FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Tuesday 1/2/24

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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,300) -- You can look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's matchup with the Boston Celtics one of two ways. Either Boston's third-ranked defense keeps SGA under wraps (thus tanking DFS lineups given his salary), or SGA rises to the occasion against the NBA's top team and cements his case as a matchup-proof DFS play. I lean towards the ladder, especially considering the C's quietly allow the third-most points to PGs, per FantasyPros.

Devin Vassell ($7,400) -- I don't love targeting teams with sub-112 implied team totals, but Devin Vassell's salary still hasn't caught up to his strong production of late. Vassell's eclipsed 20 points in three of his last four games, notching 39.3, 47.5, 48.1, and 32.3 FanDuel points (FP) over that span. Granted, the two 40-pointers came against the lowly Blazers, but the Memphis Grizzlies aren't exactly defensive stalwarts. Ride the hot hand.

Chris Paul ($6,100) -- Chris Paul has averaged 36.5 FP in eight starts this season and appears to be a regular starter going forward. Tonight's game environment is decent -- Golden State is a three-point home favorite and the over/under is a modest 230.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook -- but Paul's intrigue lies in his low salary and sizable projection. numberFire pegs Paul for 35.7 FP, making him the second-best point-per-dollar value among guards.

Others to Consider

Stephen Curry ($8,500) -- At some point, Stephen Curry has to blow up, right? Steph's salary is down to $8,500 after opening the season in the $10,000 range. He hasn't eclipsed 50 FP since November and shot just 42% last month -- his worst shooting month since January 2022. Still, Curry offers a level of slate-winning upside that other guards in his range can't match. He carries the fourth-highest numberFire projection (43.1) among guards.

Malik Monk ($5,800) -- Malik Monk is far from a consistent fantasy option, but when he's hot, he's hot. Monk is coming off 32.8 and 39.3 FP outings -- the most recent of which came via 27 points and 10 of 13 shooting. We don't always want to hot nights, but it's hard not to like his matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte has given up up the eighth-most FP to SGs and is 30th in defensive rating. There's upside here.

Wings

Top Plays

Brandon Ingram ($8,900) -- In his last six games, Brandon Ingram has eclipsed 50 FP three times. He's notched 59.7, 45.1, and 56 over his last three contests and now draws a Brooklyn Nets team that's allowed the third-most FP to opposing SFs. While a 228.5-point over/under isn't anything to write home about, Ingram's recent play and stellar usage rate (28.9%) makes him a quality addition to any DFS lineup given the manageable salary.

Luke Kennard ($4,200) -- Luke Kennard turned in a 22.6-FP performance in his first game since November 14th over the weekend. His silky-smooth jumper didn't miss a beat as he drained five of eight triples and finished with 17 points in 20 minutes. He'll likely continue to face a minutes restriction tonight, but Kennard's outside shooting keeps his fantasy value firmly afloat against a San Antonio Spurs team allowing the most made threes per game (14.5).

Nicolas Batum ($4,000) -- Although Nicolas Batum netted just 14.6 FP in his return from a five-game absence over the weekend, it was encouraging to see him play 19 minutes. Batum doesn't offer a ton of upside, but his low salary is a welcome addition to any DFS lineup looking to fit multiple stars together. numberFire's 21.1-point projection makes him the best point-per-dollar wing on the slate.

Others to Consider

Jayson Tatum ($9,800) -- Jayson Tatum is never a bad play, but I have a hard time getting to someone who's salaried near $10,000 yet has failed to eclipse 42 FP in five of his last seven games. There's an argument he steps up against the Western Conference's second-best team, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are second in defensive rating and give up the fewest FP to opposing SFs.

Jonathan Kuminga ($5,800) -- Jonathan Kuminga's stock is firmly on the rise, having started nine straight games and averaged 24.6 FP over that span. Coming off a 33.3-FP outing, Kuminga's salary remains low enough to keep him in the mix even against a stout Orlando Magic defense.

Bigs

Top Plays

Joel Embiid ($12,500) -- Joel Embiid returns from a four-game absence to take on former nemesis, Andre Drummond, and the Chicago Bulls. Chicago has given up the eighth-most FP to centers and tonight they'll be without Nikola Vucevic. Embiid dropped 40 points and 14 rebounds against them just two weeks ago and scored 65-plus FP in eight of nine games before his latest absence. With no Giannis or Jokic, he's the clear top option in DFS.

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,900) -- Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a mixed bag since Ja Morant's return, going under 30 FP three times and over 40 just once. Still, he averaged 37.6 with Ja last season, so I'd expect better results going forward. Tonight's could get him back on track. San Antonio ranks 25th in defensive rating and has given up the sixth-most FP to centers while Memphis has the second-highest implied team (122.75).

Nick Richards ($6,000) -- You can't fit Nick Richards with Embiid, but he's a lovely value if you're allocating most of your salary towards guard. With Mark Williams sidelined the last 11 games, Richards has averaged 25.5 FP and tonight he'll face a Sacramento Kings team that's bottom 10 in defensive rating. numberFire projects Richards for 33.9 FP tonight, which makes him the best point-per-dollar value among bigs.

Others to Consider

Domantas Sabonis ($10,000) -- You can squeeze Domantas Sabonis into Embiid lineups thanks to his PF eligibility, but he's a quality contrarian play if you can't stomach both their salaries. Sabonis is coming off a December where he averaged 20.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game and could continue to produce in a Charmin Ultra Soft matchup. Charlotte has given up the fourth-most FP to centers, and they're dead-last in defensive rating.

Trayce Jackson-Davis ($5,600) -- It looks like Trayce Jackson-Davis will be in Golden State's starting lineup for the foreseeable future, so he'll be a nice value until the salary reflects his new role. TJD has played at least 20 minutes in four of their last six games, during which he's averaged 32.1 FP. Orlando is no cakewalk -- they're fifth in defensive rating -- but the rookie's starting role and low salary keep him in the mix tonight. numberFire pegs him for 30.4 projected FP.

Interested in playing NBA daily fantasy? FanDuel has plenty of contest options to make every moment more. Be sure to check out the NBA betting options, as well.

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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.