NBA DFS Picks For FanDuel 1/13/22

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 small one with only 5 total games, so each lineup choice you make will be 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/NFL/MLB 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:

James Harden (SG/PG - $10000) -

The Nets will be resting Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the second leg of a back-to-back tonight in what should be a cupcake matchup against the Thunder. That leaves James Harden as the sole member left of their usual starting rotation, which means that his usage will skyrocket. When on the court without Kevin Durant (and newly returned Kyrie Irving) this season, James Harden is averaging 1.55 FD points per minute on a 35.3% usage rate. The Thunder are currently the worst team in the league against opposing shooting guards, although Harden will likely take command of the point tonight as he has without Kyrie for most of the season. His $10000 price tag tonight is representative of his expected production with a fully active roster, not the smash spot situation that he finds himself in tonight. I will be playing James Harden in my lineup on this slate.

Best Value:

Dennis Smith (PG - $4400) -

With Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Anfernee Simons all out for the Blazers tonight, the team is extremely thin at the guard positions. That leaves Dennis Smith and Ben McLemore as the likely starters, and they will be tasked with carrying heavy minutes against the Nuggets. Along with Day'Ron Sharpe and Kessler Edwarrds of the Nets, Smith and McLemore are my favorite value plays on the slate, and I think all four of them are amazing plays. Although any of them could easily take up the title of best value play on this slate, I believe that Dennis Smith stands out as the top option. He has only taken the court when there have been multiple injuries, but he has been productive from a fantasy standpoint when provided the opportunity. He is averaging .95 FD points per minute on the season, and there is virtually no way that he doesn't exceed 30 minutes today. Take advantage of the value on the Blazers and Nets.

Main Player Pool:

Point Guard:

Ja Morant ($9700)

Reggie Jackson ($5500)

Dennis Smith ($4400)

Other great plays: Steph Curry ($10400), Devonte' Graham (PG/SG - $5400), Monte Morris ($4900)

Shooting Guard:

James Harden (SG/PG - $10000)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG/PG - $8000)

Ben McLemore (SG/PG - $4100)

Other great plays: D'Angelo Russell (SG/PG - $7600), Desmond Bane ($7000), Josh Hart (SG/SF - $6900), Josh Giddey ($6800), Will Barton (SG/SF - $5900), Eric Bledsoe (SG/PG - $4800), Terance Mann (SG/SF - $4800), DeAndre' Bembry (SG/SF - $4000)

Small Forward:

Brandon Ingram ($8100)

Nassir Little ($5300)

Kessler Edwards ($3600)

Other great plays: Khris Middleton (SF/SG - $8400), Anthony Edwards (SF/SG - $8300), Lu Dort (SF/SG - $5600), Nicolas Batum (SF/PF - $4700), Ziaire Williams ($3700)

Power Forward:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/SF - $11300)

Aaron Gordon ($5200)

Day'Ron Sharpe ($4500)

Other great plays: Bobby Portis (PF/C - $6200), Robert Covington (PF/SF - $5600), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($3900)

Center:

Nikola Jokic ($11500)

Jonas Valanciunas ($7700)

Jusuf Nurkic ($7500)

Other great plays: Karl-Anthony Towns ($9800), Ivica Zubac ($4500)

Cover Picture Attribution: TonyTheTiger, 20140814 World Basketball Festival James Harden 2 cropped, CC BY-SA 4.0