Happy Sunday in the NBA everyone. We have a small five-game NBA DFS main slate today with the NFL playoffs headlining the day in sports. The NBA still has some good matchups with some terrific star power. It's an early tip-off slate beginning at 6:00 PM Eastern time with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets taking on the Washington Wizards. Then later on we have the new-look Indiana Pacers with Pascal Siakam taking on Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns. Let's dive into the NBA DFS main slate for Sunday, January 21st.

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 off their current price tag this season and of course our NBA DFS Lineup Generator!

 

Notable NBA Injury Updates

Out

Questionable

Teams on Back-to-Backs

First Leg

Second Leg

Pace Up Spots

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

Notable NBA Game Totals

Top Tier Core Plays

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

It's just an awesome matchup for Nikola Jokic in this one going against the Washington Wizards. It is a massive pace-up spot with the Wizards playing the fastest pace in the NBA. He is also going up against newly acquired center Marvin Bagley for the Washington Wizards who he should just dominate. It is just a matter of if this game stays close enough for the Nuggets to stay interested in playing hard or even being in the game. Jokic is expensive, but if you don't play him he could break the slate with just a huge outing.

Anthony Davis, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis is just as steady as it comes. He is $1,000 cheaper than Jokic which makes it very tantalizing to want to play Davis instead, and I have no issue with that at all. He has scored at least 59 fantasy points in four straight games which is a great 5x value. The last time he matched up against Portland in November he finished with 50 fantasy points. The Trail Blazers have been playing better in their last two games as they are a bit healthier now. Let's hope this game stays close so Ad can hit his ceiling.

Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Indiana Pacers

Haliburton came back to the lineup after dealing with the hamstring injury and he picked up where he left off. He scored 51 fantasy points while scoring 21 points and dishing out 17 assists. He is questionable heading into this one so it is something to monitor. If he plays, you absolutely can play him with him having a 20-20 upside every night while he is healthy. He also has a good matchup against the Suns with a massive game total of 248.

Devin Booker PG/SG, Phoenix Suns

We just talked about this matchup above with Tyler Haliburton. This is a great game environment so you absolutely want a piece of this game. The Pacers have no interest in trying to guard anybody leaving the door open for Booker to have a huge night again. Against the Pelicans in his last game, who have great wing defenders Booker killed them, going for a 50-piece. With him having 10+assist upside as well, I am building my lineups around Booker tonight.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Alperen Sengun, C, Houston Rockets

There is a group of mid-tier players that I really like on this slate beginning with Aperen Sengun. I expect this game to be very competitive game because of the way both of these two teams can defend even though it was a blowout in the previous matchup. However, Vegas thinks differently with the 11-point spread. Sengun has been terrific over his last four games scoring at least 43 fantasy points in each including that blowout loss to Boston in the first meeting in just 24 minutes. Sengun is a nice play tonight at his $8,100 price tag.

Pascal Siakam, PF/C, Indiana Pacers

We saw what Siakam looked like with the Pacers in their last game and he was very solid. He finished with just a 21% usage but finished with 21 points and grabbed six rebounds finishing with 35 fantasy points. It will be interesting to see what happens if Haliburton is out, Siakam could be in line for more usage if that is the case. Either way, I like Spicy P in this matchup against the Phoenix Suns and will be playing him with or without Haliburton tonight.

Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics

Getting Jaylen Brown at under 8K on DraftKings against a team he just put 50 fantasy points on a week ago is weird to me. I get it, he has been inconsistent scoring under 22 fantasy points in two of his last five games. However, in those other three games, he went over 40 fantasy points. Getting someone who has a 60 fantasy point ceiling at under 8K is something you always want a piece of.

Bradley Beal, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns

After Bradley Beal's 55 fantasy point performance he has taken a backseat to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker a bit. In his last three games, he hasn't taken more than 14 shots since that game. In those three games, he has been much of a distributor dishing out at least five assists in each game which you will gladly take. Beal should get more attempts in this fast-paced game, making him a solid option at just 7K.

Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers

I mentioned above that the Portland Trail Blazers have been playing much better in their last two games and the veteran Malcolm Brogdon is a big reason why. His price jumped $1,000 on this slate after he posted a 30-point six-assist seven rebound line. He has finished with 34 and 52 fantasy points and got to the free throw line during those games getting 12 attempts from the line. I expect this game to be closer than Vegas thinks, so I will be playing Brogdon even with a larger price tag.

Value Tier Core Plays

Marvin Bagley, C, Washinton Wizards

Daniel Gafford is out of concussion protocol so it will be interesting to see how the Wizards opt to play their bigs. Bagley has a decent price of $5,500 on DraftKings and if he starts, I think you play him. He has played 36 and 39 minutes in his first two games with the Wizards scoring 42 and 46 fantasy points and getting a double-double in each. I expect his minutes to go down a bit in this one, but he should still hit his value at his price.

Payton Pritchard, PG, Boston Celtics

Jrue Holiday has been ruled out for today's game making Payton Pritchard in play. I would assume he is in line to start and if he does, he has a 30+ point ceiling at just a $4,400 price tag. In the blowout win over Houston just four games ago Pritchard finished with 29 fantasy points. Be aware of his low floor though with him finishing with fewer than 11 fantasy points in two of his past five games. But at his price tag, you just have to deal with that.

Caleb Martin, PF, Miami Heat

Caleb Martin was inserted back into the starting lineup for the Heat in their last game. He played 27 minutes and was very active scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds. I don't want a huge piece of this game with the game total being the lowest on the slate, but a few role players are fine with me and Martin fits this criteria.

Aaron Nesmith, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers

We want to keep attacking this Pacers-Suns matchup with this huge game total. Aaron Nesmith found himself still starting even with Pascal Siakam in the lineup for the Pacers. He isn't someone who has a ceiling as he is someone who is expected to play good defense and knock down open three-point attempts. He has knocked down multiple three-point attempts in his last four games. It's not a flashy play, but Nesmith can do the dirty work for your lineup.

Roster Lock News & Notes

  • Taurean Prince has been ruled out. I like Jarred Vanderbilt if he starts.
  • Fred VanVleet is out making Jalen Green appealing at his price along with Aaron Holiday.

Player Pool

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Stacks

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