NBA DFS Picks For FanDuel 1/5/22

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 very large one that features 11 total games, so there are plenty of intriguing player options. 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:

Bobby Portis (PF/C - $5700) -

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for tonight's contest with an illness which unlocks Bobby Portis as a smash play for tonight at just $5700. Historically, Portis has been one of the best values on every slate where Giannis sits this season, and he is usually priced much higher on those days. When Bobby Portis has been on the court without Giannis this season, he is averaging a stellar 1.21 FD points per minute at a 25.6% usage rate. Those numbers put Portis in line for a median above 40 points tonight, which is unrivaled value at his cost. Bobby Portis will be chalk, but if you were making 100 lineups tonight, he should be in over 90 of them. His positional versatility to be played as a power forward keeps you from locking your center position as well, making him that much more intriguing. I will be putting him in my lineup and not thinking twice about it, and I advise you to do the same.

Best Value:

Keifer Sykes ($3700) -

The absences of Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and TJ McConnell in recent games have opened up some stellar value plays for the Indiana Pacers, and they still have yet to have their prices be properly adjusted. Keifer Sykes and Duane Washington have both played over 34 minutes and smashed value in each of their last two games, but are still priced at just $3700 and $4100. With the same situation presented to them tonight, they should remain in the starting lineup and crush their price tag once again. I gave Keifer Sykes the slight nod as the top value play as he is slightly cheaper and performed better in the most recent game, but the fact of the matter is that both players are terrific options and should be included in the majority of lineups tonight.

Main Player Pool:

Point Guard:

Luka Doncic (PG/SG - $10000)

Cade Cunningham (PG/SG - $7500)

Keifer Sykes ($3700)

Other great plays: Fred VanVleet ($9900), Jrue Holiday (PG/SG - $9400), LaMelo Ball ($8700), De'Aaron Fox ($7700), Kyle Lowry ($7400), Seth Curry (PG/SG - $6400), Dennis Schroder (PG/SG - $5800), Anfernee Simons (PG/SG - $5500), Isaiah Joe ($4200)

Shooting Guard:

Tyler Herro (SG/SF - $6500)

Gary Trent (SG/SF - $5100)

Duane Washington ($4100)

Other great plays: James Harden (SG/PG - $11200), Bradley Beal ($9900), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG/PG - $9200), Josh Giddey ($6800), Will Barton (SG/SF - $6400), Buddy Hield (SG/SF - $5600), Caleb Martin (SG/SF - $5300)

Small Forward:

Khris Middleton (SF/SG - $7200)

Scotty Barnes (SF/PF - $6300)

Harrison Barnes (SF/PF - $5300)

Other great plays: Anthony Edwards (SF/SG - $7900), Gordon Hayward (SF/SG - $7000), Norman Powell (SF/SG - $7000), Franz Wager (SF/SG - $6800), OG Anunoby (SF/PF - $6400), Jae'Sean Tate (SF/PF - $6100), Nassir Little ($5500), Justin Holiday (SF/SG - $4600)

Power Forward:

Tobias Harris (PF/SF - $7100)

Bobby Portis (PF/C - $5700)

Trey Lyles ($4800)

Other great plays: Damontas Sabonis (PF/C - $10000), Christian Wood (PF/C - $7200) Robert Williams (PF/C - $7000), Aaron Gordon ($5500), Keldon Johnson (PF/SF - $5500), Rudy Gay (PF/SF - $3900), Daniel Theis (PF/C - $3800)

Center:

Jakob Poeltl ($6100)

Jusuf Nurkic ($6000)

Damian Jones ($4400)

Other great plays: Nikola Jokic ($11400), Joel Embiid ($10800), Myles Turner (C/PF - $7600), Omer Yurtseven ($6700), Daniel Gafford ($6600), Mo Bamba ($6000), Hassan Whiteside ($5300 - if Gobert is out)

Cover Picture Attribution: Dennis Adair, Bobby Portis Arkansas, CC BY-SA 2.0 | Erik Drost, Luka Dončić 2021, CC BY 2.0