RADIO
It's a beautiful night for basketball and the NBA has given us a solid 9-game slate for DFS purposes. Every Wednesday I break down the slate with a focus on FanDuel pricing and format.
I always make it a point to recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs 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 1/29/25. 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 EST on FanDuel.
FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks
Daniel Gafford, DAL - C ($7,500)
Since Dereck Lively II went down for the year, Gafford has stepped up in a big way for the Mavericks.
Daniel Gafford’s last seven games:
18.4 PPG
10.4 REB
2.3 AST
3.3 BLK
69.9% FGHe has been playing out of this world and stepping up in a big way since Dereck Lively II went down with an injury.#MFFL
— All Things Mavs (@All_Things_Mavs) January 28, 2025
Gafford has long been a per-minute monster in terms of fantasy production and now is slated for 30+ minutes a night in the paint for Dallas. He's gone for 40+ FD points in five of his last seven games, including a 49 FD-point performance against tonight's opponent - the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pels have allowed the third-most FD points to opposing big men, so this matchup is ideal for Gafford. We aren't used to paying this price for him yet, but based on his production without Lively, he's well worth it tonight.
Scottie Barnes, TOR - SF/PF ($9,900)
Barnes is listed as a wing player, but with Immanuel Quickley remaining out for Toronto, he should continue to function as the point guard for the Raptors tonight against the Wizards.
As we know, point guards vs. Washington is one of the best DvP spots in NBA DFS this year as the Wizards have allowed the most FD points to opposing point guards this season.
Barnes comes into this one in great form, too, having gone for 57 FD points in each of his last two outings against Atlanta and New Orleans.
Miles Bridges, CHA - SF/PF ($7,700)
Bridges is an easy cash play tonight. He's the lone Hornet starter left standing in Charlotte as Mark Williams, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller are all out tonight. The Hornets are also missing Cody Martin and Josh Green tonight, too, so they will be incredibly short-handed but have a matchup against a bad Brooklyn team that they are favored to beat.
With all the other top Charlotte players off the floor, Bridges sees a 10% usage boost and I would expect him to be the main focal point on offense. He went 26-8-4 against the Lakers on Monday, translating to 45 FD points. I think 40+ is his floor in this spot.
Others Under Consideration: Tyrese Maxey - PG ($10,100), Karl-Anthony Towns - C ($10,200)
FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS - PF/C ($7,400)
I am a sucker for Porzingis when his price drops like it has lately. Granted, his minutes have dropped into the high 20s as Boston attempts to keep him healthy and on the floor more often, but this is a terrific spot for him against the Bulls who allow the sixth-most FD points to opposing big men.
Teammates Jayson Tatum and Al Horford are both questionable tonight, so Porzingis could be asked to play a bit more and contribute a bit more on offense as well if either were to miss.
Porzo has 39 and 44 FD points in two meetings with the Bulls earlier this year. In GPPs, I want some exposure to the Celtics' big man who has 50+ FD point upside if he cracks 30+ minutes tonight.
Josh Giddey, CHI – PG/SG ($7,500)
Zach LaVine is out tonight and Coby White is questionable. That could leave Josh Giddey as the lead guard for the Bulls in their matchup against the Celtics.
Giddey has flirted with triple-doubles pretty often lately and can pile up counting stats, especially when the ball is in his hands more often. This is a tournament-only play that I am probably only firing up if Coby White ends up sitting out, too.
Domantas Sabonis, SAC - PF/C ($10,600)
Speaking of triple-doubles, Sabonis has two straight and was just two assists shy of three in a row with his 23-19-8 line against Denver. There is some drama in Sacto with De'Aaron Fox being shopped ahead of the trade deadline as the Kings have decided to keep building around Sabonis.
As far as his play goes, Sabonis is locked in and will face a Philly team that has to start Guerschon Yabusele at center with Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid out. Sabonis should be able to do whatever he wants in the paint and Philly should be able to hang around in this game long enough to draw out another ceiling performance from Sabo.
Others Under Consideration: RJ Barrett - SF/PF ($8,100), D'Angelo Russell - PG ($7,400)
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FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks
Lonzo Ball, CHI – PG ($5,000)
Ball should draw another start for the Bulls tonight with LaVine out and Coby White still questionable to return from his absence. He had a season-high 18 points against Denver on Monday and went for 29 FD points without even recording an assist, which was very unusual for him. With his ability to rack up defensive stats, he brings a solid floor at this price.
Moussa Diabate, CHA - C ($4,100)
If you want to skip Gafford at center, then the clear punt option is Diabete who should get the majority of the minutes in the paint - even if Taj Gibson ends up starting again.
Josh Okogie, CHA - SF ($5,400)
Continuing with our theme of Hornets value, Okogie is one of my favorite options tonight as I think he and Miles Bridges finish as the top two fantasy contributors for the Hornets.
In addition to scoring his season-high 19 points (in a Hornets uniform), Josh Okogie's four steals against the Lakers, marks his fourth straight game with three-plus steals – the longest streak since Gerald Wallace (7) in 2007. pic.twitter.com/VBBzZ2UgSZ
— CLTure® ( culture ) (@CLTure) January 28, 2025
Okogie can do a little of everything and the absence of Josh Green and Cody Martin should mean as many minutes as Okogie can handle. He got a big price hike this week, but he is still a value here based on what he's done during this stretch.
Eric Gordon, PHI – SG ($4,500)
The Sixers are playing their second game in as many nights and while I hesitate to use jump shooters on no rest, it's hard to ignore Gordon at this price. He played 30 minutes last night as the Sixers upset the Lakers and put up a modest 14-3-2. PG13 and Embiid will be out again tonight, so Gordon should get another start and be asked to help contribute on offense alongside Tyrese Maxey.
Justin Edwards, PHI – PF ($4,200)
Edwards drew the start last night, so naturally, it was Ricky Council who had a bigger night off the bench. Both players remain very cheap and has shown the ability to rack up stats with minutes, so it may just come down to which player starts or which position you need to fill in your lineup (Council is eligible at SG).
Others Under Consideration: Nick Smith Jr. - SG ($4,300), Chris Boucher - PF/C ($4,300), Ty Jerome - PG ($4,700)
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: Scottie Barnes
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Miles Bridges
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Kristaps Porzingis
- My favorite VALUE play: Josh Okogie
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