Injuries and matchups will always factor into putting together a solid DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball lineup. All we can ever do is hope that the favorable matchups on paper result to production on the court. And cross our fingers that a player in a spot-start lights up the scoreboard and imitates whoever he's replacing. But let's not leave everything to chance. It's a new year. 2016. Let's trust our DraftKings DFS lineup picks.
Today's lineup features three big names, three yearly consistent options, and two unlikely candidates looking to produce.
Check out my DraftKings Daily NBA Picks for 1/10/16. To all our readers, apologies for the late release as we had some technical difficulties earlier in the day. Now let's get to it.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!
Introducing RotoBaller's Daily Fantasy Basketball Premium Subscription
Get an edge on your NBA DFS competition with cutting edge tools, projections, lineup picks, and key stats. Our NBA DFS Premium Subscription includes our DFS Value Picks Tool, Daily NBA Projections, and our DFS Cheat Sheet with Key Lineup Picks to help you win DFScash games and GPPs.
We offer weekly, monthly or seasonal Premium NBASubscriptions.
DraftKings DFS Point Guards
Jordan Clarkson (vs UTA, $5,700)
Clarkson's value increases with D'Angelo Russell nursing an ankle injury, especially if Russell sits Sunday night. Lou Williams is the obvious choice here to benefit the most from Russell's injury, but it seems that everyone has jumped on the Williams bandwagon of late. Clarkson will likely be less owned in DFS, and he is cheaper. He has scored double-digits in 13 of 14 games and in six straight.
Damian Lillard (vs OKC, $8,800)
Despite his team's three game losing streak, Lillard has performed very well since returning from injury after missing seven straight games. Lillard has averaged 30 points, 9.5 assists, five rebounds, two steals, and 1.5 blocks in his past two games. He has also attempted a bloated total of 34 from behind the arc in his past three, draining 12 of them. It appears that there are no lingering effects of Lillard's foot ailment, and fantasy owners can continue relying on him heavily. The Trailblazers host the Thunder on Sunday in what should be fast-paced and high-scoring.
DraftKings DFS Shooting Guards
J.J. Redick (vs NO, $5,300)
Redick is the first of two players on this list that have elevated their game since Blake Griffin went down with injury. Redick has dropped 20 or more points in four of six games without Griffin in the lineup and is an affordable option at the two-spot. He has also nailed 21 from downtown on 34 attempts in that span, good for over 60%. Redick does not throw up impressive numbers in any other category, as he hasn't tallied more than two rebounds or assists in his last six, but will score enough and attempt plenty from long range to be a productive asset in DFS.
Iman Shumpert (at PHI, $4,100)
Shumpert is coming off his season-best performance Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves where he scored 23 points and gathered four steals, three rebounds, and an assist in 29 minutes. The contest was a blowout throughout, and several Cavaliers were rested early in the fourth quarter. The same could be the case Sunday when Cleveland visits Philadelphia. Shump is cheap, should ride his hot performance into the City of Brotherly Love, and once again see plenty of minutes against the woeful 76ers.
DraftKings DFS Small Forwards
Paul George (at HOU, $9,100)
I'm a huge fan of the matchup here for PG13. Houston surrenders 105.5 points a game, fifth most in the NBA, and 39.6 field goals made, third most. Despite a recent hiccup Friday night against the Pelicans, scoring only 13 points, George has hinted at the brilliance he displayed earlier in the season. Last week he dropped 30+ in three straight games; numbers that he could very well copy or exceed against the vulnerable Rockets. He's also grabbed seven rebounds in each of his last three.
Trey Lyles (at LAL, $3,900)
Lyles has been in Utah's starting five for quite a while now, but has finally played starters minutes in back-to-back games, 34 and 30. Lyles is really cheap and can produce just enough to provide value for his price. Thursday against the Rockets, Lyles sprinkled stats all over the scoresheet; nine points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. He gets a great matchup against the eight-win Lakers. Trevor Booker has been outperforming him off the bench, in less minutes, but not by much, especially for their $1,000 difference in price.
DraftKings DFS Power Forwards
Ryan Anderson (at LAC, $5,900)
Anderson has a lot of upside, in general. But if Anthony Davis can't suit up on Sunday, his value bumps up tremendously, and will likely get the start in Davis' place. After Davis exited the game Friday, Anderson dropped 21 points, grabbed six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and three steals in 37 minutes. When Davis missed action in the middle of November, Anderson excelled in his relief-role, scoring 24 and 30 points in two of four games. Anderson is affordable and will likely be in a catchup game against the Clippers.
Dirk Nowitzki (at MIN, $6,300)
Ol' reliable out of Germany. In three straight appearances, Dirk has scored 20 or more points, while posting an array of stats in several other categories. The 17-year veteran attempted 17+ shots per night in that span and went 8-22 combined from long range. If Dirk has proven anything in his almost two decade long career it's that if he's hot, he's hot. Expect a similar performance against the slumping Timberwolves.
DraftKings DFS Centers
DeAndre Jordan (vs NO, $7,900)
Blake Griffin has missed six straight games, and is set to miss another Sunday. Jordan has posted six straight double-double's, including 14 blocks in that span. The center has benefited from the injury to his fellow Lob City inhabitant, and could take advantage of even more facing the Pelicans. Anthony Davis left Friday's game with a back injury after diving into the stands early in the first quarter. Davis is day-to-day and if he can't lace up, Jordan could have an easier time rebounding and scoring against an already leaky defense. The Pelicans allow the fourth most points and the third most rebounds a night.
RotoBaller's Daily Fantasy Basketball Premium Tools
Our NBA Premium Subscription goes above and beyond standard DFS tools.
- DFS Cheat Sheet with Lineup Picks: Get access to 10 deeply researched picks per cheat sheet, complete with a slew of advanced stats that are key to unlocking NBA player value and DFS success. Cheat Sheets are released three days a week for full NBA slates: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- DFS Value Picks Tool: Brand new for 2015, this cutting edge tool will help you find, sort and filter the best value and sleeper picks for each day of NBA DFS action. With premium stats like "Usage Rate", "Trend" and "Value", you will have a serious leg up on the competition.
- Daily NBA Projections: Meticulously researched daily NBA projections for FanDuel and DraftKings. We will have our projections live shortly.
If you're already purchased your NBA DFS Premium Subscription, you can access it here.
Premium Tool Screenshots - Check It Out
Daily Projections, Trends & Value Picks
NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet
Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet
Fantasy Basketball Chat Room - Live Advice
[iflychat_embed id="c-11" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="320px"]