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Happy New Year! The NBA tips off 2025 with a solid six-game DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings. The Hawks-Nuggets and 76ers-Kings matchups are on a separate slate, so all six games get underway within an hour of the contests locking at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Raptors are the only team playing for the second day in a row while the Nets and Heat are starting back-to-back sets that will wrap up on Thursday.
Wednesday's contests feature some exciting options available, so let's look at the best of these matchups from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/01/25. 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 DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Dejounte Murray, NO - PG ($8,800)
The Pelicans still don't have Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (hamstring), so Murray continues to carry a heavy workload and bring a high ceiling every night. On Wednesday, the Pelicans are in Miami to face the Heat to open 2025, and the Heat will be without Terry Rozier (suspension). Murray will look to take advantage of the matchup and continue his recent multi-category success.
Murray showed off his high ceiling with 64 DraftKings points against the Nuggets just over a week ago and has averaged 45.6 DraftKings points per game over his last five games while producing 1.25 DraftKings points per minute. On Monday, Murray was just two assists short of a triple-double and added six steals for 49.5 DraftKings points against the Clippers.
Dejounte Murray & Yves Missi with monster games
Murray: 13 PTS | 10 REB | 8 AST | 6 STL ➡ 51 FPTs
Missi: 12 PTS | 9 REB | 4 AST | 5 BLK ➡ 42.8 FPTspic.twitter.com/xJxHnzdOLa
— NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) December 31, 2024
Murray will continue to carry the load for the Pelicans and his multi-category production gives him both a high ceiling and floor in this matchup.
Coby White, CHI – PG/SG ($6,900)
On Monday without Zach LaVine ($8,000; toe, questionable), White went off with a monster game in Charlotte, leading the Bulls to an overtime win. The sixth-year guard finished with 51.5 DraftKings points on 23 points, 10 boards, nine assists, and a steal in 41 minutes.
THROW IT DOWN, COBY WHITE 💪pic.twitter.com/hL9dYicDv0
— Bulls Nation (@BullsNationCP) December 31, 2024
If LaVine is sidelined again on Wednesday, White will be a very strong option in a favorable matchup against the Wizards, who have given up more DraftKings points per game to point guards than any other team in the NBA this season. White brings an elite ceiling if LaVine is off the floor since his usage jumps to a team-high 26.9% and he produces 1.06 DraftKings points per minute in that situation this season.
White has found his stride with over 20 points in three straight games, so even if LaVine does play, he still brings enough upside to be in play, although his ceiling is much higher if he's getting more chances.
Cameron Johnson, BKN – SF/PF ($7,600)
Johnson only played 25 minutes on Sunday in Orlando before leaving with hip soreness, but he is not on the injury report for the Nets on Wednesday and should help carry the load while Cam Thomas (injury management) sits out the first game of Brooklyn's back-to-back.
With Thomas and the traded Dennis Schroder off the floor for the Nets this season, Johnson leads the team with a 25.7% usage rate and has produced 1.15 DraftKings points per minute. Last Thursday, he had 29 points in a big win over the Bucks in the last game that Thomas missed.
Cameron Johnson in a 111-105 win @ the Bucks : 29 points (10 in the 4th quarter) on 8-13 shooting, 4-6 from 3, 9-9 from the FT line & 5 rebounds in 35 minutes pic.twitter.com/bbyKJI4FVm
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) December 27, 2024
Without Thomas for Wednesday's game, Johnson will be the top option for Brooklyn in a very favorable matchup against the Raptors. He may not be with the Nets much longer, but as long as he's the centerpiece of the offense, he's a good core play to build around at this salary.
Others Under Consideration: Cade Cunningham - PG ($10,600), Kyrie Irving - PG/SG ($9,400), Jalen Suggs - PG ($8,300), Josh Hart - SF/PF ($7,300), Spencer Dinwiddie - PG ($6,800)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK - C ($10,400)
Towns has been very consistent and productive in his first season with the Knicks, and the big man gets a great matchup against the Jazz to start 2025. Utah has given up the fourth-most DraftKings points per game to centers this season, and Towns will look to go off for over 50 DraftKings points for a third straight game after enjoying back-to-back matchups with the Wizards and producing 57 and 52.25 DraftKings points.
Karl-Anthony Towns with authority! 😤 pic.twitter.com/3TZF4OJdeZ
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 31, 2024
In his 31 games with the Knicks, KAT has averaged 24.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game and has 27 double-doubles. If you have the salary to pay up for a star, he's a great option over $10,000.
Jimmy Butler, MIA - SF/PF ($8,600)
Butler is on track to return from a five-game absence on Wednesday, and with all the off-court drama surrounding him, I could see him going either direction on Wednesday. An engaged and invested Butler could go off for a huge number to show how valuable he is on the trade market, or he could be disengaged and unproductive. Since either extreme seems possible, I'm using him as a tournament play with a high boom-or-bust upside.
How good can Butler be? In his last full game, here's what he did against the Pistons on his way to 88.75 DraftKings points:
Jimmy Butler vs Detroit Pistons
35 PTS | 19 REB | 10 AST | 4 STL
Jimmy Buckets did it all, but it just wasn’t enough. 💔 pic.twitter.com/3i9eDCCK9D
— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) December 17, 2024
Malcolm Brogdon, WAS - PG/SG ($6,200)
Both Jordan Poole ($8,400; hip) and Bub Carrington ($5,100; head) are questionable for the Wizards' game against the Bulls, which could leave plenty of work for Brogdon, making him an excellent play just over $6,000. Brogdon has started the last two games for the Wizards with Poole out and averaged 38.4 DraftKings points on 20 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds tonight for the Wizards!
— Hoos In The NBA (@hoosinthenba) December 31, 2024
If he's lined up for a big workload again on Wednesday against the Bulls, the veteran will be a great mid-range option.
Daniel Gafford, DAL – C ($5,400)
The Mavericks have gotten three straight strong games from Gafford while Dereck Lively II ($5,500; hip, questionable) has been sidelined. Lively has been questionable for each of the last two games before being ruled out, and if he follows that pattern again on Wednesday, Gafford will be a great pivot play.
In his three games filling a larger role, Gafford posted 27.25, 36.75, and 26.0 DraftKings points. He had five blocks in each of his last two contests and fell just one rebound short of a double-double against Portland last Saturday.
Daniel Gafford POWERS it home 💪 pic.twitter.com/0nwyY9lUXv
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 24, 2024
Others Under Consideration: Jalen Brunson - PG ($8,900), Fred VanVleet - PG ($7,500), Lauri Markkanen - SF/PF ($7,900), Trey Murphy III - SG/SF ($7,200), Nikola Vucevic - C ($9,100)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Keon Johnson, BKN – PG/SG ($5,000)
With Thomas out, Johnson is a great value play for the Nets in their favorable matchup against the Raptors. Johnson has scored at least 12 points in each of his last four games, including a career-high 25 points last Friday against the Spurs. In that game, he finished with an impressive 39.0 DraftKings points showing his high ceiling when usage is available.
Career High 25 points from Keon Johnson tonight, including 15 straight for the Nets in the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/WzbI58E1Hf
— Nets Film Room (@NetsFilm) December 28, 2024
With Thomas out on the front side of the Nets' back-to-back, both Keon and Cameron Johnson should step into larger roles and have a chance at big numbers in Toronto. With the Nets moving multiple veterans lately, they should get a long look at the 22-year-old Keon Johnson to see if the former Tennessee standout can be part of their future rotation.
Tristan Da Silva, ORL – SF/PF ($4,900)
The Magic are still without stars Paolo Banchero (oblique) and Franz Wagner (oblique) in the frontcourt and Jalen Suggs ($8,300; wrist, probable) and Anthony Black ($4,700; back, questionable) are also dealing with injuries.
One player who has helped pick up the slack has been da Silva, who has scored 18+ points in three of his last four games and 15+ points in five of his last seven. The rookie also scored zero points against the Knicks during that span, though, so he still has a low floor even though his ceiling has been much higher lately.
🔮Tristan Da Silva last 7 games:
🪄14.3 ppg
🪄3.6 rpg
🪄2.4 apg
🪄0.8 spg+bpg
🪄47.6% from field (11.7 attempts per game)
🪄35.9% from three (5.6 attempts per game)
🪄100% from FT
🪄33.5 mpg
🪄+29🔮Another 6'9 all around wing who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Xb2avGW5K0
— Rayshard❼ ( TDS SZN👑 ) (@Rayshard07) December 30, 2024
On Sunday, he earned 42 DraftKings points with a strong showing against the Nets, finishing with 21 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and one block in 35 minutes while leading Orlando to a one-point win. Even with Suggs expected to play, da Silva is a great option under $5,000 in a good matchup against Detroit.
Ja'Kobe Walter, TOR – SG/SF ($3,800)
On the other side of that matchup, Walter could be in for good playing time as well since the Raptors could be without RJ Barrett ($9,300; illness) and Gradey Dick ($5,700; hamstring) who both missed Tuesday's loss to the Celtics. Walter started but only played 22 minutes in the blowout loss in Boston. He finished just 1-for-10 from the field with 10.0 DraftKings points.
While that showing isn't very exciting, the No. 19 overall pick in last year's NBA Draft has shown dynamic upside with big games against the Pelicans, Rockets, and Knicks over the past few weeks. Walter is a streaky option with a very high ceiling if both Barrett and Dick are sidelined for a second straight game, and he'd be in a much better matchup at home against Brooklyn than he was last night, so a bounce-back performance is definitely a strong possibility.
Cam Whitmore, HOU – SF/PF ($4,000)
Whitmore has been playing his way into a larger role for the Rockets, and he could take advantage of the two-game suspension to Amen Thompson to claim an even larger part of the timeshare. Tari Eason ($4,800; lower leg, questionable) and Dillon Brooks ($5,200; ankle, personal) could also be in the mix as they return to action, but Whitmore has shown intriguing upside in the second unit.
Last week, he had 27 points and 37.5 DraftKings points in 27 minutes against the Pelicans in his best showing of the year. That was his third straight game with double-digit points, although his role has been reduced in his two games since then. Thompsons's suspension could open up time for Whitmore to again be a good value on Wednesday, especially if Eason is ruled out.
Others Under Consideration: Jonas Valanciunas - C ($5,000), Tobias Harris - PF ($5,100), Noah Clowney - PF/C ($4,900), Corey Kispert - SG/SF ($4,300), Jamal Shead - PG ($3,500), Johnny Juzang - SG/SF ($3,200)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
Bulls at Wizards (237.5 total)
The Bulls and Wizards have the highest over/under on this New Year's Day slate, which isn't surprising since both teams rank in the bottom seven in the NBA in Defensive Rating and the top five in Pace. If Zach LaVine is out, Colby White becomes a must-play and many other Bulls are strong options to consider as well. White can be stacked with Nikola Vucevic or Josh Giddey ($7,700) at the top of the salary structure, and options like Lonzo Ball ($3,800) and Talen Horton-Tucker ($3,600) provide strong value while keeping your ceiling high.
On the other side of this matchup, the key news to watch will be the availability of Jordan Poole. If Poole is out, Brogdon will be a great play while Jonas Valanciunas ($5,000) and Corey Kispert ($4,300) will all get enough playing time and usage to remain strong plays. Kyle Kuzma ($6,400) just returned from a rib injury and is still ramping up, so he seems a little over-priced.
Jazz at Knicks (231 total)
The second-highest point total on the slate is this matchup at Madison Square Garden. The Jazz have been a great matchup lately so a Knicks stack is a strong play. Jalen Brunson always brings a very high ceiling and has a salary under $9,000 on this slate as he continues to play through his calf injury. I also highlighted KAT as a strong play above, and you can mix in Mikal Bridges ($6,600) in the midrange or Miles McBride ($4,000) as a cheap play in what should be a smash spot for the Knicks.
The Jazz are a little harder to stack since their backcourt is crowded after the return of Keyonte George ($5,600). In the frontcourt, Lauri Markkanen always brings a high ceiling and Walker Kessler ($6,600) has been playing big minutes while John Collins ($7,200; hip, doubtful) has been out. Svi Mykhailiuk ($3,400) and Johnny Juzang ($3,200) have shown potential to be good value plays but their roles are uncertain as coach Will Hardy continues to change up the rotation.
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: Dejounte Murray
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Coby White (especially if LaVine is out)
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Karl-Anthony Towns
- My favorite VALUE play: Tristan da Silva
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