NBA DFS Picks: Friday 1/31/25

If you're looking to have some fun this basketball season, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections update throughout the day to reflect current news.

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

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

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published.

NBA DFS Picks for Today

Guards

Top Priorities

Tyrese Maxey ($10,000) -- Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have been ruled out for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, so Tyrese Maxey has the green light to be the primary offensive engine again, which has resulted in him logging 51-plus FanDuel points (FDPs) in five of his last eight games. Besides the fact that the Denver Nuggets play at the fifth-fastest pace, they are permitting the sixth-most FDPs per game to PGs (50.2).

Derrick White ($6,800) -- Following a one-game absence, Derrick White returned for the Boston Celtics in their most recent game, finishing with 33.7 FDPs in 39 minutes. The New Orleans Pelicans are giving up the 5th-most FDPs per game to PGs (51.2) and 6th-most FDPs per game to SGs (43.8) while White should benefit from New Orleans operating at the 13th-fastest pace.

Lonzo Ball ($4,900) -- The Chicago Bulls have revealed that Zach LaVine will miss multiple games due to personal reasons, paving the way for Lonzo Ball to remain in the starting lineup versus the Toronto Raptors. Ball has made five consecutive starts for the Bulls, and the Raptors are 26th in steal rate allowed (9.3%).

Others to Consider

Ayo Dosunmu ($5,600) -- Another guard from the Bulls that should be on our radar on Friday is Ayo Dosunmu; he'll also likely start with LaVine sidelined. FanDuel Research's projections currently have Ball as the second-best point-per-dollar play (5.6x value) and Dosunmu as the sixth-best point-per-dollar play (5.4x value) on the entire slate.

Stephon Castle ($5,400) -- Even though the projections aren't as kind to Stephon Castle, the rookie guard has contributed 28-plus FDPs in five of his last seven contests for the San Antonio Spurs. Aside from the fact that Castle has started in eight straight appearances, Friday's clash between the Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks is tied with the highest total on the slate.

Wings

Top Priorities

Scottie Barnes ($9,700) -- If it weren't for a blowout, Scottie Barnes likely would have secured his third straight performance of 56-plus FDPs his last time out. Barring a blowout involving the Bulls and Raptors, Barnes is in a stellar spot on Friday with Chicago sitting at 3rd in pace, 26th in adjusted defensive rating (115.6), and 26th in rim field-goal percentage allowed (65.4%).

Jayson Tatum ($9,600) -- Make no mistake about it, Jayson Tatum has struggled recently, producing fewer than 36 FDPs in four straight outings for the Boston Celtics. Despite that being the case, I want to try to get ahead of when Tatum bounces back, and Friday's bout versus a Pelicans squad that is 28th adjusted defensive rating (116.9) is a perfect chance for him to erupt.

Kelly Oubre ($7,300) -- Amid the absences of Embiid and George, Kelly Oubre has essentially taken the mantle as the No. 2 option alongside Maxey, leading to 35-plus FDPs in four straight starts. Given the long list of injuries the 76ers are dealing with, Oubre will get a healthy dose of minutes again on Friday in a matchup versus the Nuggets that is tied for the highest total on the slate.

Others to Consider

Trey Murphy ($7,900) -- Although the Pelicans boast a dismal 12-36 record this season, it's been fun to watch Trey Murphy III take a massive leap forward, registering career-best marks in PPG (21.5), RPG (5.1), APG (3.0), and SPG (1.2) while averaging 36.6 FDPs per game. If New Orleans wants to keep things close against Boston on Friday, they'll need Murphy -- who has 40-plus FDPs in five of his last nine contests -- to be extremely active on both ends of the floor.

Derrick Jones Jr. ($4,700) -- Even with Kawhi Leonard recently returning to the lineup for the Los Angeles Clippers, Derrick Jones Jr. remains in the starting five, putting up 28-plus FDPs in three of his last five outings. With the Charlotte Hornets ranking 16th in steal rate allowed (8.4%) and 27th in block rate allowed (11.6%), it's worth noting that Jones has accrued multiple stocks (steals plus blocks) in five of his last seven games.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Nikola Jokic ($12,800) -- After logging a forgettable 40.2 FDPs in a lopsided loss to the New York Knicks in his most recent outing, I love Nikola Jokic in Friday's clash against a 76ers team that will be lacking size in the paint. Along with Jokic scoring 70.6 FDPs in only 30 minutes against Philly recently, the Sixers are 29th in rim field-goal percentage allowed (67.5%), 25th in offensive rebound rate allowed (26.1%), and 24th in block rate allowed (10.5%).

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,900) -- Deciding between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama in Friday's Bucks-Spurs showdown can be tough, but I'll give the edge to Giannis due to Wemby being a bit more volatile. Antetokounmpo has tallied 55-plus FDPs in 6 of his last 10 contests, and he's scored fewer than 50 FDPs just twice during that span.

Kristaps Porzingis ($7,800) -- Kristaps Porzingis exploded for 59.7 FDPs in 33 minutes against the Bulls in the Celtics' last game, and I like his chances to have another notable performance versus the Pelicans. When rostering Porzingis, we're looking for him to knock down threes and block shots, while New Orleans just happens to rank 21st in three-point percentage allowed (36.5%) and 18th in block rate allowed (10.0%).

Others to Consider

Ivica Zubac ($7,700) -- With Mark Williams inactive for the Hornets, Ivica Zubac should feast against Charlotte's undermanned front court on Friday. Zubac has notched 21-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in back-to-back contests, and the Hornets are coughing up the most FDPs per game to Cs (81.4) -- by a wide margin -- over their last seven games.

P.J. Washington ($7,400) -- Although Daniel Gafford is also a fantastic play for the Dallas Mavericks in Friday's meeting with the Detroit Pistons, PJ Washington -- who has 39-plus FDPs in four of his last five starts -- shouldn't go overlooked. On top of the Pistons giving up the 7th-most FDPs per game to PFs (48.8), Detroit is 20th in effective field-goal percentage allowed (54.5%) and 27th in three-point percentage allowed (37.3%).

Get a 30% Profit Boost to use on any NBA games taking place on January 31st, 2025! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

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.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.