchar, MEM - SF

• DraftKings: $3.5K
• FanDuel: $3.7K

Memphis is hurting top to bottom, and Konchar has played pretty well since rejoining the lineup himself. After scoring 21+ fantasy points in his first two full games, he earned himself a spot in the Memphis starting lineup with all of their injuries. He only scored 12.5 in that game, but he did play his second-most minutes of the season. This game has the highest implied total on the slate, and Konchar is a dirt-cheap starting option, which makes him a great punting option.

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies (235.5 O/U, 5.5-point spread)

This game has the highest implied total on the slate and has all the makings of a "bad teams shootout" with two teams in the bottom five of the West facing off who don't play a whole lot of defense.

The most expensive player in the game is under $8k, and Memphis has some of the best value available on the whole slate. This game checks all the boxes except for having a high-priced superstar available.

Phoenix Suns at Atlanta Hawks (233.5 O/U, 2.5-point spread)

Although this game and the Kings at Cavaliers game both have the same implied total of 233.5, this game gets the nod due to the projection of a closer game (the Suns are 3-point favorites, while the Cavs are 11.5-point favorites).

This game could be the key for GPPs, with the Suns being one of the least popular teams in terms of projected ownership.

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: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Donovan Mitchell
• My favorite VALUE play: OKC Thunder

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