Happy New Year, everyone! We have a six-game NBA DFS main slate on Monday, January 1st, on DraftKings and FanDuel. We have stars everywhere we look with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Tyrese Haliburton, and Luka Doncic taking the floor. The game on everyone's mind is Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks as that game currently sits at a 261.5 implied point total.

NBA DFS Tools to dominate tonight's NBA DFS slate!

Make sure to check out today's NBA DFS projections and NBA DFS ownership projections before finalizing your lineups today. We also have the NBA Consistency Report to help identify players that have exceeded value based on their current price tag this season and of course our NBA DFS Lineup Generator!

Here's the NBA DFS Podcast for today's slate. Like the video and subscribe to our channel!

Notable NBA Injury Updates

QUESTIONABLE

OUT

PROBABLE

Back-to-Backs

Pace Up Spots (December Ranks)

Pace definition: Pace is the total number of possessions a team uses in a game.

*key* Green is elite pace of play, Blue is decent pace of play, & Red is slow pace of play.

Green = Fast Paced team

Blue = Neutral Paced team

Red = Slow Paced team

  • Pacers: 4th vs. Bucks: 2nd
  • Pistons: 6th vs. Rockets: 19th
  • Mavericks: 8th vs. Jazz: 14th

Defensive Ratings (December Ranks)

NBA Game Totals

Top Tier Core Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

So Giannis and the Pacers have BEEF. If you remember what happened at the end of that last game, Indiana took the game ball away from Giannis after scoring 64 points. He’s scored 50+ actual points in two of three games against Indiana this year and is averaging 51.7 points, 12 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 74.7 DKP/game.

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

This guy has back-to-back 20/20 games. That’s just flat out insane. Nobody’s really playing him either, which is very interesting. This game has been bet up to 261.5 as well. He’s put up 60+ DKP in four straight games.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

It took Mitchell zero time to get back to tip-top form after missing 11 days due to an illness. He scored 34 points, and almost double-doubled while also grabbing six boards. He played 36 minutes, too, so that should only continue to rise without Garland and Mobley. He has a 31% USG and averages 1.38 FP/min without them.

Malcolm Brogdon, Portland Trail Blazers

The minutes on a back-to-back were extremely impressive playing 37 on both legs and Brogdon put up 50 & 42 DKP in those contests. He averages 1.12 FP/min and a 24% USG without Simons, Ayton, Reath, and Williams and they could be without Shaedon Sharpe to boot.

Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

Over the last four games, Khris Middleton’s minutes look like this: 33, 32, 33, 33. Real minutes are all the way back. During that span, he’s put up 32+ DKP and has flashed a ceiling of 51 DKP. He can do quite literally everything on the floor and is in the best game environment on the board with elite position eligibility.

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

This dude has not skipped a beat since returning from an ankle sprain. He’s topped 33 minutes and 37 DKP in each game he’s played in. Duren’s been an absolute monster on the glass and has been really impactful offensively for a team starving for offense. Alperen Sengun is definitely better offensively than he is defensively. That’s for sure. Love Duren’s price plus production here.

Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns

Upon his return, he had a 16% USG rate across 30 minutes and scored just six points and 21 DKP. Game number two was different, playing 34 minutes while scoring 25 points and notching a 21% USG. His price is incredibly cheap so as long as there isn’t a limit, Beal is a big-time bargain.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

There is nothing to really dislike here outside of fouls. He’s foul happy. That being said, without Simons over the last few games he’s been fantastic. He put up a whopping 52 DKP outing last time out and has two double-doubles over his last three games. With all the guys out, Henderson has a 32.5% USG and 1.25 FP/min.

Value Tier Core Plays

Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers

Outside of the Chicago game, Nembhard is playing 30+ minutes in the starting lineup. Guards have really hit Milwaukee in the gut all year and if Nembhard is going to be a double-digit scoring threat while giving up 6+ assists+rebounds per night, he’s a very solid play at this price in this game environment.

Aaron Nesmith, Indiana Pacers

It’s only been a four-game sample, but Nesmith has four starts and has averaged 16 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 29.9 minutes. The Pacers have been using Nesmith as the starting SF and is coming off 25 points, seven threes amd 33 DKP. He’s put up back-to-back 27+ DKP games and is now involved in a game with a 259.5 over/under.

Jabari Walker, Portland Trail Blazers

Deandre Ayton is out, Duop Reath doubtful, and that puts Jabari Walker in our sites. Walker’s played 30 minutes in back-to-back games as the Blazers aren’t interested in extending Moses Brown despite starting him. Walker exploded last game for 25 points & 9 rebounds gives you an idea what his upside can be. With Simons, Ayton, Reath, and Rob Williams off the floor, Walker averages 1.03 FP/min.

Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors

OK, so, this is interesting. Quickley and RJ Barrett are off the injury report and look like they’re going to be active. Will Quickley start? Will he come off the bench? How much time will he see? A lot of questions obviously, but if he’s starting it’s all-systems-go. We’ll know nice and early what the Raptors starting lineup because they’re the first game of the night.

Kevin Knox II, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons finally won a game and they did so with Kevin Knox in their starting lineup. Isaiah Stewart is out again, so we should expect Knox to have a similar role once again in this spot. He played 30 minutes and essentially closed the game too. Knox had a 21% USG rate in their last game which would be fantastic if he could repeat it.

Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Here's how I think things may play out here. Jalen Smith starts at power-forward, is in early foul trouble, Aaron Nesmith shifts to PF to guard Giannis and Mathurin sees a lot of time on the floor. He's played 24+ minutes in three straight games and has scored 15+ actual in two straight. Mathurin has averaged 28 MPG and 27.8 DKP/game in three meetings with Milwaukee. He's really popular tonight.

Slate Thoughts:

  • No Rockets included as I wait for the status of Jabari Smith Jr. & Tari Eason. If one or both of them sat, Houston would become a hot spot of options. If both play, not so much.
  • If Mavericks are at full strength, getting to Luka Doncic on this slate feels like a miss with what else you could get to.
  • If Hornets’ G Terry Rozier sits; tired - playing Ish Smith / wired - playing Nick Smith Jr. (I prefer the wired approach if Rozier is out)

Late-News Core Play Section

*Section for players we are considering “core plays” based on late-breaking news & research

Check out our NBA DFS Livestream tonight at 5pm ET 

Remember to like the video and subscribe to our channel!

Player Pool

$ Tier {{pos.alias}}

Stacks

{{stack.team.name}} {{player.name}}
DraftKings {{player.fantasy.price.value[8]}}-
Fanduel {{player.fantasy.price.value[6]}}-