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Welcome back, RotoBallers! Another year of DFS is in the books and another one begins! Let's make the best of this year and start with a takedown, why don't we? We have a solid six-game slate this Thursday evening, so let's start the year and win some cash!
We have a few injuries to monitor for this six-game slate. When putting these players in your lineup, you want to keep a close eye on them: Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown, Stephen Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre Jr. The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and access our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/2/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 p.m. EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.
Anthony Davis is in a fantastic spot against a poor Blazers team. In their last matchup, Davis finished with 65 FP, and the Blazers give up the fifth-most fantasy points on the slate. This is one of those plug-and-play guys for all your cash lineups. He's finished with at least a double-double in nine of his last 10 games, the odd one out being his leaving early against the Warriors last week. Keep an eye on his status, but he usually is questionable going into games and still ends up playing them.
This is a spot Anthony Edwards can take advantage of. Edwards hasn't been dropping quite incredible numbers this season but he loves playing against Boston! He has finished with 28+ points in five straight matchups against the Celtics. He is also getting the rebounds and assists, with 9+ rebounds in three of those games and 7+ assists in those same three. This should be a sneaky spot for Ant to have himself a big game.
Austin Reaves has been on an unreal run the last three games, finishing with 50+ FP in those three games and having at least a double-double in all of them. He is still sub-8K on FD and gets a fantastic matchup against the Blazers, who give up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing SGs. With D'Angelo Russell out of the picture, this should only lead to continued high usage in this offense.
- Anthony Davis, LAL vs. POR - PF/C ($10,700 DK; $11,500 FD)
- Anthony Edwards, MIN at BOS - SG/SF ($8,400 DK; $8,900 FD)
- Austin Reaves, LAL vs. POR - SG/SF ($7,200 DK; $7,900 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.
Deni Avdija gets a massive usage bump with Jerami Grant out of this matchup. He should enter the starting lineup once again, and as long as he doesn't have a turnover nightmare like he did against the 76ers, he should be fine. Avdija can be a defense's worst nightmare when it comes to his speed and ability to attack the basket. At 6.3K on FD, this is a steal, as he has been a 2.09 FPPM player this season. The Lakers also give up the third-most FP to opposing SFs this season.
Trayce Jackson-Davis has been too good to ignore, as he has put up about 1.35 FPPM across the last six games and is still sub-6K on FD. He has put up 30+ FP in all six of those games and I expect him to continue seeing an increase in workload as well as minutes. The 76ers are giving up the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing PFs this season and I imagine the matchup will be even better if Joel Embiid is out for this one.
I feel as if Nicolas Claxton has been overlooked this season, and although the Bucks have been solid against centers this season, they haven't had much of an answer for Claxton. He has scored 54 and 30 FP in their two recent matchups and is still sub-6K! He has also seen consistent minutes of over 30+ in four straight games that have resulted in three 30+ FP performances. I would expect Claxton to continue playing well against a team he has done well against this season.
Top Value Plays:
- Deni Avdija, POR at LAL - SF ($5,700 DK; $6,200 FD)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW vs. PHI - PF/C ($4,700 DK; $5,900 FD)
- Nicolas Claxton, BKN at MIL - C ($6,500 DK; $5,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Tyrese Maxey is a fantastic PG option, as he gets you off some of the more expensive guys. With how inconsistent Embiid has been, there is a chance he won't play again. He just finished with 52 FP against the Kings. As the fifth-highest-priced PG on the slate, he has 50+ FP potential on a nightly basis and I'll take that compared to guys like Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton in their respective matchups.
D'Angelo Russell thrived with his new team in his first game back. With it being unknown at the moment whether or not Cam Thomas is playing, I'll go back to Russell to continue being the primary ball-handler and scorer on this young Nets team. He finished with 42 FP in his first game and is going against a Bucks team that gives up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing PGs.
Payton Pritchard has earned a spot in this offense. With that also being said, Jaylen Brown is questionable and has a serious chance to miss this game, which could lead to decent minutes for Pritchard. He has scored 18+ points in three straight games and had the game against the Raptors not been a blowout, he would have had more minutes in that one, too.
Top PG Options:
- Tyrese Maxey, PHI at GSW ($8,800 DK; $8,600 FD)
- D'Angelo Russell, BKN at MIL ($5,200 DK; $6,400 FD)
- Payton Pritchard, BOS at MIN ($6,000 DK; $6,100 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Austin Reaves and Ant are both mentioned above, but there are a couple of other options at SG you could use if you are looking to get different, including Paul George, Donte DiVincenzo, or Bennedict Mathurin.
Austin Reaves last three games:
35 PTS | 9 REB | 10 AST
26 PTS | 6 REB | 16 AST
26 PTS | 10 REB | 10 AST pic.twitter.com/2pwrs2iAyV— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 1, 2025
Norman Powell is a pure scorer, scoring 25+ points in six of his last seven games and 31 in his last matchup. OKC makes for a tough matchup, but with the way Powell has been shooting the ball, I'm confident he can get the job done at his price.
Top SG Options:
- Austin Reaves, LAL vs. POR ($7,200 DK; $7,900 FD)
- Anthony Edwards, MIN at BOS ($8,400 DK; $8,900 FD)
- Norman Powell, LAC at OKC ($7,300 DK; $7,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
With the way Jonathan Kuminga has been playing, he is working toward getting that new contract. He has 40+ FP in four of his last five and has looked unstoppable. His game has improved immensely this season and I expect that to continue here. He is still just under 7K, but if he keeps this up, I wouldn't expect it for much longer.
Duncan Robinson has pushed himself into a starting role, and although he is mainly a scorer, he doesn't need much to hit value. As long as he hits in the 25-30 range, which he has shown he can do in four of his last six games, then that is good for six to seven times his price! He can be a risk if his shot is off, but let's hope that isn't the case here.
Top SF Options:
- Deni Avdija, POR at LAL -SF ($5,700 DK; $6,200 FD)
- Jonathan Kuminga, GSW vs. PHI ($6,000 DK; $6,900 FD)
- Duncan Robinson, MIA vs. IND ($4,400 DK; $4,300 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Outside of Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum is pretty much the only other player I would want to pay up for on this slate. Tatum may likely be without Jaylen Brown for this contest, which should lead to Tatum carrying the team on his back. He has scored 50+ FP in six of his last nine games. He has also played extremely well against the Timberwolves in the past, scoring 30+ points in four of his last six matchups.
Jarace Walker would have so much potential upside if he just got more minutes. He is averaging just over 21 minutes a game across the last four games and has scored in double digits in all of them. He is seemingly getting a larger role in this offense, but if the Pacers cut his minutes, it could make for a risky play. I can't imagine with how well he has been playing, though, that they do that.
Top PF Options:
- Jayson Tatum, BOS at MIN ($10,400 DK; $10,300 FD)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW vs. PHI ($4,700 DK; $5,900 FD)
- Jarace Walker, IND at MIA ($3,400 DK; $4,300 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
We already mentioned Ed Davis and Claxton above, but Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein make for solid pivots as well as both teams have struggled against centers.
Deandre Ayton has had an up-and-down season, but he played extremely well against Anthony Davis and the Lakers in their last matchup where he finished with 42 FP, which is good for nearly six times his price. If you are looking for something for GPPs, Ayton could be a sneaky option to get different with a potentially high upside.
Top C Options:
- Anthony Davis, LAL vs. POR ($10,700 DK; $11,500 FD)
- Deandre Ayton, POR vs. LAL ($6,300 DK; $7,300 FD)
- Nicolas Claxton, OKC vs. MEM ($7,700 DK; $7,700 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Trail Blazers at Lakers (o/u 225.5)
- Celtics at Timberwolves (o/u 219.5)
- Pacers at Heat (o/u 224.5)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Outside of maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo, I'm not getting too much from the Bucks. With them getting nearly fully healthy, it is going to be a little more tough for everyone to get their own. Might just be better to avoid. The Clippers have also looked like a disaster and are going against a tough Thunder team. I'll be out on most of them as well.
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: Deni Avdija
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Anthony Davis
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Nicolas Claxton
- My favorite value play: Trayce Jackson-Davis
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