Tuesday brings a terrific five-game featured slate with the action getting underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Given the bifurcated start time of the 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 Tuesday’s top options, with Anthony Davis or LeBron James likely getting a rest day against the hapless Wizards, leaving Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves in a good spot. Orlando has several questionable players, as does Philadelphia, which should keep things spicy.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Tuesday, Jan. 21
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Rui Hachimura: Lakers vs. Wizards
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 23.34 | FanDuel: 23.01
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 9.7% | FanDuel: 6.2%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,000 | FanDuel: $5,700
This recommendation is predicated on a strong probability that one of LeBron James (old) or Anthony Davis (calf) may get the night off. Washington may be frisky at times, but the Wizards are unabashedly tanking for lottery odds.
Los Angeles lost four of the last six games, and that includes the team being inactive for a six-day stretch due to the SoCal wildfires. The Lakers next play on Thursday against Boston before embarking on a six-game road trip.
Rui Hachimura averaged 32.9 minutes and 13.0 field goal attempts over the last trio of tilts, shooting at a 56.4% success rate. This worked out to 17.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals. That is a reasonable baseline for a matchup against the team that drafted him, putting a 30-fantasy point effort within reach.
If both Davis and James take the court, they are solid options, though they curb each other’s upside and that of the vastly inferior opponent. There is also the specter of reduced playing time, so it makes sense to only play one per lineup. For those looking to bail out entirely if this dynamic duo is starting, then looking to someone in the 76ers-Nuggets matchup, which starts 30 minutes early, is not a bad escape plan. For as much angst and handwringing as the availability of The Brown and King James create in the DFS world, each has only missed three games this season.
Austin Reaves also will be a desirable target if anything changes for the Los Angeles starting five. In the nine games since D’Angelo Russell went to Brooklyn, Reaves averaged 36.3 minutes, 20.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.4 combined blocks and steals. Gamers have not forgotten about him because of poor play; it is because his increasing salary has recognized his new baseline. Tonight FanDuel ($7,700, 39.2%) is giving a slight discount, which has Reaves squarely in play. On DraftKings ($8,000, 14.8%) he will likely see his current projected popularity double if one of the key Lakers is out.
Former Laker Kyle Kuzma and versatile wing Bilal Coulibaly stand out on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Rookie Alexandre Sarr and veteran Jonas Valanciunas are tertiary tournament targets, though only on DraftKings.
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Wendell Carter Jr.: Magic at Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 33.31 | FanDuel: 32.85
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 36.5% | FanDuel: 43.8%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $5,900
Goga Bitadze (concussion) is out for a fourth consecutive game, which has Wendell Carter Jr. trending to be a foundational play across the main DFS sites.
Since rejoining the starting lineup three games ago, the 25-year-old (yes, he is only 25) has averaged 14.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 combined blocks and steals in 33.1 minutes of action.
That may not be super sexy, but keep in mind that Toronto has a bottom-3 defense on the season, as well as during the last 20- and 10-game periods. The Raptors are also in the bottom third of the league from a rebounding perspective, so anything shy of a double-double and 30 fantasy points from Carter will be a disappointment.
Cole Anthony and Jonathan Isaac are each listed as questionable tonight due to illness. Anthony is the bigger concern since he has been an outstanding fill-in for Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris, holding down the lead-guard duties. If he starts, expect to see him on around 40% of all tournament lineups on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Should he sit, then Anthony Black would become a lottery ticket.
If Isaac is out, Trevelin Queen will see an uptick, but we need to keep in mind that Isaac really only plays 16 to 20 minutes per game. Harris may return as well, though he has not played in three weeks and has been healthy for only three games since Thanksgiving.
Jakob Poeltl is a possibility on DraftKings, where two center-only players may be rostered, but he is unlikely to see much traction on FanDuel with the added opportunity cost of rostering only one center. Gradey Dick is the only Raptor who is viable on both of the main DFS sites, unless there is unexpected news or circumstances that are revealed in later news updates.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Deandre Ayton is an intriguing option in the sports wagering market for the under on his 13.5 points prop. If Ayton is engaged and motivated, then he is a terrific two-way post player. When he is in DGAF mode, well, he meanders and floats around the court.
The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 54% of the time. That combined with the +100 aka “even money” odds leads to a splendiferous 7.1% expected value when accounting for the -115 “True Odds.”
DraftKings is currently offering +100, which presents solid value compared to the “True Odds” of -115. Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Ayton projected for 28.1 minutes and 12.63 points. He is going to be going against Bam Adebayo, who is an excellent agitator. Does this inspire Ayton or distract him? We will have to see, but it is not an easy matchup.
Dating back to his Phoenix days, the main issue with Ayton on offense is that he does not look for his shot, mostly getting his buckets via dunks and putbacks. He is in his seventh season and has a career conversion rate of 59.0% from the field, which is commendable. Miami is a mediocre rebounding team, and that could give Ayton the errant caroms in the paint and help him reach 14 points. This year he has 14-plus points in 19 of 31 (61%) of his appearances.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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