NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (1/9/26)

January 9, 2026

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Thunder Dan's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on January 9th, 2026.

It finally happened! Both FanDuel and DraftKings are running the same main NBA DFS slate tonight, which features the first seven games of the evening and leaves off the three late games on the West Coast.

This is a dream come true for content creators and people who cover the league like me! I'm filling in today on our DFS picks, and after parsing through the injury reports and matchups, I feel pretty good about this slate. A lot can change yet today, as we still have questionable tags on star players like Trey Murphy III, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Joel Embiid, so be prepared to make some pivots. But I'll do my best to address those situations as well.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/9/26. 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!

NBA DFS Core Picks

Jamal Murray, DEN - PG (also SG on FD), (DK $10K, FD $10K)

Murray is the guy I am spending up for on this slate, and while he is likely going to be pretty chalky, I'd much rather be over the field than under here. In the four games since Nikola Jokic went down with an injury, Murray has been carrying the Denver offense with averages of 26 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 11.5 assists.

Jamal Murray 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑺 the NBA in assists since Nikola Jokic's injury 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PCv4ORp1Di

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 8, 2026

He's getting some help back with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun working their way back into the lineup, but it's been Murray (and Peyton Watson) who have taken on the scoring burden for Denver. He's posted 56 or more DK points in three straight games and brings an elite floor/ceiling combo tonight as the Nuggets face the Hawks in what should be a really fun, high-scoring, and close game.

Jalen Williams, OKC - SF (also PF on FD), ($7.5K DK, $7.9K FD)

The Thunder are resting the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, tonight and will also be without their starting frontcourt as Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein are both out as well.

That leaves Jalen Williams as the alpha dog on this squad against Memphis. Williams missed the first month of the season and hasn't really returned to his prior form since returning, which has depressed his price a bit, as he was often priced at 8k or more last season.

He's a smash play tonight as he should see an uptick in usage and likely some more boards (with the big men out) and assists (with lead guard SGA out). He has a very fantasy-friendly game as he can also rack up blocks and steals. This price is an absolute bargain for Williams in this spot, and he's simply a player I refuse to fade, even if he hasn't been his normal self so far this year.

NBA DFS GPP Pivots

Kyshawn George, WAS - SG (also SF on FD), ($6.1K DK, $6.3K FD)

Keep an eye out for an update on his minutes, as he hasn't played yet this month, but George is returning tonight and walking into a great situation and matchup. CJ McCollum is gone, and George could soak up some of those shots and assists. He's a bit underpriced for his upside, as we have seen him go off for 40+ fantasy points multiple times this season.

RJ Barrett, TOR - SF (also SG on FD), ($6.5K DK, $6.8K FD)

Barrett has been really good since returning from an injury that kept him out of the lineup for multiple weeks. In the five games since he's come back, he's averaged 20.6 points, six rebounds, and 2.6 assists while drilling 2.0 threes per contest.

With Barnes and Ingram both questionable, we could see Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both thrust into larger roles, as well as Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili. He's priced very fairly on both sites and in the dead zone of pricing in the 6k range, where his rostership could be lower (unless, of course, the other Raptors guys are out, in which case he will get pretty popular.)

NBA DFS Value Picks

Ajay Mitchell, OKC - PG (also SG on FD), (DK $5K, FD $5.5K)

I am not sure how much I have to explain this one. With SGA out, Mitchell should slot into the starting point guard position and play 30+ minutes tonight. He's been fantastic for the Thunder this year, often functioning as their sixth man and giving them a huge boost off the bench.

But he's also been very good as a starter, too, and I'm confident he can crush this price tag with the added responsibilities he will have tonight to help Williams anchor the starting unit.

Miles McBride, NYK - PG/SG (DK $4.4K, FD $4.8K)

McBride has been red-hot as a scorer for the Knicks since returning from his injury a few weeks ago. With Josh Hart out, he's been picking up the slack for New York, averaging 16.5 points per game over his last six. He's just too cheap on both sites, considering that he continues to play close to 30 minutes a night with Hart out.

Collin Murray-Boyles, TOR - PF/C (DK $4.8K, FD $5.7K)

Toronto is an interesting team tonight and could be a major source of value if Ingram or Barnes (or both) end up sitting out. Jakob Poeltl is already out with back issues, which means that CMB should draw another start at center.

CMB BLOCK ➡️ SCOTTIE BUCKET pic.twitter.com/sR4Z5fPIjM

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 30, 2025

The rookie is a bit undersized at center, but has shown an impressive skill set and has racked up defensive stats. Over his last five games, he's averaging 9.2 boards, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks. He could be asked to score the ball more if Toronto is shorthanded, so give him a long look, even at his FD price, which is a much fairer price on him; his DK tag is far too cheap.

Noah Penda, ORL - PF (SF on FD), (DK $3.6K, FD $4.5K)

The talented rookie swingman has had a few stints now where he's flashed some major productivity. The last two games, he's really popped off, though one of those games we have to take with a grain of salt, as the starters were benched halfway through the third quarter and the reserves played the remainder.

Penda's price is attractive on both sites, and most projection systems will have a hard time with him today as his minutes aren't entirely secure. If he plays 20+ minutes, though, I like his chances at going for 5x or better.

Today's Top Game Stacks

Pelicans (-2.5) at Wizards (242 O/U)

We have two bad teams that play very little defense and a massive 242-point total as a result. Both teams have been in better form lately, too, so this one should stay close as the 2.5-point spread implies.

We need to know the status of Trey Murphy III before knowing which Pelicans pieces we like, but on the other side, we already know that McCollum is in Atlanta now and that Trae Young won't be suiting up yet for his new team. That puts Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, and Alexandre Sarr all in play, as well as the aforementioned George.

Thunder (-4.5) at Grizzlies (229 O/U)

With the Thunder missing multiple starters, we have a much better chance at nailing where the production will come from. I have already mentioned Williams and Mitchell as the main targets, but backup center Branden Carlson is a great value (with Hartenstein and Holmgren both out), and we can also look at Aaron Wiggins and others.

We have no Ja Morant for the Grizzlies, so Cam Spencer should get the start at the point and is in play, while Jaren Jackson Jr. should also see a bump in usage. If Cedric Coward returns from injury, he could be a compelling option as well.

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: Jamal Murray
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jalen Williams
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Kyshawn George
• My favorite VALUE play: Ajay Mitchell

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis