RADIO
Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Koby's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on January 5th, 2026.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! Tonight, we have a smaller eight-game slate on deck for us. Three of those games are on Peacock for us to enjoy! FanDuel has all eight games, whereas DraftKings has opted to include the first six games and exclude the Warriors/Clippers and Jazz/Trail Blazers from their slates. This article will primarily focus on players who are usable on both sites, but I may include a few players from the late slate for those of you on FanDuel.
As always, watching the injury report updates will be critical to finalizing your strategy. For the most part, we don't have many confirmed injuries at the time of writing this, so please keep an eye on the Discord and our X page to stay up-to-date on players being ruled out. The notable players who are out include Trae Young (quadriceps), Jalen Duren (ankle), Josh Giddey (hamstring), and Alperen Sengun (ankle). There is bound to be quite a bit more, so stay prepared!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/5/26. 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 an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 3 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW
NBA DFS Core Picks
Jaylen Brown, BOS - SF (DF)/ SG/SF (FD) (DK $9.8K, FD $9.9K)
Is there anyone hotter in the league right now than Jaylen Brown? He has been on an unreal run, and just capped off a massive stretch with a 50 burger in their demolition of the Clippers. He has had a minimum of 40+ fantasy points in 16 of his previous 17 games. In those 17 games, he's averaging just over 32 points a game.
We have the second-highest implied total on the slate at 237.5, and Brown currently ranks as the third-highest in usage rate in the league at 35.7%.
JAYLEN BROWN DROPPED 50 TONIGHT 🤯
50 PTS (ties career-high)
18-26 FGMHe joins Jayson Tatum (5x) and Larry Bird (4x) as the only players in Celtics franchise history with multiple 50+ PT games! pic.twitter.com/GhA06b2WfT
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2026
He is also getting an excellent matchup against a Bulls team that has given up the fifth most fantasy points to SGs this season. He has a fairly high floor to go along with potential for a ceiling game. If the Bulls can keep it close even with Giddey out, then Brown could be in line for close to 60 fantasy points in this one.
Jamal Murray, PG - DEN ($9.5K DK, $9.8K FD)
With no Nikola Jokic (knee) for a while, Jamal Murray gets to show off what he is capable of. He has done that so far in his first two games without his MVP center. He has finished with 53+ fantasy points in back-to-back games. With the jump in production also came a jump in his price. He has moved quickly up towards the 10k range.
He did get the likes of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun back, but with this being on a back-to-back. They could end up sitting this one out.
If Murray can keep his production up, he should have no problem justifying the high salary. Murray is sporting a 28% usage rate this season. If the Nuggets can keep the game close like they did against Cleveland, then Murray should be good for another big night.
FD Only
Deni Avdija, SF/PF - POR ($10.2K FD)
Whether you see Deni Avdija as a forward or the temporary PG, he is in for one of the best matchups of the season. The Jazz have been getting demolished by PGs and SFs this season, giving up the most fantasy points per game. Avdija has been on an unreal run, leading this Blazers team to four wins in their last five games and scoring 51+ fantasy points in all of those.
He is really pushing into the triple-double territory, as he has been a threat for one every night.
NBA DFS GPP Pivots
Matas Buzelis, PF (DK) SF/PF (FD) - CHI ($5.9K DK, $6.4K FD)
Giddey remains out of this contest, which means Buzelis can continue to step up big for this Bulls team. Buzelis has seen a 3.0% increase in usage when Giddey is out, jumping from 21% to 24%. Coby White is questionable with a calf injury as well, and if he is out as well, this is Buzelis' world to take over. The last three games have all been solid for Buzelis, who has scored 28, 49, and 32 with those two out.
As I mentioned with Brown, this game has the second-highest total on the slate, and the Bulls are second in the league in pace. I really like Buzelis in this spot to shine against a tough opponent in the Boston Celtics.
Kevin Durant, SG/SF (DK) SF/PF (FD) - HOU ($8.9K DK, $9.1K FD)
Alperen Sengun is out again, so that means it's Durant time! Durant has seen a massive usage uptick when Sengun is off the court. He jumps up over 5% to a 32% usage without Sengun. We saw what it did for him in their last game, where he finished with 57.5 fantasy points on the night. They did come up short against a scrappy Dallas team, but it should be a good game against his former team, the Suns.
Kevin Durant with 34 PTS, 7 AST, & 5 REB in Dallas 📊@MemorialHermann | #Rockets pic.twitter.com/mhtDQy5oVG
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 4, 2026
With so many good forward plays on the slate, I do think Durant could go a bit underowned here. With the likes of Johnson, Kawhi Leonard, Avdija, and Brown all on the slate. Durant is in a great position to have another fantastic game.
FD Only
Keyonte George, PG/SG - UTA ($8.9K FD)
It didn't take long for Keyonte George to get into rhythm this season. He is having a spectacular season for the Jazz, and is getting a great matchup here against a Blazers team that has struggled to stop PGs this year. Portland is giving up the fourth most fantasy points to opposing PGs this season. In their one matchup this season, George went off for 29 points and 8 assists.
He is averaging 40+ fantasy points per game this season and has multiple games of 50+.
In a game like this, it should be high scoring. George could very well be in for a ceiling game here, along with a few others from this game. If you are on FanDuel, this is the spot to load up on.
NBA DFS Value Picks
Clint Capela, HOU - C (DK $4K, FD $4.7K)
Clint Capela could be in for a sizeable role once again, Sengun is out for tonight's game, and at the moment, Steven Adams (ankle) is questionable. If Adams does end up missing this one, Capela is pretty much the last guy left for the center position, meaning he should eat up as many minutes as he can handle. He finished with 40 fantasy points in just 26 minutes, which is his second-highest of the season.
A lot of those points were due to his seven STOCKS, but I'm confident Capela can be a double-double threat.
Ron Holland II, DET - SF/PF (DK $4.1K, FD $3.9K)
Ron Holland II should continue to see a sizeable role. Both Tobias Harris (hip) and Duren are both out for this matchup against the Knicks. In four games this season without Duren, he is averaging 24 minutes a game while averaging nine points, five rebounds, and 1.5 assists, while also racking up nearly three steals a game. This is about as cheap as you can get on both sites, and it's not often we get someone who can score almost 30 fantasy points at near min price.
In last night's game, he almost finished with a double-double. Keep that in mind when you are looking for some dirt-cheap value.
Anfernee Simons, BOS - PG/SG (DK $5K, FD $4.7K)
Anfernee Simons has been a bit of a letdown this season, but it is hard to go from the primary option to being put in a sixth/seventh man type of role. He has started to get it going more recently with 20+ fantasy points in four straight games. He has scored double-digit points in seven of his last eight games as well. We have all seen what Simons can do when he gets the shot going, and in a high-octane spot against the Bulls, it's the perfect spot for him to get the three-ball going.
Simons is fairly cheap, and he has the potential for a high-scoring game when given the opportunity, and this could be one of those spots.
Today's Top Game Stacks
Bulls at Celtics (235.5 O/U)
This is a great game to target; the Bulls have a few guys out, giving us some value. The only downside here is the possible blowout. If the Bulls can keep it close, they are second in pace this season, and they will have to continue that if they want any chance in this one.
Hawks at Raptors (236.5 O/U)
If the Bulls game scares you, then this one should be much closer. It is a similar situation, but it should result in a much closer game. The Hawks are second in the league in pace this season, which should lead to this game being a bit higher scoring. Plenty of options to choose from for both teams, and with Young out, Jalen Johnson is always a viable option.
FD Only
Jazz at Blazers (245.5 O/U)
Although this is only on FD, it's too good a spot to ignore. The total is the highest on the slate, and both teams are in the top 5 in pace this season. This could be a shootout, and with both teams pretty injured, there are plenty of mid-priced guys in good spots to take advantage of.
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: Jaylen Brown
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Deni Avdija (FD)
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Matas Buzelis
- My favorite VALUE play: Clint Capela
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!
