NBA DFS Picks: Thursday 1/2/25

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, powered by numberFire, update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, 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 ($8,600) -- Last night gave us -- at least on paper -- some sweet DFS environments. This slate isn't as juicy as there are no totals over 224.5 points. While the Philadelphia 76ers-Golden State Warriors game has the night's lowest over/under (218.5), it's the lowest by just 6.0 points, and the 3.0-point spread is appealing. Golden State (10th in pace) is a big pace-up spot for Philly (28th), and the Dubs have permitted the 11th-most FanDuel points per game to PGs (50.4) over their past 15 games. That sets the stage for Tyrese Maxey to have a good night.

Ben Simmons ($5,500) -- As of early Thursday, we're hurting for value, so we may need to resort to a few midrange plays. Ben Simmons is one such play who is on my radar. Simmons' across-the-board ability gives him several paths to a solid fantasy output. He's seen at least 28 minutes in six of his past seven games.

Others to Consider

Derrick White ($7,100) -- We don't have to worry about blowout risk tonight with the Boston Celtics as they are just a 4.0-point favorite over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The matchup is a tough one, but Derrick White should be in for big minutes. Our NBA DFS projections peg him to score 34.9 FanDuel points (4.92 per $1,000).

Duncan Robinson ($4,200) -- On a back-to-back, the Miami Heat are going to be sans Terry Rozier (suspended) and may also be without Jimmy Butler (just returned). Even if Butler suits up, Duncan Robinson is an appealing low-salary play in a friendly matchup with the Indiana Pacers (224.5-point total and 1.5-point spread).

Wings

Top Priorities

LeBron James ($9,600) -- The night's top implied total (116.75) belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers in their home date with the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland is 28th in defensive rating and is giving up the fourth-most FanDuel points per game to small forwards (44.8). LeBron James can thrive in this spot and is one of the night's top plays, with our model projecting him for 47.3 FanDuel points (4.93 pr $1,000).

Anthony Edwards ($8,900) -- Anthony Edwards likes the big stage and should enjoy tonight's matchup against the Celtics, even if it's a difficult one. Ant's last big DFS outing came on Christmas in another headline game, and Edwards has logged at least 38 minutes in three of his last four contests.

Others to Consider

Jaylen Brown ($8,500) -- Between the Celtics' big two, I lean Jaylen Brown over Jayson Tatum ($10,300) today mostly due to salary. With that said, Brown is listed as questionable. If he doesn't play, that alters the slate's landscape and enhances the outlook for the rest of the Celtics.

Deni Avdija ($6,300) -- Deni Avdija is in play as a bring-back piece to any Lakers stacks. Portland is a 9.0-point 'dog, which is concerning, but if you're using Lakers, you need Portland to keep the game competitive. Deni went for 49.6 FanDuel points three games ago, showing his upside, and the Lakers are surrendering the third-most FanDuel points per game to SFs (44.8). He gets a lift from Jerami Grant being out.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Anthony Davis ($11,500) -- We have two elite plays at PF tonight between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis. You can make a strong case for both, but I give a slight edge to AD thanks to the matchup versus a Portland team that gives up the fifth-most FanDuel points per game to centers (57.7). He rocked the Blazers for 64.7 FanDuel points the last time these two teams met and brings slate-winning upside to the table.

Myles Turner ($6,500) -- If I stack the Pacers-Heat game, Myles Turner is the Indiana player I want. Our model is a fan tonight as we project Turner for 35.8 FanDuel points (5.51 per $1,000) and rate him as the slate's top point-per-dollar play (as of early in the day). Turner went for 51.3 FanDuel points the last time he faced Miami.

Others to Consider

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700) -- Giannis profiles as a great play pretty much every time he suits up. The Brooklyn Nets are 25th in defensive rating but are playing at the league's slowest pace, which is why I opted for AD over Giannis. But Giannis has the slate's top raw projection (53.1), per our numbers.

Nic Claxton ($5,700) -- Nicolas Claxton continues to project well as his salary is trending behind his production. He's posted exactly 34.0 FanDuel points in two of his last three outings and has multi-block upside every time out.

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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.