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We have an unusually compact four-game slate for a Monday night, and it's one that has an even narrower player pool than it already would because of the absences of a number of key players.
As such, it will be impossible to avoid some risks when building lineups for cash or tournaments, even as the key injuries do open up some opportunities for complementary options that could outperform their salaries. Nevertheless, there appears to be a bit of a scarcity of choices that have a better-than-average shot of outperforming the investment required to roster them, making it a good night to be particularly selective.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/24/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG/SG, OKC vs. CHI ($9,000 DK; $10,200 FD)
Gilgeous-Alexander checks into Monday's contest against a short-handed and fatigued Bulls squad averaging an outstanding 27.3 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals across his last seven games, a stretch during which he's also shot an efficient 47.9 percent. The star guard should encounter a bit less resistance than he otherwise would have Monday against a makeshift Chicago backcourt down all of Lonzo Ball (knee), Zach LaVine (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist). The Bulls come in allowing 52.3 DK/50.9 FD points per contest to point guards over the last seven as well, a sample that just happens to encompass the entirety of Ball's and LaVine's absences.
Jeremy Lamb - SG, IND at NOP ($4,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
Lamb makes for a very intriguing value option Monday against a Pelicans squad that's allowed the 12th-highest offensive efficiency to second-unit players (41.5 percent) and the fourth-highest three-point shooting percentage overall (36.4). Additionally, Lamb is in a good position with Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis already ruled out for Indiana and Caris LeVert questionable, as he owns a 22.4 percent usage rate and averages 48.4 DK/48.7 FD points per 36 minutes with all three players off the floor this season. Lamb also checks in on a brief but impressive hot stretch, having scored over 26 or more fantasy points on either site in each of his last pair of contests.
Also consider: Chris Duarte ($6,400; $6,700)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
DeMar DeRozan - SF/PF, CHI at OKC ($9,100 DK, $9,000 FD)
DeRozan was one of the few Bulls that seemingly showed up to play Sunday against the Magic, as he exploded for 41 points in a losing effort. The scoring haul led to DeRozan tallying over 54 fantasy points on each site, his sixth total of over 50 on the season. The veteran is now averaging 41.3 DK/40.7 FD points per contest overall on the season, and although there's some fatigue concerns given he's playing his third game in four nights Monday, he remains an attractive play on the small slate due to the matchup. The Thunder have been exceeding generous to power forwards all season, checking in with the seventh-highest offensive efficiency allowed to the position (27.8 percent) and over 47 fantasy points given up per game over the last seven to the position as well, including just over 50 on DK. DeRozan sports a team-high 38.4 percent usage rate with Ball and LaVine off the floor, furthering his case.
Josh Hart - SF/PF, NOP vs. IND ($7,400 DK; $6,500 FD)
Hart will take the floor without Brandon Ingram (ankle), a circumstance in which he's averaging 34.5 DK/33.5 FD points per 36 minutes. The versatile wing already comes in hot, averaging over 35 fantasy points on either site over the last 13 games while shooting a blistering 52.4 percent over that span. Hart has a well-round skill set that typically leads to balanced stat lines, including strong numbers in the fantasy-point-boosting category of steals, and it's therefore worth noting Indiana ranks in the bottom half of the league with 8.0 thefts per road game allowed. Finally, consider Indiana has been vulnerable to small forwards all season, allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (23.3 percent) while giving up over 47 fantasy points per game on either site to the position in the last seven contests.
Also consider: Luguentz Dort ($5,200; $5,000); Isaac Okoro ($3,800; $4,000)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jonas Valanciunas - NOP vs. IND ($8,300 DK; $7,500 FD)
Valanciunas boasts a 26.9 percent usage rate and averages 45.5 DK/43.2 FD points per 36 minutes with Ingram off the floor, automatically putting him under consideration. Additionally, the big man won't have to worry about the defense of Myles Turner, who remains sidelined with a foot injury. Indiana is notably ranked in the bottom five in fantasy points allowed to centers over the last seven games, yielding over 63 on both sites in that span. Meanwhile, Valanciunas has boasted one of the safest floors of any player at the position this season and checks in averaging over 36 fantasy points per contest on each site in January.
Jarrett Allen - CLE vs. NYK ($8,000 DK; $7,700 FD)
Allen has also been a highly reliable center option this season and comes into Monday's contest with one tally of over 49 fantasy points against the Knicks already this season. New York is likely to be down Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as well down low Monday, which should make the path to success a lot smoother for Allen. The breakout big has also been on a tear since returning from a four-game absence New Year's Eve, averaging 15.0 point, 11.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 blocks across 32.9 minutes over his last 12 games. The Knicks have been tough on centers overall, but their pedestrian road shooting percentage (43.5) coupled with Cleveland's own lockdown home-floor defense should give Allen plenty of rebounding opportunities on the defensive glass, and the fact he's averaging 39.1 DK/ 39.4 FD points per 36 without Lauri Markkanen (Out-Ankle) certainly doesn't hurt his prospects either.
Also consider: Goga Bitadze ($6,200; $6,200)
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