This fourth week in January is NBA Rivals Week, which means that all the nationally-televised games are historic rivalries in one way or another. The nine-game slate tips off with a rematch of the Western Conference Finals at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the other ESPN game being a battle for Northern California between the hot Sacramento Kings and the…not hot…Golden State Warriors.
With more than half of the league in action, DraftKings fantasy players will have no shortage of options for tonight’s slate. Here are three must-start players for January 22:
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PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz, $10,500
Is it a cop-out to say that the betting favorite for MVP is a must-start player? Probably, but I think Gilgeous-Alexander would be a must-start against the Jazz, regardless of the price; even though he regularly sits out fourth quarters because the Thunder are winning by so much, he is remarkably consistent and hasn’t scored fewer than 25 points in any single game in 2025. He’s also a fairly good rebounder for his six-foot-six, 200-pound frame and is capable of dishing out flashy dimes to Oklahoma City’s litany of shooters. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of just seven players averaging 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game this season.
Now, let’s look at the brilliant tank job that Danny Ainge is orchestrating in Utah. The Jazz have allowed the fifth-most points (118.2), fifth-fewest rebounds (42.6), fourth-most assists (28.5), and fewest turnovers (12.0) per game to opposing players. Overall, Utah is allowing the second-most points to opposing point guards, underscoring the growing pains that 2023 first-round pick Keyonte George ($7,000) and 2024 first-round pick Isaiah Collier ($5,300) have experienced this season.
PF Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets at Memphis Grizzlies, $7,600
Bridges and the Hornets have started to settle in over the past five games. Charlotte has won four of the five games and Bridges has scored at least 20 points on at least 45% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from three-point range in each of them. Sure, the Suns, Jazz, Bulls, and Luka Dončić-less Mavericks aren’t incredibly impressive opponents, but 31.8 P/R/A on 53-50-93 splits is. Plus, with Brandon Miller sidelined indefinitely with a wrist injury, there are more shots up for grabs for the Hornets, and in terms of offensive reliability, Bridges is second only to LaMelo Ball ($10,700).
Bridges has a solid matchup against a Grizzlies team that has struggled to defend opposing power forwards this season, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position. While Memphis is very solid by rate statistics, allowing just 109.7 points per 100 possessions, the Grizzlies play at the league’s fastest pace, ratcheting up the number of possessions and allowing opponents to stuff the box score. Overall, Memphis allows the ninth-most points, 12th-fewest rebounds, and 13th-fewest assists to opposing players. With starting center Zach Edey ($3,900) limited to just 20 minutes per game, former DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,400) spends a lot of his time at center, leaving a pair of average defenders — rookie Jaylen Wells ($4,400) and Santi Aldama ($4,800) — as the primary wings.
SF/PF De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks vs. Detroit Pistons, $5,900
The only player with a realistic chance of catching Boston’s Payton Pritchard in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year chase is Hunter, who’s quietly been averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game for a surprisingly competitive Hawks unit. The former fourth overall pick is averaging more than a fantasy point per minute across the course of the season and dropped 22 points, one assist, and one block (26.5 FPTS) in 30 minutes in his most recent game, a 119-110 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday. While Jalen Johnson ($8,700) is back in the lineup after missing five games with a shoulder injury, first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher ($4,200) is out, freeing up a few more minutes of playing time for Hunter.
Meanwhile, the Pistons have been on fire, winning 11 of their last 15 games to climb over .500 after the midpoint of the season for the first time since 2019. Over that stretch, Detroit has the 10th-best offensive rating and the 10th-best defensive rating in the NBA. Still, they have struggled to defend opposing wings, allowing the second-most fantasy points to power forwards. While Ausar Thompson ($4,300)‘s elite perimeter defense is his only NBA-quality skill, the rest of the Pistons’ wing rotation — journeyman Tobias Harris ($5,600), sharpshooter Simone Fontecchio ($3,000), and rookie Ron Holland II ($3,000) — are average-or-worse defenders.
