NBA DFS Show DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Preview January 1
Published: Dec 31, 2023
NBA DFS Strategy & DraftKings Top Picks 1/1
We have a six-game NBA DFS main slate on Monday, New Years Day, on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are elite options everywhere with Nikola Jokic, Tyrese Haliburton, Alperen Sengun, and Giannis Antetokounmpo taking the floor. Let's dive into the NBA DFS podcast for 1/1 and break down our top NBA DFS plays of the day. Jon Impemba and James Grande break down the main slate by going position-by-position and bringing an example lineup into the fold at the end. Be sure to check out our NBA DFS projections, powered by FanJections, NBA DFS Lineup Generator, and all of the rest of our NBA DFS content and tools.
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Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Khris Middleton has picked up his $33.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
No surprises here, as Middleton will get fully compensated for the final year of the three-year, $93 million deal he signed with Milwaukee in 2023. Given his recent injury history and declining play, Middleton’s next contract will surely be far less than what he makes this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
As feared, Haliburton’s injury is severe, and it will likely cost him all of next season. It’s a brutal development for the emerging superstar, especially after the magical playoff run he led. In Hali’s absence, T.J. McConnell could see a big uptick in playing time and usage, while Ben Sheppard could see more time off the bench, and Andrew Nembhard could take on more responsibility as a facilitator.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander provided 29 points and 12 assists in Sunday’s series-clinching 103-91 Game 7 victory over the Pacers, leading the Thunder to their first NBA title.
It wasn’t always pretty, but SGA — who was named NBA Finals MVP afterwards — got the job done on Sunday night as the Thunder pulled away from Indiana in the second half to secure the franchise’s first title since moving to Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander shot a putrid 8-of-27 from the field and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc, but he got to the line 12 times and sank 11 free throws to buoy his scoring numbers. The 12 assists tie his season-high in that category, and his all-around contributions were spectacular, despite the inefficient shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024-25 season will go down as one of the best individual seasons for a guard in NBA history, as he won the scoring title, regular season MVP and Finals MVP. The Thunder are early favorites to win the 2025-26 title, and Gilgeous-Alexander has the second-shortest odds to win a second straight MVP, behind only Nikola Jokic.
Bennedict Mathurin finished Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Thunder with 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two triples across 33 minutes.
Mathurin led Indiana in scoring and led all players in rebounds, though his minus-14 in the box score represented the lowest plus-minus of the game. Mathurin’s playoff run was a rollercoaster of ups and downs in minutes and scoring. His highs were high, and his lows were low, and Mathurin scored at least 20 points in four of the final 10 games of the postseason. The third-year man out of Arizona averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (5.3), field goal percentage (45.8) and free throw percentage (83.1) in 2024-25, and he’ll look to improve on those numbers in his fourth season.
Jalen Williams provided 20 points (7-of-20 FG), four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two triples across 38 minutes Sunday as the Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91.
Like his superstar teammate, Williams was far from efficient as he and Shai Gilgeous Alexander combined for 49 points on 15-of-47 shots. Despite the poor shooting, Williams made a positive impact on the contest. He finished with the highest plus-minus in the game at plus-13 after recording a minus-40 in Game 6. Williams broke out in the regular season and broke out in an even bigger way in the Finals, as he scored 40 points in Game 5 and cemented himself as one of the best secondary options in the Association. The future looks bright for Williams and SGA.
Chet Holmgren finished Sunday’s series-deciding Game 7 win over the Pacers with 18 points, eight rebounds, a steal, five blocked shots and a triple across 31 minutes.
Holmgren struggled offensively in this series, but he came through for his team in the title-clinching win. The big man knocked down 6-of-8 shots, hit five of his eight attempts from the charity stripe and made some monster plays on defense. So long as he can stay healthy, he should once again offer an early-round ceiling to fantasy managers thanks to his ability to hit triples and block shots.