Today's free NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (January 28th, 2026). Jamie's daily fantasy basketball lineups, values, stacks, pivots, sleepers for NBA DFS.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! It's decision time right off the bat, as Luka Doncic and his video-game-like stats are available (and honestly, his price tag is probably not what it should be at this point). In order to roster the MVP candidate, we'll need to find some cheap values.
We have nine games on tap for both sites this evening, and there are several teams that are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Potential rest candidates could pop up for these teams, unlocking value where we didn't know we might have it. Be sure to jump into our RotoBaller Discord channel as we discuss and analyze the situations in real time!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/28/26. 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!
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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
Luka Doncic, LAL - PG
- DraftKings: $12,200
- FanDuel: $12,700
The question isn't whether Doncic is the best overall play of the night. It's always a matter of whether or not it's prudent to pay his price tag. That decision will always come down to whether or not there's enough value to justify Luka's price tag, and it already looks like there is.
Doncic is averaging 61.5 DK PPG over 13 January games, and he has a 36.9% usage rate over that span. As incredible as it seems, that mark is actually LOWER than his season, where he's posting a 37.6% usage rate to lead the league. Cleveland has middling defense, but the loss of Evan Mobley will cause them to crater on the interior. Doncic is well worth the price tag if you can make it work with the values.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE - SG on DK, PG/SG on FD
- DraftKings: $9,700
- FanDuel: $9,900
The difficult decision with Doncic comes with a different wrinkle tonight, as you absolutely must play Donovan Mitchell in your cash lineups. He's been going bananas lately, with DK scores of 55.2, 59.2, and 58.5 over his last three. He has an unreal 40.3% usage rate in that span with Darius Garland out, and now Mobley will join Garland on the sidelines as well.
Since the beginning of last season, Mitchell has a 38.9% usage rate with Mobley and Garland off the court, and the Cavs will have to fully lean on him in what looks like a shootout against the Lakers. L.A. ranks 25th in overall team defense, and does not have a regular player capable of defending Mitchell's downhill game.
Today's NBA DFS GPP Pivots
Jaylen Brown, BOS - SF on DK, SG/SF on FD
- DraftKings: $9,900
- FanDuel: $10,100
Jaylen Brown will most likely be ignored with the two guys above eating up a lot of the stud ownership %. We'll want to take advantage of that, as Brown is having an MVP-caliber season as the alpha for the Celtics. His 36.5% usage is second in the NBA to only Doncic, and he's averaging a career-high 29.6 PPG.
Brown will take on the Hawks tonight, who have always provided fantasy goodness thanks to their fast pace and questionable defense. This year, it's no different, as Atlanta ranks fourth in pace factor and is 17th in overall team defense. They've also given up the most FPPG to opposing wings, so Brown should have a field day here.
Lauri Markkanen, UTA - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,300
Utah has always treated Lauri Markkanen with kid gloves, so it's difficult to get fully excited about this play. However, Keyonte George and Jusuf Nurkic are questionable after sitting out last night for Utah, and Markkanen returned last night from a seven-game absence (where he was seemingly quite sick) to play 29 minutes.
Markkanen still has monstrous upside when he's given the minutes, as evidenced by his DK average of 51.2 points in the three games before going down. Golden State's wing defense will be hurt immensely by Jimmy Butler III's absence. Just make sure of Markkanen's status on the second leg of a b2b before deploying.
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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
Jarrett Allen, CLE - C on DK, PF/C on FD
- DraftKings: $6,300
- FanDuel $6,300
Jarrett Allen is going to be a popular value play this evening with Mobley joining Garland on the bench. With both players off the court, Allen's per-36 usage differential rises by 6.6%, and his rebound rate balloons to over 20%.
The Lakers limit center production at the best rate in the league, but they still rank 25th in overall defensive efficiency, and Allen's minutes and role will be pushed up. This game carries a 2.5-point spread and a 234.5 O/U, and Allen is not priced like Mobley is sitting.
Jock Landale, MEM - C
- DraftKings: $5,700
- FanDuel $5,800
Jock Landale has been the surprise winner of Ja Morant being out again, and Santi Aldama missing some games has also heightened Landale's ceiling. Even with Aldama back last game, Landale continued to start and put up 46.2 DK points in 32 minutes against New Orleans. He's crossed the 40-FPS mark twice in his last three games.
With Morant off the court, Landale has a 21.4% usage rate, which is 7% higher than his usual mark per 36 minutes. Charlotte ranks 22nd in overall defensive efficiency, and this game carries a tight spread (2.5) with a solid O/U (230.5) for attacking.
Mitchell Robinson, NYK - C
- DraftKings: $4,300
- FanDuel: $4,500
Mitchell Robinson has been an absolute monster on the glass for the Knicks, posting double-digit rebounds in nine of his last 11 games. What's more, his minutes have been upped as the Knicks have gotten back on track with three straight victories. Robinson has played 27 minutes in each of his last two games, which are tied for season-high marks.
Robinson has often sat on the second leg of back-to-backs, so it'll be important to watch for his status today. If he does indeed sit, Mohamed Diawara is a potential min-priced streamer who has posted an 18.5% usage rate (albeit in limited minutes) with Robinson off the court.
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz (240.5 O/U, 10.5-point spread)
Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland Cavaliers (234.5 O/U, 2.5-point spread)
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: Luka Doncic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Donovan Mitchell
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jaylen Brown
- My favorite VALUE play: Jock Landale
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
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