NBA DFS Picks For FanDuel 1/11/22

As things still stand, there are many players in the league's health and safety protocols, so other players will have to step in and fill the void, creating for interesting DFS scenarios. The main slate tonight is a relatively small one that only features 6 total games, so every lineup pick you make is even more critical to your success than usual. As on most slates, we have a lot of prevalent injury news that we are waiting on which could shake up the slate when released. Be sure to keep on eye on these injury situations as we approach roster lock. Let's dive in to the breakdown of the NBA main slate on FanDuel tonight!

REMINDER: RTs on the article post on twitter at @SportsVerseHQ are appreciated, as well as following my personal Twitter, @cobioconnell. If you would like to see my lineup package for the NBA and NFL seasons, message me there. If you want my core 4 lineup players for the slate, RT the article post on Twitter, follow both accounts, and direct message me. Thank you!

Top Play:

Nikola Jokic (C - $11400) -

With tonight being a smaller than usual slate, there are not as many elite spend up options. Nikola Jokic and Steph Curry are the only two players who carry a salary higher than $10000, and although a strong tournament option, Curry hasn't reached 50 FD points in 5 consecutive games. That leaves Nikola Jokic as the sole "safe" spend up option, and he has shown his fantasy consistency all season. The defending MVP is averaging an absurd 56.3 FD points per game, and has only failed to register 50 or more FD points three times in his last sixteen games. To put things into perspective, he has scored 70+ FD points the same amount of times within that span. The Clippers are average at defending the center position, but matchup doesn't entirely matter for a player seeing a 32.4% usage rate and averaging 1.76 FD points per minute.

Best Value:

Jae Crowder (PF/SF - $4100) -

After missing seven consecutive contests, Jae Crowder returned to action Saturday for the Suns. Crowder was able to play 26 minutes in that game, which is a good indicator that he should almost be back to his usual workload for tonight's game. Despite only scoring 3 points in that game, Crowder still scored 22.5 FD points, which would be decent value at his current salary of just $4100. With Cameron Johnson already ruled out for tonight's game, Jae Crowder should be safe to play around 30 minutes. Averaging .74 FD points per minute, Jae Crowder's median should be around 25 today. Jae Crowder is by no means a homerun pick, but he is the safest value play on a slate that doesn't have many other cheap options.

Main Player Pool:

Point Guard:

Fred VanVleet ($9700)

Cade Cunningham (PG/SG - $6500)

Reggie Jackson ($5500)

Other great plays: Steph Curry ($10800), Ja Morant ($9900), Spencer Dinwiddie ($7100), Monte Morris ($4900), Nah'Shon Hyland ($3900), Killian Hayes ($3700)

Shooting Guard:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG/PG - $7800)

Zach LaVine (SG/PG - $7500)

Josh Giddey ($6600)

Other great plays: DeMar DeRozan (SG/SF - $8200), D'Angelo Russell (SG/PG - $7600), Desmond Bane ($7200), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG/SF - $4800), Eric Bledsoe (SG/PG - $4700), Terance Mann (SG/SF - $4700)

Small Forward:

Brandon Ingram ($8000)

OG Anunoby (SF/PF - $6700)

Nicolas Batum (SF/PF - $4700)

Other great plays: Anthony Edwards (SF/SG - $8200), Saddiq Bey ($6500), Lu Dort (SF/SG - $5600), Mikal Bridges (SF/PF - $5300)

Power Forward:

Aaron Gordon ($5100)

Chris Boucher (PF/C - $4700)

Jae Crowder (PF/SF - $4100)

Other great plays: Jaren Jackson (PF/C - $7000), Jarred Vanderbilt ($6300), Trey Lyles ($5700), Isaiah Stewart ($5000), Juan Toscano-Anderson ($3600)

Center:

Nikola Jokic ($11400)

Jonas Valanciunas ($7900)

Ivica Zubac ($4900)

Other great plays: Karl-Anthony Towns ($9700), Deandre Ayton ($7300), Daniel Gafford ($5600), Khem Birch (C/PF - $4000)

Cover Picture Attribution: All-Pro Reels, Nikola Jokic free throw (cropped), CC BY-SA 2.0