FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Wednesday 1/1/25): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

We ring in the new year with an eight-game slate on FanDuel today! There are a lot of players already ruled out with injuries and another handful who are questionable for tonight, so consider these picks today a "first draft" as we all know things can change quite quickly one injury updates start pouring in during the afternoon and evening hours.

I recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs in today's edition while highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks. If you want DraftKings picks, see who Zach Thompson likes by reading his piece here.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/1/24. 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 EST on FanDuel. 

FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks

Tyrese Maxey, PHI - PG ($8,700)

Joel Embiid is resting tonight as the Sixers head to Sacramento for a matchup with the Kings. The price on Maxey jumps out here in a big way because without Embiid playing, he immediately becomes the number one option on offense for Philadelphia and he should be over 9k when Embiid sits.

The DvP matchup is neutral, but it should be a good game environment for DFS, as the Kings have been quite leaky on defense and have rarely put teams away. They're six-point home favorites here but have only covered the spread in that situation 28% of the time this season.

Back to Maxey - he's sporting a 32% usage rate without Embiid on the floor, and I've always maintained that De'Aaron Fox is a very lousy on-ball defender, even while he's incredibly gifted on offense. This game has some shootout/stack appeal, as 223.5 points feel low, considering how mediocre the Kings are on defense and how Philly's defense also takes a hit without Embiid.

Nikola Vucevic, CHI - C ($7,900)

The center position is loaded today with high-priced big men in great spots (Jokic, Towns, Sengun), but the price of Vucevic here is simply too good to pass up.

Washington allows the third-most FD points to opposing big men, and they've been more competitive lately, as the 5.5-point spread indicates that Vegas thinks they'll keep it close.

Nikola Vucevic is putting together truly outrageous offensive production this season...

Outlandish shooting numbers, old-school footwork oriented post moves, excellent hook and push-shot touch. The scoring is out of control efficient right now. Wonder if/where he gets moved? pic.twitter.com/Hm36jF7XbD

— NBA University (@NBA_University) December 19, 2024

The Bulls also do everything they can to let bad teams hang around - they missed free throws and gave up a desperation three to Miles Bridges on Monday to send the game into overtime. While that has to be maddening for Bulls fans, it's music to our ears in DFS, and stacking up Bulls games is often a profitable endeavor.

Vooch should smash tonight, and if Zach LaVine does sit out, too, that's just even a few more shots for him on offense.

Jamal Murray, DEN - PG/SG ($8,600)

Murray has been simply unstoppable lately and is on the type of heater that we haven't seen from him since he went nuclear in the bubble games back in 2020. The Nuggets continue to get into high-scoring games, and tonight's matchup with Atlanta is ticketed for 246.5 points by Vegas - that's one of the highest totals we've seen this season.

With Aaron Gordon out, the Nuggets have been starting Russell Westbrook alongside Murray and playing Murray close to 40 minutes a night. I am not sure that's a good idea for his long-term health, but for DFS, it's been a recipe for 45 or more FD points in four of his last five games.

The best part about Murray is his SG eligibility. We can slot him in at SG and still play Maxey and another PG (like Fred VanVleet, for example). I would be prioritizing Murray in all formats, he's got a huge floor with all these minutes and this game environment should produce a few ceilings, too.

Others Under Consideration: Karl-Anthony Towns - C ($9,900), Paul George - SF/SG ($7,500), Fred VanVleet - PG ($7,400)

FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

D'Angelo Russell, BKN - PG ($6,100)

This one is a total shot in the dark as we have no real idea how Russell will be deployed in his first game back with the Nets or how he will fit in with his new teammates.

But we do know that he went from being a bench player in Los Angeles to likely a starter and possibly the highest-usage player in Brooklyn. The Nets have been relying on Ben Simmons to run the point and Cameron Johnson to be their main shooter. Russell can contribute as both a passer and shooter and the logical assumption is that the tanking Nets would let him start and shoot as much as he wanted.

It feels like this is our one chance to get him this cheap; if he goes off tonight against a bad Toronto team, he will be 7k or more in a hurry.

Josh Giddey, CHI – PG/SG ($7,000)

This play is mainly contingent upon Zach LaVine's status. If LaVine is out, I'll fire up Giddey (and have some Coby White shares), as the Bulls have an elite matchup here against the lowly Wizards. It was Giddey who went off two games ago with a triple-double against Milwaukee and then White who had the bigger game last time out against Charlotte.

Both players are too cheap for their upside if LaVine sits. If LaVine plays, then both guys become strictly low-owned tournament plays as they can still produce enough value in a good game environment but wouldn't have the same ceiling as they would if LaVine was out and his usage was up for grabs.

Alperen Sengun, HOU - C ($9,000)

Sengun is the next great cheat code at the center position. If you want Jokic-esque production from a big man but at a discounted price, then look no further than the Turkish big man in a smash spot against Dallas.

Alperen Sengun Stats In The 2024-25 NBA Regular Season :

- 4th In Defensive Rating Among 93 Players (Min. 20 Games Played & 30.0 MPG)
- 4th In P&R Defense Among 81 Players (Min. 120 P&R Possessions)
- 4th In Defensive Rating In The Clutch Among 111 Players (Min. 8 Clutch… https://t.co/WSexEXInHm pic.twitter.com/HtKWwlh5sG

— Stat Defender (@statdefender) December 31, 2024

Now, no one is quite as elite as the Joker, but he costs $3800 more on this slate, and we might be able to get 80-90% of his production at a major discount. Sengun is in great form, posting 50 and 55 FD points in his last two games, and Dallas is a team that we love to target with big men.

Amen Thompson is suspended for tonight's game, and he's the second-leading rebounder on this team, so we may see Sengun pile up a huge rebounding number in this one. Kyrie is back for Dallas, so I expect them to compete tonight, even though Luka Doncic is still out.

Others Under Consideration: Nikola Jokic - C ($12,800), Yves Missi - C ($6,100), Coby White - PG/SG ($6,900)

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FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks

Dillon Brooks, HOU – SG/SF ($5,000)

Brooks is on fire right now, shooting the basketball from behind the arc and logging heavy minutes. Amen Thompson is out tonight (suspension), which just means Brooks is probably heading for 40 minutes again, and he's too cheap for his upside (he had two 40 FD point games before he got hurt last week).

Guerschon Yabusele, PHI - PF ($4,600)

Andre Drummond should start for the resting Embiid tonight, but Yabusele is the guy I want to target at PF. He was already getting minutes in the 20s with Embiid healthy and could end up soaking up more minutes and boards tonight.

Corey Kispert, WAS – SF ($4,400)

Kispert is a three-point assassin who can hit for 20+ FD points when his stroke is pure. He is mainly a floor punt play, but he's cheap enough to help us jam in some studs, and the SF position is rather weak today.

Garrison Mathews, ATL – SG ($4,100)

Mathews is a Kispert clone but playing on a better team and getting more minutes. If Bogdan Bogdanovic is out again (doubtful), then look for Mathews to continue his role in the second unit. At this price, he's one of my top targets, as the ATL-DEN total is massive.

Others Under Consideration: Cam Whitmore - SF ($4,200), Keon Johnson - SG ($5,100), Noah Clowney - SF/PF ($4,800)

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: Tyrese Maxey
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Tyrese Maxey
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
• My favorite VALUE play: Dillon Brooks/Garrison Mathews

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis