Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Jan 9

FantasyPros breaks down the top DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy players for the NBA's 5-game slate on Tuesday.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

January 9, 2024 6:33 PM

Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis has scored at least 44 DraftKings fantasy points in 18 straight games.

Yesterday was mayhem in the NBA. We lost Ja Morant and Tyrese Haliburton to injuries, and, sadly, two of the best point guards in the league will be out for the foreseeable future. We only have one of them on this card, but it’ll certainly open up some value for both teams going forward.

Core Plays

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,100 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel

It’s hard to fade AD with how he’s balling right now. The big man has scored at least 44 DraftKings points in 18 straight outings, averaging nearly 60 DK points per game in that span. He’s also scored at least 53 fantasy points in 12 of those and is back to playing like the superstar we loved in New Orleans. Toronto is far from a terrifying matchup because they won’t have their starting center for this game.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel

Fox had at least 38 DraftKings points in 25 of his previous 28 games. He also averaged 50 DK points per game in those games, which should be his floor against Detroit. The Pistons post a 26th OPRK against opposing point guards while sitting 27th in defensive efficiency ratings.

Desmond Bane (SG – MEM): $8,500 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel

Sadly, Morant will miss the remainder of the season, but it should allow Bane to be a beast from here on out. He was running the show when Morant was out earlier in the year, posting a usage rate north of 30 percent. He’s also averaging nearly 45 DraftKings points per game in that expanded role and should destroy Dallas. They own a 26th OPRK against opposing wings while sitting 23rd in total defense. Bane is averaging over 47 fantasy points per game in their three matchups this year.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,500 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel

Doncic has scored at least 57 DraftKings points in 16 of his last 17 games, generating a 66-point average in that span. That’s the second-highest total in the NBA, but it should continue since he’s flirting with a 40 percent usage rate. We love the matchup with Memphis, too, with Luka averaging 70 DK points per game in their two matchups this year.

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,000 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel

Sabonis is averaging 20.6 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists across his last 18 games. Those are Nikola Jokic-type numbers, and duplicating against Detroit should be easy. Not only do the Pistons own a 26th OPRK against opposing big men, but they sit bottom five in points allowed and defensive efficiency. In their last matchup, Domas dropped 23 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

Marcus Smart (PG/SG – MEM): $6,300 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel

It will be tough for people to fade Smart since Morant is missing. That means Smart should be the primary ball-handler and points guard, scoring 44 and 50 DK points in his two most recent outings. We’ve seen this guy play at an $8K level when key players have been out in the past, and he should thrive against a defensively inept backcourt consisting of Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

GPP Targets

Jaden Ivey (PG/SG – DET): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel

Ivey was already stepping up his game recently, but he will only get better with Cunningham out. The sophomore averaged 35 DK points per game in the closing weeks of last season and enters this matchup with a 32-point average across his last 10 games. That should continue with Cunningham sidelined, and we don’t mind that he faces a 22nd-ranked Sacramento defense.

Goga Bitadze (C – ORL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel

This Magic center position has been in flux all season, but Bitadze should get another start with Wendell Carter Jr. sidelined again. The big man has scored at least 24 DraftKings points in eight of his last nine starts, averaging 31 DK points per game in that span. That’s all you can hope for from a $6K player, and he could be looking at 30-35 minutes against a Minnesota team that sends out three centers.

Josh Hart (SG/SG – NYK): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel

Hart has always been a stat-stuffing machine throughout his career, and he’s been much better since RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were traded. That’s led to Hart averaging 24 DK points per game across 31 minutes over his last five fixtures. That might not sound like much, but we saw him drop 40 fantasy points two games ago, and that sort of upside is impossible to overlook from a $5K player!

Value Plays

Immanuel Quickley (PG – TOR): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel

Quickley was the focal point of the OG Anunoby trade from a Toronto perspective, and he should thrive as their starting point guard for the remainder of the season. He scored at least 31 DK points in all four games with Toronto, scoring at least 39 fantasy points in two. We’ve just been waiting for him to pick up a 30-minute role, but 35-40 minutes going forward seems likely when examining this rotation. Not to mention, LA posts a 25th OPRK against opposing guards.

Isaiah Hartenstein (C – NYK): $6,400 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel

While we don’t necessarily love Hartenstein at $7,800 on FanDuel, he’s impossible to avoid on DraftKings. The big man has taken over as the starting center in NY, playing 37 minutes a night over his last four fixtures. That alone makes him tough to avoid, especially since Hartenstein has at least 40 fantasy points in three consecutive games. We don’t expect Portland to slow him down, posting a 25th OPRK against opposing centers.

Dwight Powell (C – DAL): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel

Injuries have obliterated this Dallas team, but Powell should thrive with Dereck Lively sidelined. That’s allowed DP to start the last two games, playing at least 26 minutes in both of those. This guy averages 30 DK points per game when playing at least 25 minutes over recent years and has at least 25 DK points in the last two outings. Our favorite part about this is facing a Memphis team missing Steven Adams because they haven’t slowed down big men all season.

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