Happy Friday, RotoBallers! I hope you all had an excellent week to this point, and a great weekend is forthcoming! We have a plentiful NBA slate tonight, with a bunch of games on the board and some very fun matchups to look forward to. I'm a big fan of Friday slates since Thursday slates are typically underwhelming, and last night was no different. So let's take a look!
Tonight, we have ourselves a solid 11-game slate on this lovely Friday. With both FanDuel and DraftKings having multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates accordingly to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can also change during the day, so I'll do my best to update you as news comes out!
Without further adieu, here is my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 1/6/22. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LaMelo Ball, at MIL (FD: $9,600, DK: $9,900)
I'll start tonight's slate off with LaMelo Ball. Ball is averaging 23.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists on the season. He's on an absolute tear of late, averaging 24.25 points, seven rebounds, and 9.5 assists over his last four games. He should see a continued increase in usage with both Kelly Oubre and Gordon Hayward out for tonight's game against the Bucks, which should offset the tough matchup against the Bucks who rank ninth in point guard efficiency. He projects to a 30.35% usage rate across 36 minutes of action tonight.
CJ McCollum, vs BKN (FD: $8,400, DK: $8,500)
I'll take advantage of key injuries once again tonight, as the Pelicans again be without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. While McCollum has been a bit up and down this season, he always has the potential to drop 30+ points as well as rack up assists. It's a tough ask to put up those numbers against a Nets team that ranks sixth in point guard efficiency, but I do have him projected for a 27.66% usage rate across 36 minutes tonight and should have a solid floor for cash games and single entries.
De'Anthony Melton, vs CHI (FD: $6,200, DK: $6,000)
I'll finish things up with De'Anthony Melton. Melton should get the start tonight with Joel Embiid on the shelf, and this shows in his projection as I have him for an 18.83% usage rate across 34 minutes. It'll be interesting to see how Doc Rivers uses him along with James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, but for what it's worth, the Bulls have sorely missed Lonzo Ball at the point guard position, as they rank 29th in point guard efficiency.
Also consider: Tyrese Haliburton (FD: $9,700, DK: $9,000), Killian Hayes (FD: $6,000, DK: $5,500)
Want more NBA DFS tools and content? Our NBA Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our NBA analysts. Check out this big win from RotoBaller premium member Bsuperak on FanDuel using our Premium tools - join in on the winning!
DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Bobby Portis, vs CHA (FD: $6,400, DK: $6,600)
To lead things off with the forwards, I'll take a look at Bobby Portis. As you can imagine, Portis is a model favorite and I've mentioned him in my article over the past two seasons several times. It's for a good reason, at least for this season, as he comes into this one averaging a double-double, with 14.1 points and 10.3 rebounds. He gets a strong matchup against the Hornets that rank 29th in power forward efficiency, and projects to a 22.19% usage rate across 31 minutes.
P.J. Washington, at MIL (FD: $6,100, DK: $5,400)
On the other side of this matchup, I'll take a look at P.J. Washington. Similar to what I mentioned with LaMelo Ball, the Hornets will be without Kelly Oubre and Gordon Hayward tonight. This opens up the door for both more minutes and more usage for Washington tonight, albeit in a tough matchup against the Bucks who rank second in power forward efficiency. However, his projected 20.41% usage rate across 34 minutes should provide a solid floor for both cash games and single entries.
Marcus Morris, at MIN (FD: $5,200, DK: $5,000)
I'll finish things up at the forward position with Marcus Morris. Last night's Clippers-Nuggets matchup was an absolute blowout disaster, with not a single Clippers starter playing more than 18 minutes. While that surely ruffled feathers across the DFS and betting communities, at least we don't have to worry about players' minutes being restricted on the back-to-back. This benefits Morris who projects to a 17.52% usage rate across 30 minutes.
Also consider: John Collins (FD: $6,500, DK: $6,400), Giannis Antetokounmpo (FD: $11,900, DK: $12,000)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Myles Turner, vs POR (FD: $7,500, DK: $6,700)
Last but not least, I'll take a look at Myles Turner. Turner is having a solid season, averaging 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on the year. He's projected for an 18.56% usage rate across 32 minutes tonight in a very good matchup against the Blazers who rank 25th in center efficiency. He's by far the highest "value" player on the slate tonight, and while I will be looking at Brook Lopez as well, I'd rather play Turner if I'm playing Bobby Portis in a lineup to avoid negative correlation.
Also consider: Brook Lopez (FD: $6,700, DK: $6,000)
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!
NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis