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Jamie's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Monday, 1/20/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
We're coming at you nice and early with this one! In addition to celebrating the greatness that is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (and likely a day off from work for many), we also get treated to a full day of NBA basketball. The DraftKings main slate begins at 2 PM EST and features five games, highlighted by some fun contests.
No game on this five-gamer has an O/U under 224 points, so we're liable to see some high-scoring affairs that could add to fantasy goodness. There are some highly relevant injuries to track, so stick with us at RotoBaller all morning and early afternoon.
Hop into the RotoBaller Discord! We've got an amazing community in there and our analysts are working tirelessly to break down every matchup as we attempt to cash together. It's snowing in the Northeast, so hunker down with us, and let's win some cash!
DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Jayson Tatum, BOS - SF/PF ($10,000)
On a five-game slate, correctly identifying the top overall player is often even more critical. With Cade Cunningham facing a tough test in the Houston defense, Jayson Tatum seems to have the inside track to take the top honor. Tatum is once again an incredibly consistent fantasy producer, with 27.7 PPG and 52.2 FPPG.
Tatum is currently sixth in the NBA in usage rate with an elite 30.7% mark, and that would rise in the event one or both of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford miss their second consecutive game. Another injury is relevant too, as Draymond Green has already been ruled out for the Warriors. His absence softens the defense on the wing and inside considerably.
Tatum hasn't flashed a ceiling like Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama's, but his floor is arguably as high as any player in the NBA. Play him with confidence.
Anthony Edwards, MIN - SG ($9,100)
Anthony Edwards still having a price tag this far under $10k is pretty crazy. With the Timberwolves sliding, Edwards has taken his usage to a new level to get his team back on track, and we're reaping the benefits in the fantasy world.
Over the past ten games, Edwards has averaged 30.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5.3 APG while rocking a 33.2% usage rate. He has four double-digit rebound games in his last seven and has taken over 20 shots in five of those contests. At $9,100, Edwards' role alone is high-floor/high-ceiling.
To add to Edwards' appeal, all of Minnesota gets a boost playing Memphis, who is the top-ranked team in pace factor by an increasingly wide margin. They're ranked fifth in defensive efficiency, but that doesn't affect fantasy as much as the added touches allow for more production. They've also allowed the fourth-highest true-shooting %.
Others Under Consideration: Cade Cunningham, DET - PG ($10,300), Trae Young, ATL - PG ($9,700), Kevin Durant, PHX - PF ($9,500), Alperen Sengun, HOU - C ($9,300), Devin Booker, PHX - PG/SG ($9,200), Jalen Brunson, NYK - PG ($8,900)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK - C ($9,700)
Karl-Anthony Towns has missed the last two games with a bone chip in his thumb, but he was able to practice fully on Sunday and is trending in the right direction. Towns has been egregiously low-owned all season, and one would think that's taken to an even higher level with the fear of re-injury.
If Towns does play, his upside is through the roof against the Hawks who are third in pace and 19th in defensive efficiency. Towns has already gone for 66 and 62.75 DK points against Atlanta this season, and Josh Hart's potential absence would open up even more rebounding opportunities for Towns.
If Towns sits, all of his teammates would vault into stack territory with the pace boost.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Jarrett Allen, CLE - C ($6,600)
Evan Mobley will miss his second consecutive game for the Cavs, and his absence has far-reaching effects for all of the remaining players. The most notable is Jarrett Allen, who gets significant boosts despite busting the last game without Mobley (hey, it was against Minnesota's interior, remember).
When Mobley is off the court, Allen gains a modest 3% usage boost, but his rebounding rate balloons to 20.2%, which is absolutely elite. Nick Richards will help, but Phoenix is currently ranked 22nd in rebounding rate and 28th in overall defensive efficiency since the calendar turned to 2025.
Allen is not priced for his bump in rates, and the double-double bonus plays huge on DraftKings.
Nick Richards, PHX - C ($5,200)
Speaking of the aforementioned Nick Richards, the big man was electric in his debut for the Suns, putting up 39.75 DK points in 29 minutes off the bench (1.37 FPPM). It's only a matter of time before he starts, and even if he doesn't, Mason Plumlee is not going to keep Richards off the court.
The matchup against Cleveland isn't good for big men, but Mobley's absence will help significantly. Richards has always been a solid per-minute player in his time on the court, and the Suns traded for him to be an impact player underneath. Bradley Beal's continued absence also opens up additional usage for everyone.
Naz Reid, MIN - PF/C ($5,000)
You could argue that after Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid has been the second-most productive Timberwolves player. He's certainly been outplaying both Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert in the interior, and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is showing that he could be a repeat winner.
Reid's rebounding numbers have been modest, but he's adding another element that his fellow Minnesota bigs are not. Over the past two games, Reid is 10-14 from downtown and is facing a Memphis squad that allows the third-most 3PA in the league. They also allow the fifth-most FPPG to opposing forwards.
Julius Randle was struggling before his big game last time out, and Rudy Gobert is questionable. Even if Gobert suits up, we could be seeing a Randle-to-Reid shift anytime now. If we don't, $5k is more than fair to pay for the consistent bench production Reid is providing.
Others Under Consideration: Mikal Bridges, NYK - SG/SF ($6,000), OG Anunoby, NYK - SF/PF ($5,900), Trayce Jackson-Davis, GS - C ($5,600), Rudy Gobert, MIN - C ($5,400), Onyeka Okongwu, ATL - C ($5,300), Jaden McDaniels, MIN - SF ($4,500)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack
Timberwolves at Grizzlies (O/U 235.5)
It was a tough call between this one and the Knicks-Hawks game, but the questionable tags of Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are steering me to this one as the top stack of the day. The spread is three points, and the O/U is tied for the highest on the slate.
As mentioned earlier, Memphis is first in the league in pace, so it's a bump for all Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid are my favorite plays, but Julius Randle is coming off his best game of the year against Cleveland's top defense. Rudy Gobert is questionable but is too cheap if he suits up. Memphis allows the fourth most FPPG to centers.
Whoever starts between Mike Conley and Nickeal Alexander-Walker would be one of the higher-owned values. They're fine to use to open up salary but don't expect a slate-breaking score.
For Memphis, Ja Morant's questionable tag is everything. Jaren Jackson Jr. has a nightmare matchup against Minnesota's interior, but he sees over a 5% usage boost with Ja off the court. Ja's absence would also open up values like Scotty Pippen Jr. and Luke Kennard, and Desmond Bane would also get a boost.
If Morant does play, he's averaging over 1.4 FPPG and will go virtually unowned facing Minnesota.
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: Anthony Edwards
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Anthony Edwards
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Karl-Anthony Towns or Jalen Brunson
- My favorite VALUE play: Naz Reid
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