Friday wraps up the work week with a fun featured-slate tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Given the packed collection of games and pivotal decision points, it’s a great time to spotlight the best NBA DFS building blocks and picks for the day. Let’s break down Friday’s standout picks, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker looking like foundational plays.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Friday, Jan. 17
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Bucks vs. Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 58.7 | FanDuel: 58.03
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 32.1% | FanDuel: 22.2%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $11,400 | FanDuel: $11,800
Khris Middleton and Gary Trent Jr. should be available tonight, but it is, of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo who propels the Milwaukee offense. DraftKings is excluding the final two games of the night, though on FanDuel, Victor Wembanyama is the perfect alternative to Antetokounmpo for just $200 more.
Toronto has had a dreadful defense for most of the season, and only the Washington Wizards (122.0) have a worse defensive efficiency rating than the Raptors (120.2). Since missing four games with various leg issues, Antetokounmpo has averaged 34.3 minutes and 20.9 field goal attempts with a 56.9% conversion rate. This has worked out to 27.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.2 combined blocks and steals. The two-time MVP has fallen 0.3 points per game below Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.6) in the race for the scoring title.
The Bucks have won five of their last six games, and if this keeps up, they can finally get a bit of a cushion over the middle third of the league, which would help Milwaukee hold their spot in the standings the next time Antetokounmpo misses time.
This game has a 231.5 projected total, which keeps Damian Lillard in play as the second fiddle to Giannis. These two can coexist with solid fantasy performances at the same time and command so much of the usage that playing them on the same roster is acceptable.
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Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Timberwolves at Knicks
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 20.92 | FanDuel: 20.27
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 38.3% | FanDuel: 26.8%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $3,300 | FanDuel: $3,900
Donte DiVincenzo has been ruled out, so conventional thinking would lead to the supposition that Nickeil Alexander-Walker would be a likely recipient of additional minutes as Minnesota looks for long-range scorers.
Walker has been getting a steady 20-ish minutes a game, so it would not be too much of a surprise if he pushes towards 27 to 28 minutes as a baseline tonight. That comes with multi-position eligibility as a shooting guard and a small forward on both of the main NBA DFS sites. Even as a 0.7-fantasy point-per-minute producer, NAW is a solid selection.
Mike Conley could also see a bump in minutes and opportunities, though he is at a premium position, and over his last 10 games, half as starter, he played over 25 minutes once (26.4). The $3,500 salary on DraftKings with three different slots to utilize Conley has him as a terrific play (37.8%). While he is less intriguing on FanDuel ($4,100, 29.1%), he still provides salary relief.
Karl-Anthony Towns crushed his former team in Minnesota with 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37.6 minutes on Dec. 20. Tonight he is questionable with a sprained right thumb that had him sit out Wednesday in Philadelphia. If he is in tonight, he should be very motivated; just keep tabs on how impacted he is by his injury.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Nic Claxton is an interesting option in the sports wagering market for the under on his 10.5 points prop.
The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 53% of the time. That combined with the solid -102 odds leads to a fine 5.1% expected value when accounting for the -113 “True Odds.”
FanDuel is currently offering -102, which presents solid value compared to the “True Odds” of -113. Most other books are in the -129-or-worse range. DraftKings has dropped down to a 9.5-point threshold yet is only offering +100. Be a smart shopper!
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Claxton projected for 26.3 minutes and 10.76 points, which is a slight tick under the 11 needed for this wager to lose. That is why it is crucial to get the best odds at FanDuel. The risk for Claxton is, of course, foul trouble defending the rim against LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In his last 10 games, Claxton tallied 11-plus points five times.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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