Thursday’s NBA slate is a consolidated four-game affair tipping off at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool that we’ll be analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
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NBA DFS Picks: Thursday, Jan. 5
Core Play of the Day — Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 60.21 | FanDuel: 57.66
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 21.5% | FanDuel: 29.2%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,800 | FanDuel: $11,500
It feels repetitive, but here we are again looking at Nikola Jokic as a core building block. Luka Doncic has a tricky home matchup against Boston and while he should get his, it is hard to imagine him reaching 60 fantasy points.
Jokic does have the better matchup than Doncic. The Clippers are not an easy opponent overall, but Ivica Zubac is no match for the two-time reigning NBA MVP. Jokic has at least 50 fantasy points in seven of their last eight regular season meetings. On FanDuel, the two best point per dollar center options, also have power forward eligibility, so the opportunity cost is not as high as it typically is when earmarking that slot for Jokic.
Robert Williams: Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 22.46 | FanDuel: 23.39
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 18.7% | FanDuel: 14.9%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $4,100 | FanDuel: $5,000
While Robert Williams did not play in the last game as he is regaining his conditioning after missing most of the season recovering from an injury, he should be in line for low-20s minutes tonight. That is plenty of time for the talented big man to flirt with a double-double. As we saw just over a week ago when he tallied just over 30 fantasy points against the Rockets, there is upside to that. Although Williams has a more appealing salary on DraftKings, the FanDuel scoring system awards three fantasy points for blocks and steals, which gives him upside there as well.
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Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Picks Today – Sports Betting Opportunities
Kelly Olynyk looks appealing in the betting markets with a 2.5 over/under on his assist prop for his matchup in his road matchup against the Rockets tonight. Olynyk has always been an above average passer. In eight of his last 11 games, he has at least three assists.
The NBA Bet Pro projections have him dishing out 3.4 dimes for a 60% likelihood of surpassing this milestone at -140 on BetMGM. To help increase the 4% xROI (expected return on investment), this wager is perfect as a leg in a straight or same-game parlay for extra upside.
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Memphis Grizzlies-Orlando Magic
Tonight is a back-to-back for both squads and each is missing some key players. Memphis is without Brandon Clarke (hip) for a third straight game and Desmond Bane is also getting the night off as he continues working his way back to full strength. Ja Morant only played 27 minutes in Charlotte last night as the Grizzlies worked over the Hornets in a 131-107 game. He should be relatively fresh tonight and looks like a solid tournament option, who possesses 50 fantasy point upside every time he takes the court.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams logged 24 and 27 minutes, respectively, and both should benefit in tonight’s matchup and also have the potential for a few extra minutes in a close game with Clarke out. Dillon Brooks and Tyus Jones should be the main beneficiaries of Bane’s absence with Brooks getting more offensive opportunities and Jones seeing more minutes backing up both guard positions.
Orlando is running thin in the frontcourt with Bol Bol in the health and safety protocol and Moritz Wagner serving the second game of his suspension. Last night, Wendell Carter Jr. played for the first time in a week and logged 30 minutes. Carter should see something in the 28- to 30-minute range again, though with his injury troubles this season, it does not behoove the Magic to push him too quickly into a larger workload. Mo Bamba was the direct backup for Carter, so keep in mind it is hard for him to project for more than 18-20 minutes.
Paolo Banchero was solid racking up 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 36 minutes last night. That makes three consecutive games that Banchero has tallied at least 32 minutes along with a 35-minute average in that timespan. His multi-position eligibility on both DraftKings and FanDuel helps him slide into nearly one-third of all lineups on each site.
Franz Wagner looks like a neutral option, while Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony are below average, particularly if Jalen Suggs is available.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight three of the four games will get underway in the first hour. Then there is a two-hour break before the West Coast nightcap is featured on ESPN. Be sure to tune into the Stokastic NBA Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows at 5 p.m. ET on YouTube, courtesy of No House Advantage.
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