NBA DFS Picks: Top fantasy basketball value plays on DraftKings for Jan. 4 [UPDATE]

UPDATE, Jan. 4, 5:49 p.m. — Collins, Parker and Cam Reddish are out for the Hawks vs. the Pacers.

There are nine games on tap for Saturday night’s main nine-game slate on DraftKings. We’ve got a pretty big injury in the early games with Paul George being ruled out for the Los Angeles Clippers. But they are off the main slate, so we’re going to focus on a few spots, including the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Kemba Walker didn’t travel with the Celtics to Chicago for their game vs. the Bulls tonight. John Collins was injured Friday night and is doubtful to play Saturday vs. the Pacers. So we’ve got a few spots we can attack on the slate, so let’s get into some value plays for daily fantasy lineups.

Patty Mills, PG/SG, SAS @ MIL ($3,600)

The Spurs ruled out PG Dejounte Murray on Friday and it looks like Patty Mills will get the start tonight vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. Coach Gregg Popovich has used Mills off the bench sporadically throughout the season. Mills only played 21 minutes last game vs. the Thunder, but in a win over the Warriors on New Year’s Eve, he played 32 minutes. I think we’ll see Mills get around 28-30 minutes tonight regardless of the game outcome.

Alex Len, C, ATL vs. IND ($4,600)

With Collins doubtful, chances are Len will at least see the most minutes at PF/C vs. the Pacers. With Jabari Parker also doubtful, the Hawks are down to Len, Bruno Fernando and maybe De’Andre Hunter in the front court. Len will have a tough time against Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, but still, the minutes will be there. The Hawks have no choice but to play Len even if the game gets out of hand. Plus, Len has actually played well with a combined 33 points and 25 rebounds over his past three games.

T.J. McConnell, PG, IND @ ATL ($4,800)

There is a ton of value at guard tonight with Malcolm Brogdon, Kemba Walker, Dejounte Murray and Bradley Beal potentially all sidelined. But let’s focus on the Pacers. McConnell isn’t going to start but he’s the backup PG behind Aaron Holiday ($5,600), who is more expensive. McConnell usually plays around 20-28 minutes per game and has at least four assists in every game since Dec. 9 (a lot of games I don’t feel like counting). Atlanta will be missing potentially two rotation players in the paint, so buckets may be very easy for Indiana.

Michael Porter Jr., DEN @ WAS ($4,000)

Porter is starting to look like a lottery pick for the Denver Nuggets and it’s going to make them look very dangerous. The 21-year-old is coming off a career-high 25 points on 11-12 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers. That was good for 33.25 DKFP at $3,900 and his price only went up slightly for the best matchup in fantasy basketball, the Washington Wizards. Denver should put the Wizards away — especially if Beal is out — and that could mean plenty of garbage usage for Porter. His usage rate is over 22.5% in back-to-back games, both lopsided affairs.