Friday wraps up the work week with a six-game featured slate locking at 7:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Given the variables in play as the NBA season rolls along, today we are identifying the best NBA DFS building blocks and picks. Let’s break down Friday’s options like Coby White and why Moussa Diabate feels like a potential trap at the expense of players like Nikola Jokic and Ivica Zubac.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Friday, Jan. 31
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Coby White: Bulls at Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 30.86 | FanDuel: 28.97
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 24.5% | FanDuel: 22.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $6,100
Zach LaVine (personal) will miss the next two games, Torrey Craig is also out and Talen Horton-Tucker (leg) is questionable. The latter two are not really impactful against Coby White, but it demonstrates the lack of veteran depth at the wing positions for Chicago.
White had missed four games, though he returned on Wednesday, logging a solid 30.6 minutes and a healthy 28% usage rate.
Tonight the Bulls are in Toronto taking on a recently improved defense, but there are a host of injuries surrounding the Raptors. There is a chance that Immanuel Quickley may return after missing the last eight games with groin and hip issues. He has only played in nine games all season due to three different injury stints, and defense has never really been his forte. Grady Dick is dealing with an illness that kept him out on Wednesday, while Kelly Olynyk (calf) missed the last three games. The return of this trio could impact the defensive effectiveness, which would, of course, help Chicago.
White should see enough minutes and opportunities to overcome any defensive concerns, but this is a good time to point out that Bruce Brown’s return to action this season has also coincided with the improved defense, even though he is playing only 20 to 24 minutes. If Quickley or Dick are out, then Brown is a possible punt option, having played 27 and 29 minutes in two of his last four games, though a pair of 19.5-minute outings serves as the bookends. So there is no need to force him on a six-game slate.
Scottie Barnes always has tournament upside, and Jakob Poeltl is one of many strong fantasy point-per-dollar options, though Quickley will siphon off offensive opportunities, so be mindful with your decisions.
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Moussa Diabate: Hornets vs. Clippers
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 26.49 | FanDuel: 27.02
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 56.7% | FanDuel: 44.4%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $4,200 | FanDuel: $4,600
Moussa Diabate is an interesting decision point on FanDuel, where he is only eligible as a center. That means when he is rostered, it comes at the “opportunity cost” of forgoing Nikola Jokic, Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Duren, Danial Gafford and … well, you get the point.
Mark Williams (foot) is out, but it is likely that 39-year-old Taj Gibson will draw the spot start again, appearing at the beginning of each quarter for around 3 to 4 minutes per appearance.
Diabate has been good for around a fantasy point per minute in his last three games with at least 17 minutes of run, with 26 and 33.3 fantasy points in the last two. This is not going to be an easy matchup against the bruising Ivica Zubac, who himself has more fantasy upside, with back-to-back 55-fantasy point games and four total trips over the 50-fantasy point plateau in his last eight outings. There is the potential for foul trouble for Diabate, which is yet another tick on the negative side of the ledger. Other discount dandies will be revealed throughout the day, so expect his pel-lock projected popularity to fall to the 40% range on DraftKings and around 30% on FanDuel. Heading other directions is a good way to find separation from the field in tournaments.
LaMelo Ball is also out, which means extra defensive attention will be on Miles Bridges as the last major offensive threat for Charlotte. This is a tough matchup, with the Clippers boasting a league-best 102.7 points allowed per 100 possessions over the last 10 games. The Hornets do have homecourt advantage, but this team may very well struggle to crack 100 points tonight. Caveat Emptor.
The popularity of Diabate on FanDuel is also pushing more gamers to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, who are doing battle in San Antonio tonight. Both gifted giants have power forward eligibility on the blue site, which is pushing lineups on a similar construction path. Starting off with Tyrese Maxey and a mid-tier center, or even just going with Jokic, at center will create a shift in player portfolios versus the field at large. “This is the Way.” ~ D. Djarin
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Old Man Jrue Holiday is someone to target for the under on his 17.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA) prop on the road in New Orleans.
The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 54% of the time. That combined with the -104 odds on FanDuel leads to favorable 5.6% expected value when accounting for the -116 “True Odds.”
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Holiday projected for 27.8 minutes, 10.67 points, 4.11 rebounds and 3.44 assists for 18.22 PRA. That is above the 18 needed for this wager to fail, though not by much. Plus there is the whole range-of-outcomes fun that puts a little spice into the mix, even with Holiday averaging 19.4 PRA on the season.
In his last 10 games, Holiday tallied 18 PRA or more only four times while averaging 16.2. He averaged 28.7 minutes per game, which shows that this was not about playing time. Also, he is one of the first veterans off the court after Al Horford, and with Zion Williamson (illness) getting a mid-day downgrade, plus Boston already a double-digit road favorite, the Celtics may not need much from Holiday tonight.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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