NBA DFS picks and lineup: Daily fantasy prediction for Fanduel and Draftkings - January 18th, 2021
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! There is a star-studded NBA DFS player pool on display today, as 18 teams are set to take the floor to close out the first month of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The day begins with one of the day's top projected fantasy players, Julius Randle, as he and the New York Knicks are up against Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic at 12 PM ET.
Later in the afternoon, we will see James Harden in his second game as a part of the Brooklyn Nets. The Beard will face off against the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Milwaukee Bucks tipping off at 7:30 PM ET.
To conclude a jam pack day of NBA fantasy, the night will close out with a marquee matchup between Stephen Curry and Golden State Warriors and the defending Champion LeBron James and the LA Lakers at 10 PM ET.
In order to lock up one of the superstars on display tonight, it will be important to build the remaining of your roster with low-price/high-value players to compensate for their hefty price tags.
Before finalizing any of your NBA Daily fantasy lineups on websites like Fanduel and Draftkings, read below to see the top value players at each position among the NBA Monday slate.
NBA DFS Draftkings and Fanduel value picks
With COVID-19 continuing to meddle with many of the league's top players, there is loads of value in players with lower listing price tags. The role players could be seeing an increase in their playtime tonight.
The NBA DFS list is determined by data-driven analysis with player stats, matchup history, and previous performances.
Each player is listed with both Fanduel and Draftkings prices and projections along with value ratings from Optimal DFS.
NBA DFS: PG - Goran Dragic
FD- $5500 DK - $6100 | Opponent - Detroit Pistons | Proj Pts FD - 31.5 DK - 31.4 | Value FD - 5.7x DK - 5.1x
Goran Dragic is projected over 30 fantasy points tonight against the Detriot Pistons, making him a great NBA DFS value pickup at the Point Guard position.
Expect the crafty guard to put up a season-high in points and play a large role in the offense, as Jimmy Butler is still sidelined for the Miami Heat.
NBA DFS: SG - D'Angelo Russell
FD- $8100 DK - $8600 | Opponent - Atlanta Hawks | Proj Pts FD - 36.7 DK - 37.3 | Value FD - 4.5x DK - 4.3x
D'Angelo Russell is one of the most skillful scorers in the league and is averaging over 20 points a game on a 51.5% expected field goal rating.
The 24-year-old a must-have NBA DFS player today as he prepares to go up against the Atlanta Hawks, who have given up over 110 points in their last two outings
Expect Russell to have a 25+ scoring performance as he will be the main offensive weapon for the Minnesota Timberwolves due to Karl Anthony-Towns being out with COVID-19.
NBA DFS: SF - Mikal Bridges
FD- $5700 DK - $6400 | Opponent - Memphis Grizzlies | Proj Pts FD - 28.6 DK - 22.8 | Value FD - 5.0x DK - 4.4x
Mikal Bridges has come into his own this year with the Phoenix Suns. The third-year forward is averaging 15.1 points per game on 50.4% shooting, making him the team's second-highest scorer behind Devin Booker.
Look for Bridges to continue his spectacular year-three campaign and build on the 20.7 points he has averaged in his last two outings, making him a great NBA DFS value pick at the Small Forward position.
NBA DFS: PF - Lauri Markkanen
FD- $6100 DK - $6700 | Opponent - Houston Rockets | Proj Pts FD - 31.0 DK - 30.1 | Value FD - 5.1x DK - 4.5x
Lauri Markkanen is averaging 19.0 points and 7.2 rebounds this season, making him a great NBA DFS pickup for an under 7k price.
Expect Markkanen to use this 7-foot frame to gain easy baskets in the paint against a Houston Rockets team who do not have a player above 6'10".
Markkanen is coming off a season-high performance where he dropped 29 points and collected 10 rebounds.
NBA DFS: C - James Wiseman
FD- $4400 DK - $4600 | Opponent - LA Lakers | Proj Pts FD - 26.7 DK - 27.2 | Value FD - 6.1x DK - 5.9x
James Wisman's under 5k price makes him a great NBA DFS pick up at the Center position.
The second overall pick in this year's NBA draft has shown signs of brilliance all season, averaging a Per36 19.1 points and 10.6 rebounds.
Look for Wisman to continue to improve his game and build on his most recent performance, where he scored 18 points on 61.5% shooting.
Other valuable NBA DFS pickups at a low listing price:
Mason Jones - SG
FD- $4400 DK - $4100 | Proj Pts FD - 25.5 DK - 25.9 | Value FD - 5.8x DK - 6.3x
Gary Trent - SG/SF
FD- $3600 DK - $4000 | Proj Pts FD - 22.4 DK - 23.4 | Value FD - 6.2x DK - 5.9x
Anthony Edwards - SG/SF
FD- $4700 DK - $4600 | Proj Pts FD - 24.1 DK - 24.3 | Value FD - 5.1x DK - 5.3x