Saturday welcomes the weekend with the NBA DFS action getting underway at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. With a slate full of critical decision points, it’s the ideal opportunity to highlight the top NBA DFS building blocks and picks of the day. Let’s dive into Saturday’s standout plays, with a passel of Warriors and Grizzlies leading the charge, including Dennis Schroder, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, while Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are providing a rematch of Friday’s thriller.
After finalizing your NBA DFS picks, take your betting strategy to the next level with Tails by OddsShopper. Access expert picks from top professionals and gain a decisive edge over the competition.
NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Saturday, Jan. 4
A Stokastic user just turned $4 into $1,000 using our powerful tools!
Want to level up your game 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 — earn a free Stokastic+ subscription and some serious bragging rights!
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Dennis Schroder: Warriors vs. Grizzlies
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 37.11 | FanDuel: 35.84
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 77.2% | FanDuel: 71.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,200 | FanDuel: $5,700
Stephen Curry (knee) is out for injury maintenance, while Brandin Podziemski (abdominal) and Gary Payton II (calf) are not expected to be available until early next week. That is leading to Dennis Schroder to be the most popular player on both DraftKings and FanDuel, though expect him to slide back to the 50%-to-60% range when the dust settles closer to contest lock time.
The Stokastic projections do feel a little rich for the German, though he is facing a depleted Memphis squad on a back-to-back, after dropping a spirited 138-133 game in Sacramento last night. This is also the fifth and final game of an expensive road trip, which wrapped up with three stops on the West Coast. The Grizzlies have had a ridiculous 108.4 possessions per 48 minutes over the last five games as they have been looking to outrace the opposition, to cover up for having to rely heavily on reserves and understudies.
Looking at Schroder’s per 36 minutes rates in his eight games with the ‘Dubs, he has produced 12.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and one “stock” while on the court. He should see additional usage and offensive opportunities with Curry and Podziemski sidelined, but the 31-year-old veteran of 12 NBA campaigns feels more like a foundational piece, than an upside play.
Jonathan Kuminga has tallied 35-plus fantasy points in five of his last six games, which is impressive since he is coming off the bench. In this stretch he has averaged 31 minutes and 15.2 field goal attempts with a 52.7% conversion rate. This has resulted in 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 combined blocks and steals. Andrew Wiggins has found success on half of his 22 field goal attempts over the last two games, finally getting out of a five-game slump that saw him making only 33.3% on 13.8 shots per game. He has 40 fantasy point upside and with eligibility at both forward positions, he is going to be a popular play tonight as well.
Trayce Jackson-Davis has more upside than Draymond Green, but both are in play tonight for tournaments. Buddy Hield is an extreme discount dandy on DraftKings ($3,400), though he is only appealing on FanDuel ($4,100) for the evening sub-slate. The expert marksman has topped 22 fantasy points only twice in his last 25 games, though that includes a 40 fantasy point effort in an early-December spot start against Minnesota and a 30 fantasy point outing the next game in Houston.
Just a reminder, Ja Morant, Santi Aldama and Marcus Smart are all out, though the rest of the current regulars have no injury designations. Brandon Clarke had a spot start, with rookie Zach Edey coming off the bench for 21.8 minutes, after clearing the concussion protocol. Edey is intriguing, only if he rejoins the starting lineup.
Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the main fantasy stalwarts, with the rest of the rotation hard to pinpoint as Clark, Jay Huff and Jake LaRavia have all recently missed time. John Konchar faded back to a low-end reserve role with Edey, Clark and LaRavia available, while fellow veteran Luke Kennard had the hot hand off the bench. Be careful chasing any of these performances, though a couple of the secondary options are likely to outperform their projections on any given night.
Take advantage of Stokastic’s best NFL DFS deal yet! For a one-time payment of just $179 using promo code CELEBRATE, you’ll get the NFL DFS Max package through the Super Bowl. That’s almost two months of Sims Max for less than the price of one! Get premium access to top-tier tools like Sims, NFL DFS projections, NFL DFS ownership projections — all at an unbeatable price.
Nikola Jokic: Nuggets vs. Spurs
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 68.09 | FanDuel: 65.17
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 48.7% | FanDuel: 13.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $12,300 | FanDuel: $12,800
Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama had an epic battle last night, with the French phenom stealing the ball from the three-time NBA MVP with four seconds left in the game to secure a 113-110 victory in Denver.
Wembanyama turns 21 today and it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table as an encore tonight.
Foul trouble limited the budding superstar to just 33.4 minutes, so he should be in line for his typical run on this back-to-back. His final stat line was 35 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and the aforementioned game-securing steal. That earned him 64.6 fantasy points and he now has 57-plus in four of his five matchups against Jokic.
The Joker was sublime as usual, just missing out on his 15th triple-double of the season, tallying 41 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists and a pair of steals for 80 fantasy points. We know Jokic is going to be just fine on the back-to-back, though he has nearly double the projected popularity of his counter part on DraftKings, while the power forward eligibility and $900 discount on FanDuel have Wembanyama with double the expected rostership of Jokic.
Stephon Castle stands out on DraftKings ($3,400), especially if he gets another spot start. He only saw 24 minutes last night, though being with the first five does increase his prospects for reaching 26-to-28 minutes of run. Jeremy Sochan (back) is doubtful again, plus there is a chance Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson is ruled out later on this back-to-back. If either is out, Julian Chapagnie would be the most likely to get a bump in minutes and opportunities.
Russell Westbrook, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray are all viable tournament options, with the absence of Aaron Gordon already being factored into their salaries across the main DFS sites.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Mason Plumlee is likely to see another spot start in place of Jusuf Nurkic, who is currently suspended. However, we can look to the under on his 9.5 rebounds prop as a savvy selection in the sports wagering world.
The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 53% of the time. With the +106 odds, leading to a nifty 9.7% expected value when accounting for the -114 “True Odds.”
SugarHouse, BetRivers and Unibet are offering +109, which exceeds the True Odds of -114 and the -110 (or worse) that most other books are offering.
Let Portfolio EV do the hard work for you, eliminating the guesswork in finding +EV bets. This advanced tool identifies inefficient odds in real time, making it simple to uncover profitable opportunities with ease.
With odds changing rapidly, having accounts at multiple sportsbooks is essential for locking in the best lines fast. Portfolio EV excels by continuously scanning multiple platforms, ensuring you’re always prepared to seize every valuable opportunity as soon as it appears.
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Plumlee projected for 25.1 minutes and 9.23, which is below the 9.5-point line and, of course, below the 10 needed for this wager to fail.
In his last five starts, Plumlee has averaging just under nine rebounds, with double-digit boards on two occasions. He is splitting minutes with rookie Oso Ighodaro, plus will be battling the likes of Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppen from the Pacers for errant caroms.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Gain the edge for tonight’s NBA slate! Join the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 6:00 p.m. ET on YouTube for expert breakdowns, sharp insights, and winning strategies to crush your NBA DFS contests!
