NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Mavs, Jazz, Hawks and Lakers! (January 7)

Tuesday keeps the week rolling with a seven-game slate, locking at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. With a slate packed with pivotal decision points, it’s the perfect time to spotlight the top NBA DFS building blocks and picks for the day. Let’s break down Tuesday’s standout plays, including Collin Sexton, Naji Marshall, and some of their teammates and opponents.

Once you’ve locked in your NBA DFS picks, elevate your betting strategy with Tails by OddsShopper. Tap into expert picks from top professionals and gain a competitive edge.

NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Tuesday, Jan. 7

A Stokastic user just turned $4 into $1,000 using our cutting-edge tools!

Ready to take your game to the next level with the same advanced data and insights? Sign up for a Stokastic+ NBA package today! Plus, check out the Stokastic Hall of Fame Avatar Program — score a free Stokastic+ subscription and some well-earned bragging rights!

NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks

Utah shockingly won its last two games in Florida, crushing Miami 136-100 and following that up the next night by beating a banged-up Orlando squad 105-92. Brice Sensabaugh led the team in scoring each game, totaling 61 points in the pair of victories. So, of course, Sensabaugh is “sick” because GM Danny Ainge needs his team to stay in the bottom 3 to maximize draft lottery odds.

There are currently five teams with fewer than 12 wins: Utah with nine, Toronto at eight, New Orleans and Charlotte each at seven, and the lowly Washington Wizards “leading” the way with six. Expect these teams to continue to find new and inventive ways to be without key players.

The Jazz would be best off dealing Collins (out for personal reasons tonight) and Clarkson, though the latter is dealing with plantar fasciitis. Until they are able to move on from some of the veterans, expect a lengthy injury report.

After dealing with injuries for a couple of seasons, the Jazz brought Sexton back slowly last year, splitting his time between a reserve role and the first five. This year he is mostly serving as a starter while also posting solid numbers, even though he is playing 28.5 minutes per game, which is about 15% light for a starter. Given the extra opportunities and matchup against an Atlanta squad that plays fast and does not prioritize defense, Sexton is a strong fantasy point-per-dollar option and one of the best foundational pieces for all game formats.

Rookie Isaiah Collier is likely to see another start tonight. The 29th selection in the 2024 NBA Draft has had some trouble adjusting his offense to survive at the next level. The one-and-done USC Trojan had a strong freshman campaign, averaging 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 49.0% from the field and 33.8% from 3-point range. This year he is making only 31.5% of his field goal attempts, with a dreadful 14.3% success rate from beyond the arc. He has better per-36-minutes counting stats of 4.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.7 steals, though the 6.5 points limit his fantasy upside. Consider him a placeholder value for now who may fade out of the picture by tipoff.

Jalen Johnson and Larry Nance Jr. are out, which means more minutes for De’Andre Hunter, with Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu having less competition for rebounds and shots in the frontcourt. You can consider this group as tournament differentiators, with Okongwu being a better option over Capela on FanDuel since he has power forward eligibility and the blue site limits gamers to just one center-only option. Vit Krejci is a low-upside punt on DraftKings ($3,200).

Trae Young is leading the league with 12.0 assists per game, and he could become the first to stay above that milestone since former Utah Jazz star John Stockton did it four times in five seasons, with the last in 1994-95. Over the last dozen games, Young is averaging 25.8 points, which is far above his 22.5 average for the season and closer to his 25.9 over the preceding two full campaigns.

Don’t miss Stokastic’s best NFL DFS deal yet! For just $179 with promo code CELEBRATE, you’ll get the NFL DFS Max package through the Super Bowl. That’s nearly two months of Sims Max for less than the cost of one! Enjoy premium access to elite tools like Sims, NFL DFS projections, NFL DFS ownership projections — all at an incredible value.

Naji Marshall returned from a four-game suspension, landing in the starting lineup and posting a solid DFS line with 32 fantasy points. Considering how shorthanded the team is, expect him to remain in this role for at least the next fortnight. PJ Washington also had a strong outing, with his second 40-fantasy point game in his last four appearances. As noted yesterday when he was a featured player in this article, he averages close to 20 points and 10 rebounds when he attempts at least 12 shots. This, of course, is also correlated with his playing time, which is just shy of 35 minutes in the 13 games with the minimum field goal attempt parameter.

Los Angeles won nine of the last 12 games, though it dropped Sunday’s affair 119-115 in Houston. This is the second and final stop of the Texas roadie, with the Lakers back in L.A. for an eight-game stretch on Thursday.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both expected to suit up tonight for a winnable game in Dallas, with the dynamic duo favored by 6.5 points against the thinned-out Mavericks. Dereck Lively II is a potential foul-trouble candidate, even though he is a popular play tonight. The future Hall of Famers look good, particularly since Thursday’s game is against Charlotte, so they should be going all out.

Over his last six games, Austin Reaves averaged 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 0.7 steals. He is actually the most popular Laker, besting his elders when factoring in salaries on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick

Clint Capela is a strong presence in the paint, but the under on his 9.5 rebounds prop is an appealing target in the sports wagering world.

The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 55% of the time. With the -104 odds, that leads to an enticing 8.2% expected value when accounting for the -123 “True Odds.”

SugarHouse, BetRivers and Unibet are the operators offering -104, which exceeds the True Odds of -130 and the -130 (or worse) that most other books are offering, with some also electing to lower the threshold to 8.5 rebounds.

Let Portfolio EV eliminate the guesswork in finding +EV bets. This powerful tool pinpoints inefficient odds in real time, making it easy to spot profitable opportunities.

With odds constantly changing, having accounts at multiple sportsbooks is essential to lock in the best lines quickly. Portfolio EV stands out by continuously scanning multiple platforms, ensuring you’re always ready to seize valuable opportunities as they arise.

Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Capela projected for 21.9 minutes and 8.49 rebounds, which is below the 10 needed for this wager to lose.

Only once in the last 10 games did Capela corral double-digit caroms. In four of the last five games, he played less than 22.5 minutes, even though he was the starter. Okongwu saw more minutes in three of the last four games since returning to action after his injury, but this remains a fluid situation. Even without Collins tonight, Utah still is a good rebounding team with Walker Kessler and Markkanen.

Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today

Gain the edge for tonight’s NBA action! Join the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube for expert analysis, sharp insights, and winning strategies to crush tonight’s NBA DFS slate!