Our Blog


NBA DFS Breakdown (Tuesday, Jan. 25): Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid?

Tuesday features a nine-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Let’s dive into some of the top plays using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.

Start Your PRO Trial Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models

Data-driven analysis & tutorials

Point Guard

Stud

Dejounte Murray has been one of the breakout stars of this season. He’s blossomed into one of the best fantasy point guards in the league, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +3.46 over his past 10 games on DraftKings. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.55 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which trails only Luka Doncic and LeBron James at the position on Tuesday.

Murray also benefits from one of the best possible matchups. He’s taking on the Rockets, who rank first in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency this season. The Spurs are currently implied for 119.5 points, which is the top mark on the slate.

Value

Patrick Beverley missed the Timberwolves’ last game with an ankle injury, and he’s currently questionable vs. the Blazers. However, he stands out as an elite value on DraftKings if he’s able to suit up. Beverley has averaged a stout 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 23.75 DraftKings points in each of his past eight full games. He’s also displayed plenty of ceiling over that time frame, racking up 37.25 DraftKings points or more in three of those contests.

That makes Beverley simply too cheap at just $4,300 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 97%. The Timberwolves are also expected to do some damage vs. the Blazers, ranking second on the slate in implied team total.

Fast Break

Fred VanVleet is carrying one of the largest workloads in basketball at the moment. He’s played at least 39 minutes in eight straight games, and he’s currently projected for 40 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s an insane amount of playing time, and VanVleet is capable of taking advantage. He’s averaged 1.2 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and VanVleet has racked up at least 51.2 FanDuel points in back-to-back games. He’s an elite option at just $8,200 on FanDuel.

Derrick White is another potential option for the Spurs. He’s significantly cheaper than Murray at $6,000 on DraftKings, and he’s averaged 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s scored at least 34.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, making him very reasonable at just $6,000.

Shooting Guard

Stud

The Nets are playing at home on Tuesday, and they’re the only team in the league with a homecourt disadvantage. Kyrie Irving is only eligible to play in road contests, so he’ll join Kevin Durant on the sidelines.

While that’s not great for the Nets, it should be a benefit for James Harden from a fantasy perspective. He’s played in five games without Irving and Durant this season, and he’s increased his usage rate by +7.2% in those contests. He’s also averaged 39.1 minutes per game in that situation, resulting in an average of 61.24 FanDuel points.

Harden leads the shooting guard position with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $10,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%.

Value

If you’re looking to go cheaper with the Nets, Cameron Thomas is a very appealing value at just $3,800 on DraftKings. He owns a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he should see a sizable workload vs. the Lakers. Thomas is currently projected for 26 minutes in our NBA Models, and that can be considered a conservative projection. Even so, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.63 (per the Trends tool).

Fast Break

Loading up on the Spurs is a viable strategy on Tuesday, but you should consider running it back with someone from the Rockets. The Spurs’ players won’t hit full value unless this game stays competitive, and the Rockets should provide fantasy value in that scenario.

Eric Gordon is one of the strongest options for the Rockets. He’s fairly priced across the industry, and he’s playing more minutes than he was at the beginning of the year.

Anthony Edwards was removed from the Timberwolves’ injury report, so he should be a full go on Tuesday. That makes him extremely appealing at just $6,700 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%, and Edwards has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.09 with a comparable salary.

Small Forward

Stud

Jayson Tatum stands out as a reasonable target at $9,100 on FanDuel. He’s taking on the Kings, who have been an excellent matchup for fantasy purposes for most of the past decade. They rank eighth in pace and 28th in defensive efficiency this season, and the Celtics’ implied team total of 114.5 ranks fifth on the slate.

Tatum’s salary also comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.42 with a comparable price tag.

Value

Furkan Korkmaz has started each of the past two games for the 76ers, and he’s racked up at least 36.5 minutes in both contests. They could get Matisse Thybulle back for Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Pelicans, but Seth Curry and Danny Green both remain out of the lineup. That should result in another heavy workload for Korkmaz, who has been fantastic when he’s played big minutes this season. He’s currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.97 in 10 games with at least 30 minutes of playing time.

Fast Break

Patty Mills has SF eligibility on DraftKings. That’s an odd choice, but I’m certainly not going to complain. He’s another player who should see a nice bump in value with Irving out of the lineup. He’s increased his usage rate by +4.2% in five games without Irving and Durant this season, resulting in an average of 32.16 DraftKings points per game.

There’s a chance that the Pelicans will be without Brandon Ingram for the second straight game, and Josh Hart would be worth more consideration than usual in that scenario. Hart’s salary inexplicably jumped to $7,400 on DraftKings in his last contest, but he’s back down to a much more reasonable $6,500 on Tuesday. He put up 40.0 DraftKings points in his first game without Ingram, so he clearly has upside at that price tag.

Power Forward

Stud

Like VanVleet, Pascal Siakam has taken on a monster workload for the Raptors recently. He was limited to just 34.1 minutes in his last game – which didn’t stop him from scoring 48.0 DraftKings points – but he’s logged at least 38.8 minutes in each of his previous nine games. Siakam has averaged 1.22 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do some damage with that much playing time.

The Raptors are also in an excellent spot vs. the Hornets. They’ve played at the second-fastest pace this season, and the Raptors are currently implied for 113.0 points.

Value

Keldon Johnson is another excellent value option for the Spurs. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games on DraftKings, and he’s scored at least 26.0 DraftKings points in each of those contests. That said, his price has actually decreased by -$600 over that time frame. He should be able to put together another strong performance vs. the Rockets.

Fast Break

Al Horford has cooled off substantially after a torrid start to the year, but he’s still returned value in four of his past five games. He’s also managed an average of 0.87 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, which is still a quality mark for someone who costs just $5,500. He leads the position with an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.3 on FanDuel, making him a viable option vs. the Kings.

The Hornets have the potential to be without two of their top forward options on Tuesday. Jalen McDaniels is out, while Gordon Hayward is questionable. P.J. Washington would see a nice spike in playing time if Hayward is out once again. He racked up 31.2 minutes with both players out on Sunday, and he racked up 29.4 FanDuel points over 31.2 minutes.

Get Your First Deposit Matched Up to $100!

Sign up and deposit up to $100

Your deposit will be fully matched

New users only

Center

Stud

The decision between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid at the top of the center position is a tough one. Jokic has been the best player in fantasy this season, averaging 1.82 DraftKings points per minute, but Embiid has been slightly better of late. He’s averaged 1.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s slightly cheaper than Jokic across the industry. Overall, Embiid has racked up at least 65.5 DraftKings points in three straight games.

Still, I have to give a slight edge to Jokic. His scoring upside might be a bit slimmer, but he’s capable of dominating a game in more ways. He’s averaged 13.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, which makes him a nightly threat for a triple-double. His ceiling projection is nearly 10 points higher than Embiid’s in our NBA Models, making him worth the additional salary.

Value

Richaun Holmes is impossible to ignore at just $4,600 on DraftKings. He’s coming off just 24.5 minutes in his last outing, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 32.25 DraftKings points. Holmes has averaged 1.04 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current salary.

Fast Break

Jakob Poeltl has been an absolute monster recently. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +5.63 over his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s coming off 49.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s played at least 35.8 minutes in back-to-back games. Poeltl is simply too cheap at $6,200 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%.

Karl-Anthony Towns could be a bit overlooked in a strong matchup vs. the Blazers. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.55, and he’s significantly cheaper than both Jokic and Embiid. Grabbing him at low ownership will put you on a different lineup construction, which is always appealing in guaranteed prize pools.

Tuesday features a nine-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Let’s dive into some of the top plays using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.

Start Your PRO Trial Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models

Data-driven analysis & tutorials

Point Guard

Stud

Dejounte Murray has been one of the breakout stars of this season. He’s blossomed into one of the best fantasy point guards in the league, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +3.46 over his past 10 games on DraftKings. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.55 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which trails only Luka Doncic and LeBron James at the position on Tuesday.

Murray also benefits from one of the best possible matchups. He’s taking on the Rockets, who rank first in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency this season. The Spurs are currently implied for 119.5 points, which is the top mark on the slate.

Value

Patrick Beverley missed the Timberwolves’ last game with an ankle injury, and he’s currently questionable vs. the Blazers. However, he stands out as an elite value on DraftKings if he’s able to suit up. Beverley has averaged a stout 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 23.75 DraftKings points in each of his past eight full games. He’s also displayed plenty of ceiling over that time frame, racking up 37.25 DraftKings points or more in three of those contests.

That makes Beverley simply too cheap at just $4,300 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 97%. The Timberwolves are also expected to do some damage vs. the Blazers, ranking second on the slate in implied team total.

Fast Break

Fred VanVleet is carrying one of the largest workloads in basketball at the moment. He’s played at least 39 minutes in eight straight games, and he’s currently projected for 40 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s an insane amount of playing time, and VanVleet is capable of taking advantage. He’s averaged 1.2 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and VanVleet has racked up at least 51.2 FanDuel points in back-to-back games. He’s an elite option at just $8,200 on FanDuel.

Derrick White is another potential option for the Spurs. He’s significantly cheaper than Murray at $6,000 on DraftKings, and he’s averaged 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s scored at least 34.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, making him very reasonable at just $6,000.

Shooting Guard

Stud

The Nets are playing at home on Tuesday, and they’re the only team in the league with a homecourt disadvantage. Kyrie Irving is only eligible to play in road contests, so he’ll join Kevin Durant on the sidelines.

While that’s not great for the Nets, it should be a benefit for James Harden from a fantasy perspective. He’s played in five games without Irving and Durant this season, and he’s increased his usage rate by +7.2% in those contests. He’s also averaged 39.1 minutes per game in that situation, resulting in an average of 61.24 FanDuel points.

Harden leads the shooting guard position with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $10,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%.

Value

If you’re looking to go cheaper with the Nets, Cameron Thomas is a very appealing value at just $3,800 on DraftKings. He owns a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he should see a sizable workload vs. the Lakers. Thomas is currently projected for 26 minutes in our NBA Models, and that can be considered a conservative projection. Even so, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.63 (per the Trends tool).

Fast Break

Loading up on the Spurs is a viable strategy on Tuesday, but you should consider running it back with someone from the Rockets. The Spurs’ players won’t hit full value unless this game stays competitive, and the Rockets should provide fantasy value in that scenario.

Eric Gordon is one of the strongest options for the Rockets. He’s fairly priced across the industry, and he’s playing more minutes than he was at the beginning of the year.

Anthony Edwards was removed from the Timberwolves’ injury report, so he should be a full go on Tuesday. That makes him extremely appealing at just $6,700 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%, and Edwards has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.09 with a comparable salary.

Small Forward

Stud

Jayson Tatum stands out as a reasonable target at $9,100 on FanDuel. He’s taking on the Kings, who have been an excellent matchup for fantasy purposes for most of the past decade. They rank eighth in pace and 28th in defensive efficiency this season, and the Celtics’ implied team total of 114.5 ranks fifth on the slate.

Tatum’s salary also comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.42 with a comparable price tag.

Value

Furkan Korkmaz has started each of the past two games for the 76ers, and he’s racked up at least 36.5 minutes in both contests. They could get Matisse Thybulle back for Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Pelicans, but Seth Curry and Danny Green both remain out of the lineup. That should result in another heavy workload for Korkmaz, who has been fantastic when he’s played big minutes this season. He’s currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.97 in 10 games with at least 30 minutes of playing time.

Fast Break

Patty Mills has SF eligibility on DraftKings. That’s an odd choice, but I’m certainly not going to complain. He’s another player who should see a nice bump in value with Irving out of the lineup. He’s increased his usage rate by +4.2% in five games without Irving and Durant this season, resulting in an average of 32.16 DraftKings points per game.

There’s a chance that the Pelicans will be without Brandon Ingram for the second straight game, and Josh Hart would be worth more consideration than usual in that scenario. Hart’s salary inexplicably jumped to $7,400 on DraftKings in his last contest, but he’s back down to a much more reasonable $6,500 on Tuesday. He put up 40.0 DraftKings points in his first game without Ingram, so he clearly has upside at that price tag.

Power Forward

Stud

Like VanVleet, Pascal Siakam has taken on a monster workload for the Raptors recently. He was limited to just 34.1 minutes in his last game – which didn’t stop him from scoring 48.0 DraftKings points – but he’s logged at least 38.8 minutes in each of his previous nine games. Siakam has averaged 1.22 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do some damage with that much playing time.

The Raptors are also in an excellent spot vs. the Hornets. They’ve played at the second-fastest pace this season, and the Raptors are currently implied for 113.0 points.

Value

Keldon Johnson is another excellent value option for the Spurs. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games on DraftKings, and he’s scored at least 26.0 DraftKings points in each of those contests. That said, his price has actually decreased by -$600 over that time frame. He should be able to put together another strong performance vs. the Rockets.

Fast Break

Al Horford has cooled off substantially after a torrid start to the year, but he’s still returned value in four of his past five games. He’s also managed an average of 0.87 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, which is still a quality mark for someone who costs just $5,500. He leads the position with an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.3 on FanDuel, making him a viable option vs. the Kings.

The Hornets have the potential to be without two of their top forward options on Tuesday. Jalen McDaniels is out, while Gordon Hayward is questionable. P.J. Washington would see a nice spike in playing time if Hayward is out once again. He racked up 31.2 minutes with both players out on Sunday, and he racked up 29.4 FanDuel points over 31.2 minutes.

Get Your First Deposit Matched Up to $100!

Sign up and deposit up to $100

Your deposit will be fully matched

New users only

Center

Stud

The decision between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid at the top of the center position is a tough one. Jokic has been the best player in fantasy this season, averaging 1.82 DraftKings points per minute, but Embiid has been slightly better of late. He’s averaged 1.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s slightly cheaper than Jokic across the industry. Overall, Embiid has racked up at least 65.5 DraftKings points in three straight games.

Still, I have to give a slight edge to Jokic. His scoring upside might be a bit slimmer, but he’s capable of dominating a game in more ways. He’s averaged 13.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, which makes him a nightly threat for a triple-double. His ceiling projection is nearly 10 points higher than Embiid’s in our NBA Models, making him worth the additional salary.

Value

Richaun Holmes is impossible to ignore at just $4,600 on DraftKings. He’s coming off just 24.5 minutes in his last outing, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 32.25 DraftKings points. Holmes has averaged 1.04 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current salary.

Fast Break

Jakob Poeltl has been an absolute monster recently. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +5.63 over his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s coming off 49.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s played at least 35.8 minutes in back-to-back games. Poeltl is simply too cheap at $6,200 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%.

Karl-Anthony Towns could be a bit overlooked in a strong matchup vs. the Blazers. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.55, and he’s significantly cheaper than both Jokic and Embiid. Grabbing him at low ownership will put you on a different lineup construction, which is always appealing in guaranteed prize pools.