FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Monday 1/22/24

Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. numberFire's projections update up until tip-off to reflect current news. numberFire also has player news updates, and the FanDuel Scout app will send push notifications for pressing updates regarding your players.

In addition to daily projections, numberFire also offers a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down a few of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

NBA DFS Picks

Guards

Top Plays

Damian Lillard ($9,100) -- We witnessed a vintage Damian Lillard performance when the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons squared off over the weekend, as the veteran exploded for 45 points, 11 assists, and 70.7 FanDuel points (FP). Considering tonight's rematch has the night's highest over/under (247.5) and Milwaukee has the highest implied total (130.0), another ceiling game for Dame is well withing the range of outcomes. It helps that Detroit has given up the most FP to opposing PGs, per FantasyPros.

Coby White ($7,700) -- Zach LaVine is out at least the next week, so we can turn to Coby White in an advantageous matchup tonight. White has benefited greatly from LaVine's absences this season, averaging 37.4 FP with a 24.5% usage rate when LaVine sits (compared to 27.9 FP and a 21.3% usage rate when LaVine plays), per RotoGrinders' CourtIQ. Although the Phoenix Suns aren't bad on defense, they've given up the seventh-most FP to PGs this season.

Alec Burks ($6,100) -- Like Dame, we can run it back with Alec Burks after he exploded for 53.4 FP against Milwaukee last time out. He's not the most consistent option, but Burks has notched 30-plus real-world points in two of his last three games, and there's fantasy production to be had given the 247.0-point over/under. With that, Jaden Ivey ($7,500) and Ausar Thompson ($5,300) are also worth a look after they both exceeded 30 FP in Saturday's game. Ivey has averaged 40.8 FP over his last six, while Thompson just posted his highest minutes (32), points (22), and FP (36.3) totals in over a month. It's a good spot for Detroit's perimeter players -- the Bucks are bottom 10 in FP allowed to both guard spots

Others to Consider

Tyrese Maxey ($9,000) -- The Philadelphia 76ers host the San Antonio Spurs, making Tyrese Maxey an intriguing option at guard. Maxey continues to offer a stellar floor/ceiling combination, exceeding 35 FP in each of his last eight games and posting a trio of 50-FP outings over that span. Tonight's matchup is as good as it gets -- San Antonio is 25th in defensive rating, third in pace, and bottom-five in FP allowed to PGs.

Luke Kennard ($5,500) -- Gone are the days when we could roster Luke Kennard at a sub-$5,000 salary, but he remains a strong value even at his current tag. Kennard has notched at least 20 FP in six straight games, and he's seen 32 minutes per game since Desmond Bane went down. I can get behind Vince Williams Jr. ($6,700), too. He's averaged 37 FP since Bane got hurt, and this is a matchup to target. The Toronto Raptors have sunk to 26th in defensive rating since the OG Anunoby trade, and they've given up the second-most FP to SFs over their last seven games.

Wings

Top Plays

Anthony Edwards ($9,000) -- Anthony Edwards is coming off one of his worst fantasy performances of the season, but he's well-positioned to bounce back tonight. For one, Ant is at home -- where he averages 44.4 FP (compared to 39.4 on the road). But, more importantly, he faces the Charlotte Hornets -- a team that's 28th in defensive rating and gives up the third-most FP to opposing SFs. The over/under (220.5) isn't ideal, but the Minnesota Timberwolves' 116.5 implied total keeps Edwards firmly on the fantasy radar.

Khris Middleton ($7,000) -- Khris Middleton cooked up 37 FP in Saturday's win over Detroit, so there's little reason to fade him in tonight's rematch. The vet continues to produce when given a healthy dose of minutes, notching 35 FP in each of the last three games in which he's played 30 minutes. In addition to giving up the seventh-most FP to both SGs and SFs on the season, the Pistons have plummeted to 29th in defensive rating this month. Middleton is a nice mid-range option tonight. Worth noting: numberFire projects Middleton to score 35.4 FP. That ties him as the third-best point-per-dollar value on the slate (as of Monday afternoon).

Jaden McDaniels ($4,900) -- Jaden McDaniels has been quiet the last two games, but he's in a nice spot to produce tonight. The combo forward flirts with 30 minutes on a nightly basis, so he should have plenty of chances to rack up fantasy points against a Charlotte defense that's bottom-five in FP allowed to both forward spots. He could see even more usage with Mike Conley (rest) out, but Conley's absence also opens the door for Kyle Anderson ($5,100). Conley's missed just one game thus far, but it resulted in 40.1 FP from Anderson -- Anderson's best output of the season.

Others to Consider

Kelly Oubre ($5,400) -- It's been a quiet five-game stretch for Kelly Oubre, but nobody gets you back on track like the Spurs. San Antonio is bottom-10 in FP allowed to SGs and SFs. Coupled with Philly's sky-high implied total, this is a good spot for a bounce back. numberFire projections have Oubre going for 27.4 FP, making him the fifth-best point-per-dollar value on the board, regardless of position.

Patrick Williams ($5,200) -- Patrick Williams was back in the starting lineup with Zach LaVine out over the weekend, notching 28 FP. Four of Williams' five best fantasy performances of the season have come with LaVine out of the lineup. In total, he's averaged 23.8 FP in such instances -- up from 17.9 FP when LaVine plays. Phoenix does well against forwards, but Williams' track record sans LaVine makes him a quality value, especially since he can fill both forward spots.

Bigs

Top Plays

Joel Embiid ($12,500) -- What is there even to say about Joel Embiid at this point? With a pair of 58.4-FP outings over the weekend, the reigning MVP has now scored 50-plus FP in every game since November 17th. He's gone for 60 FP in 15 of 20 games over that span, so he remains a must-roster tonight against the Spurs. Even though the 76ers are 14.0-point favorites, Embiid shouldn't have any trouble putting up big numbers in limited minutes if this gets ugly early. San Antonio has given up the fourth-most points and third-most rebounds to centers, after all.

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,400) -- This is a great spot for Jaren Jackson Jr.. In three games since Desmond Bane's injury, Jackson has averaged 42.8 FP despite shooting just 44% over that span. He has posted a downright bonkers 36.9% usage rate in that sample -- a number that would rank second only to Embiid over the full season. "Triple J" could explode tonight in a more efficient effort against a Raptors defense that's both without Jakob Poeltl and has given up the fourth-most FP to PFs over their last seven. numberFire pegs Jackson for 44.7 FP -- seventh-most overall and a number that makes him the second-best point-per-dollar value on the slate.

Jontay Porter ($5,100) -- Jontay Porter's DFS outlook has really benefited from Toronto's recent trades as he's averaged 23.3 FP across his last six games. Although he's eclipsed 20 minutes in only three of those games, he's taken over the starting center role for the time being. The Memphis Grizzlies have given up the seventh-most FP to opposing centers, so Porter could be in line for a strong night, especially since the Raptors are up to 10th in pace this month.

Others to Consider

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,300) -- You essentially have to choose between Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight, and you can't go wrong either way. Giannis put up 60.5 FP in this exact matchup over the weekend, finishing one assist shy of a triple double. Milwaukee's monstrous implied total, along with Detroit giving up the second-most FP to centers, makes this a great spot for both the Greak Freak and Brook Lopez ($6,900). Lopez posted 49 FP in Saturday's matchup with Detroit, and his 33.8-FP numberFire projection makes him the third-best point-per-dollar value among centers.

Al Horford ($5,700) -- No Kristaps Porzingis (knee) for the Boston Celtics tonight, so we can confidently turn to both Al Horford and Luke Kornet ($4,700). In eight games without Porzingis, Horford has averaged 33 FP in 32 minutes per game, while Kornet has posted 21 FP in 19 minutes a night. Both of them are quality value plays for non-Embiid lineups. The Dallas Mavericks are 29th in rebound rate and have given up the ninth-most FP to centers.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.