Need a jump start on your lineups before Awesemo’s NBA DFS rankings or projections? No worries, Damien Mathews has you covered his Pick 5! favorite NBA DFS Picks for DraftKings and FanDuel for Friday, Jan. 31. With seven games on tap, we have a myriad of options to choose from. Damien has some takes on LeBron James, Chris Paul and more!
Not a member of Awesemo? No worries, sign up HERE to gain access to the world’s best DFS player’s projections, rankings, tools and premium live blog. Use promo code NBASTRATEGY for half off your first week!
Free Awesemo NBA DFS Articles
NBA DFS Point Guard: Chris Paul $7,300 FanDuel $6,800 DraftKings
Chris Paul is having a stellar season, averaging 1.16 fantasy points per minute with a 22.8 usage percentage and 32.2 assist percentage for 35.9 fantasy points per game. Also, he is getting you 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assist and 1.7 combined steal/block. Shooting 47.8 percent from the field, Paul looks comfortable with the Thunder, who as of now are seventh in the Western Conference. The Thunder will head to Phoenix to take on the Suns in a game that should be fasted-paced with a lot of scoring.
*Honorable Mention: Eric Bledsoe $6,100 FanDuel $7,100 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Jalen Brunson $3,600 FanDuel $3,800 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Damian Lillard $10,100 FanDuel $9,900 DraftKings
NBA DFS Shooting Guard: James Harden $10,100 FanDuel $10,600 DraftKings
We all know this hasn’t been James Harden‘s month and his price is slowly coming down. But rest assured that this trend is coming to an end sooner rather than later. This is the perfect spot for Houston to get Harden back on track against a Dallas Mavericks team that will be without Luka Doncic at home. Harden has averaged 1.64 fantasy points per minute with a 37.0 usage percentage and 33.7 assist percentage on the season, good for 57.0 fantasy points per game.
*Honorable Mention: Dennis Schroder $6,000 FanDuel $6,600 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Khris Middleton $7,200 FanDuel $8,000 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Devin Booker $8,900 FanDuel $9,100 DraftKings
NBA DFS Small Forward: LeBron James $11,200 FanDuel $10,300 DraftKings
The Los Angeles Lakers will be the center of attention for the NBA tonight as they honor the passing of the late Kobe Bryant. Also, we have a game to be played and LeBron James will be at the center of attention and for good reason, as he has publicly stated he will carry Kobe’s legacy on. No stats are needed for this, just roster LeBron James tonight as he projects as the highest raw point NBA DFS scorer of the night by a wide margin.
*Honorable Mention: Pascal Siakam $8,300 FanDuel $8,200 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Trevor Ariza $4,300 FanDuel $5,000 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Taurean Prince $5,300 FanDuel $5,200 DraftKings
NBA DFS Power Forward: Serge Ibaka $5,700 FanDuel $6,900 DraftKings
Serge Ibaka has averaged 1.11 fantasy points per minute with a usage percentage of 25.3 in 880 minutes without Marc Gasol on the floor. Playing 26.2 minutes per game on the season, Ibaka’s statistics are impressive for his role off the bench. He is nearly averaging a double-double on the season with 15.0 points on 12 attempts and 8.2 rebounds. For his price, Ibaka looks like a steal and with Gasol sidelined, Ibaka should be in your lineups.
*Honorable Mention: Jerami Grant $6,200 FanDuel $5,700 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Ersan IIyasova $3,600 FanDuel $3,800 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Kristaps Porzingis $6,400 FanDuel $6,800 DraftKings
NBA DFS Center: Deandre Ayton $8,200 FanDuel $8,300 DraftKings
Deandre Ayton is averaging 1.18 fantasy points per minute with a 22.7 usage percentage and 20.3 rebounding percentage for the year. Averaging a double-double, Ayton is producing 17.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, shooting 53.8 percent from the field and playing 32.3 minutes on average. He has been solid in only 17 games so far this season and has shown he can hit 50 to 60 fantasy points for a solid price. Over his last seven games, Ayton has been over 50 fantasy points four times and twice in a row.
*Honorable Mention: Hassan Whiteside $8,300 FanDuel $8,400 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Dwight Howard $4,800 FanDuel $4,600 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Nikola Jokic $9,800 FanDuel $9,400 DraftKings
