Wednesday features a 14-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate 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 300 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 NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Try Our New SimLabs Tool!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new NFL DFS simulations tool! Try SimLabs for FREE while it’s still in beta.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Three of the top four players in our ceiling projections are point guards for tonight’s 14-game slate. It is basically a toss-up between Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and LaMelo Ball. Doncic is the highest-priced point guard but has a negative Plus/Minus in 10 of his last 11 games on DraftKings. A bounce back is inevitable for Doncic who ranks third in the league in scoring and usage rate. He is shooting a career-high 50% from the field while averaging 30.6 points per game.
Doncic is also second behind Stephen Curry in 3-pointers made, with a career-high 4.1 per game. He can take advantage of his sharp-shooting in this matchup against the Lakers who allow the fourth-most 3-point attempts in the league at 38.3 per game. The Mavericks are 2.5-point road favorites, implied for 121 points. Doncic is a strong contrarian pay-up option tonight.
Value
Jordan Poole finally broke loose for his first 30-point game of the season. However, it took a ton of shots to get there as Poole went 11-for-26 from the field with a 38.4% usage rate. Luckily in DFS, it doesn’t matter how many field goal attempts players miss. If Poole is going to have that type of usage rate and shot attempts, he is going to look incredible at his $6,500 and under price on both sites. Poole has point guard and shooting guard eligibility, making him easy to fit in all lineup builds.
The Wizards have a 2-11 record after losing their sixth-straight game. Poole may just look to go rogue and get his own stats with how bad the Wizards’ future looks at the moment. This is a great matchup for Poole to light up the scoreboard again as the Hornets rank dead last in Defensive Rating at 120.3. Poole is simply too cheap on this slate with his projected ceiling.
Fast Break
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best play of the top three on DraftKings with his sub-$10,000 salary. He has a 90% Bargain Rating with 11 Pro Trends and the highest projected Plus/Minus among his peers. The Thunder have won five straight games and are seven-point favorites tonight. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game while shooting a career-high 53.5% from the field. He also leads the league with a career-high 2.5 steals per game.
LaMelo Ball looks the best on FanDuel at his $9,900 salary and 13 Pro Trends. He leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus and has an 89% Bargain Rating. The Hornets are coming off a huge win against the Celtics at home, as Ball has scored 30+ points in six of his last eight games. Ball also has triple-double upside, especially in this game environment that has the highest total on the slate at 242.5 points. Expect a flurry of points and Ball to rack up a ton of stats in this matchup.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The decision between Paul George and Anthony Edwards at the top of the pricing tier for shooting guards comes down to the matchup. George has an elite matchup against the Spurs, while Edwards will have to grind it out against a slow-paced 76ers team. On FanDuel, George looks even better at his $8,600 salary which is resulting in an 86% Bargain Rating. He has posted a positive Plus/Minus in 10 of his 12 games played and leads the Clippers in points, usage rate, and steals per game.
Against the Spurs on Monday night, George was an efficient 11-for-16 from the field with 28 points, six assists, and five rebounds. He had 44 FanDuel points in only 32 minutes played as the Clippers won by 25 points. They are nine-point road favorites in this rematch, but if this game stays any closer George is going to easily pay off his cheap salary on FanDuel.
Value
Austin Reaves has been exceptional since coming off the bench for the Lakers. In his last seven games leading the second unit, Reaves is averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. He has recorded double-digit rebounds twice in those seven games. The Lakers lost Cam Reddish to injury in the last game as Gabe Vincent also remains out. Reaves still came off the bench in the second half of the last game with Reddish out, so expect that to continue moving forward tonight.
It is rare to see a player with over 50% projected ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel on a 14-game slate, but that is what Reaves is currently at right now. Projected to play 34 minutes, Reaves has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on both sites as he has scored 33+ DraftKings points in four of his last five games. He is a staple in cash games across the industry.
Fast Break
Devin Booker has displayed a ceiling that is worth getting exposure to, even at his expensive price tag. In his six games played this season, Booker is averaging a career-high in points and assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from behind the arc. Booker leads the Suns with a 32.9% usage rate and will continue to play in the backcourt without Bradley Beal. The Suns are two-point home favorites against the Warriors in a game that has a 231.5-point implied total.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
This is the second leg of a back-to-back for the Lakers, as LeBron James once again has a questionable tag. Make sure to keep on his status the closer we get to lock, but James has not only played in recent games while being questionable, but he has dominated. Over his last four games, James has averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 58 DraftKings points per game while shooting an incredible 63.6% from the field. He also has one triple-double over that time.
The Lakers are slight home underdogs against the Mavericks who are playing at the fourth-fastest Pace this season. They also rank 25th in Defensive Rating and 26th in Rebounding Percentage, making this a great matchup for James, who has averaged over eight rebounds per game in three straight seasons. Make sure he plays, but James looks awesome tonight.
Value
The Pacers have a competitive guard and wing position, so it can be difficult at times to figure out who is going to get the minutes besides Tyrese Haliburton. Last night it was Buddy Hield who played a season-high 31 minutes and erupted for 24 points as he shot 9-for-11 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from downtown. It was his first start of the season and now Hield is projected to start again and play around 30 minutes tonight as he looks like an exceptional value play on FanDuel.
After scoring a season-high 157 points last night, the Pacers take on the Raptors tonight with their league-leading offense. Aforementioned Haliburton leads the league with 12 assists per game, creating many opportunities for teammates like Hield to score points. Prioritize Hield on FanDuel, where he is priced under $5,000 with a slate-high 52.9% projected ownership.
Fast Break
Jayson Tatum just popped up on the injury report as questionable with an illness, which would make Jaylen Brown look even better at his $7,500 salary on both DraftKings and FanDuel. The Celtics look completely different than last season, but in six games without Tatum last season, Brown averaged a double-double with 30.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Brown has also averaged 25 points per game with one triple-double against the Bucks in five games over the last two years.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently playing to his absolute peak right now, averaging 41 points and 14 rebounds per game in his last two games, while shooting 38-for-49 (77.6%) from the field. Given his recent play, one would think his ownership would be through the roof. It is the exact opposite, as Giannis is projected for under 5% ownership on both sites at his $11,400 price tag. Giannis is easier to fit on FanDuel with his 79% Bargain Rating, but he will be a contrarian pay-up on either site.
The Bucks are one game behind the Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference. It is early in the season, but this is a big benchmark game for both teams. The Celtics are a difficult matchup, but Giannis has averaged a double-double with 28.7 points and 10 rebounds per game in his last two years in this spot. Giannis is a great way to get different on this slate.
Value
John Collins has played fantastic in the absence of Walker Kessler. He has recorded a double-double in three of his last four games, with his only miss being last night against the Lakers, where the Jazz got beat by 32 points. Collins only played 25 minutes in that game, so he should be good to go for this back-to-back against the Trail Blazers. This is a great spot to go right back to Collins as the Trail Blazers rank 19th in Defensive Rating and 24th in Rebounding Percentage this season.
With Kessler off the floor, Collins has a +0.71% usage rate and a +1.98 DraftKings Plus/Minus, both of which rank in the top four highest for the Jazz. His rebounding numbers and blocks specifically rise, which makes this a great matchup. Prioritize Collins on FanDuel, where he has the highest projected Plus/Minus among power forwards with a 30% projected ownership.
Fast Break
Averaging 31.4 points per game, which ranks second in the league, Kevin Durant is yet another pay-up option coming in at under 5% ownership on both sites. Durant has recorded a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel in nine consecutive games. He has continued to flirt with double-doubles and even triple-doubles recently as he also benefits playing without Bradley Beal. With a matchup against his former team, the Golden State Warriors, expect Durant to continue putting up massive numbers.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
After a disappointing game against the Cavaliers Sunday night, Nikola Jokic followed that up with an ejection early into the second quarter of Monday night’s game. Jokic only played 43 minutes in the back-to-back, so he should be well-rested for tonight’s action. With Jamal Murray sidelined for at least one more game, Jokic has the ability to tap into his slate-winning ceiling. In seven games without Murray this season, Jokic is averaging 27.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 9.6 assists per game.
Jokic is poised for a bounce-back game against the Magic, who allowed 64 points in the paint in their last game. Without Murray, Jokic has a 35.2% usage rate and has two 80-point DraftKings games in his last five contests. Despite being the most expensive player on the slate, Jokic is a walking triple-double. There is plenty of value to fit in the elite Jokic tonight.
Value
Daniel Gafford is projected for the second-highest ownership on DraftKings due to his extremely cheap price tag at $4,200. For reference, Gafford is $5,800 on FanDuel, making him nearly impossible to get to. Gafford has scored double-digit points in four straight games while averaging 7.5 rebounds per game over that time. He is coming off a season-high 13 field goal attempts last game, as Gafford had a 20.2% usage rate. He is projected to play 29 minutes with a 92% Bargain Rating.
Ironically, Gafford’s opponent, Mark Williams is projected for the highest ownership on FanDuel at the center position. This game environment and the matchup will benefit both of them tonight. The Wizards and Hornets both rank in the top 10 in Pace and points allowed. Expect plenty of rebound and scoring opportunities for both of these big men to record a double-double.
Fast Break
It wouldn’t be shocking if Joel Embiid missed tonight’s game after playing 41 minutes in an overtime game last night. However, if he plays, Embiid is a strong pay-up option as he currently leads the league in scoring and usage rate this season. The Timberwolves have the second-best Defensive Rating, but the reigning MVP will always get the favorable whistle as he has made and attempted the most free throws in the league. Make sure he plays, but Embiid is a great play.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
NBA DFS (Tuesday, Dec. 20): Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
NBA DFS (Tuesday, Jan. 10): Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
NBA DFS (Thursday, Jan. 19): Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
NBA DFS Picks Breakdown (Tuesday, Jan. 24): Buy Low on Luka Doncic?
