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We have nine games over on the main slate tonight, highlighted by the monster implied totals and fast projected paces of the Hawks-Hornets and Nets-Timberwolves contests. The Sixers-Spurs, Jazz-Warriors, and Lakers-Heat games also have their share of fantasy appeal, while the Grizzlies-Mavericks game and the Magic and Pistons don't look to be attractive targets tonight.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/23/22. As always, there is a ton of injury news to watch out for as the day moves along. The biggest pieces of news we're waiting on are the statuses of stars Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert.
Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our live-updating NBA injury updates tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. As always, feel free to follow my Twitter (@RING_DFS) - I post about a variety of things but mainly NBA DFS with my K-Rate and Positional K-Rate model. Let's get to it, good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LaMelo Ball - PG/SG, CHA vs. ATL ($8,200 DK, $8,000 FD)
I don't think Ball is going to be too popular tonight as the Hornets have been somewhat cautious about his minutes and he hasn't shot the ball particularly well over his last 10 games or so. He's simply too cheap in this matchup, though. It's the top game environment of the night for DFS production and we're going to want to get to the most productive fantasy player on the court in those scenarios. Trae Young would typically be the guy to look to here, but he needs 50+ DK points to hit 5x value and the Hornets actually rank as the seventh-toughest defense against opposing point guards. The Hawks, on the other hand, have allowed the ninth-most FPPG to PG's this season and they're prone to giving up the slate-breaking performance with the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA. Ball should easily reach value tonight, and there's a clear path for him to hit a ceiling game as long as this contest plays out how Vegas (and I) are projecting it will.
Anthony Edwards - SG/SF, MIN vs. BKN ($7,100 DK, $6,800 FD)
Ant has been in a downward spiral for the last three games, averaging just 25.9 DK points per game during that stretch. This has resulted in a dramatic decrease in his salary, and now we're presented with the perfect situation for him to get back on track and post a 5-6x value output against the Nets. The game rates out as the second-best to target for DFS tonight as it holds the highest total on the board (237 points), a fast projected pace, and two squads that rank in the bottom-11 in terms of fantasy points allowed over their last 15 games played. Edwards only needs 35.5 DK points to hit value tonight - he's averaging 38.5 DK points per game on the season and we know he can spike for the occasional 40-50+ DK point output in the right situations. The electric second-year player should be priced around $8,000, so pounce on him at this price while you still can.
Tyrese Maxey - PG/SG, PHI vs. SAS ($6,200 DK, $5,900 FD)
Maxey looks great on both sites tonight, plain and simple. Seth Curry, Danny Green, Shake Milton, and Matisse Thybulle will all be out of the lineup, and Maxey sees a significant increase in usage rate to 24% in their absence this season. He's very rarely going to flash a high ceiling since he shares the court with Embiid and Harris, but he averages 30.1 DK points per game on the season and he has a great chance to crush value tonight with the usage increase combined with the terrific matchup against the Spurs. San Antonio is allowing the fifth-most FPPG to opposing PG's this season, with most of the production coming in the form of points, assists, and three-pointers made. Maxey is averaging 16.7 PPG and is shooting 3.5 threes per game at a 40% clip.
Others to consider: Cole Anthony ($6,400 DK, $5,500 FD), Joe Ingles ($3,700 FD), Furkan Korkmaz ($4,000 DK, $4,300 FD), Patrick Beverley ($4,400 DK), Cody Martin ($3,800 FD), Gabe Vincent ($5,100 DK), Jalen Suggs ($5,500 DK), Jaylen Nowell ($3,600 DK)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
P.J. Washington - PF/C, CHA vs. ATL ($4,300 DK, $4,800 FD)
Washington impressed with 34.5 DK points over 27 minutes his last time out, though it should be noted that the game was not a competitive one against the Thunder as the Hornets won 121-98. That being said, there's no reason for the Hornets to hold Washington back and his minutes are even more secure now that fellow power forward Jalen McDaniels will be inactive for a few games. This is the top game environment on the entire slate as the game features a high total, a fast projected pace, and very little resistance from a defensive perspective. Getting to multiple pieces here makes a ton of sense, and selecting the too-cheap Washington is a great way to get a share of value in this game. The Hawks are allowing the fifth-most FPPG to opposing PF's over their last 15 games.
Bam Adebayo - PF/C, MIA vs. LAL ($7,800 DK, $7,700 FD)
We have to find ways to take advantage of the Lakers' shoddy defense whenever we can, and I like doing so with the star big man from Miami tonight. Getting to him over on FanDuel makes a lot of sense as we can use him in the PF slot, but we can also use him over on DraftKings in the Utility spot as a pair up with the Joker. Bam has taken on a large chunk of usage with both Kyle Lowry and Tyer Herro off the floor, jumping to a 25.1% usage rate with a 1.03 FPTS/min rate in their absence this season. This has resulted in consistent production and a few spike games recently, including outputs of 55.75 and 48.25 DK points over his last four games. The Lakers are allowing the second-most FPPG to opposing C's over their last seven games and the seventh-most FPPG to opposing teams on the season. We only need an average game from him to have him reach value, but there's a clear path for him to have a monster game in this spot.
Others to consider: Maxi Kleber ($3,800 DK, $4,100 FD), Max Strus ($4,700 DK), Will Barton ($6,000 DK), John Konchar ($4,200 FD), Dorian Finney-Smith ($4,300 FD), DeMar DeRozan ($8,400 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN vs. DET ($12,200 DK, $11,900 FD)
Jokic is the most expensive player on the slate, which should come as no surprise. He's well over $12k on DraftKings and he's almost there on FanDuel as well, but somehow, it still doesn't seem like he's priced where he should be. He needs 62 DK points to hit 5x value on DraftKings - he's averaging 78.3 DK points per game over his last three contests. He has the highest potential ceiling on the slate and no one else is really even all that close, and anytime that's the case, you need to prioritize that player. It's not the most attractive game environment in the world as it holds a mediocre implied total and a slow projected pace, but Jokic is not human and he can go off in any situation. The Pistons rank pretty well against centers for the season, but they're allowing the eighth-most FPPG to C's over their last seven games.
Others to consider: Mason Plumlee ($4,200 DK, $4,400 FD), Mo Bamba ($5,400 DK, $5,600 FD), Isaiah Stewart ($4,500 DK)
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