Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for January 21

Saturday Night NBA DFS features the perfect slate size. It’s not too big or too small, and with a couple of screens we can watch them all. Let’s dig into some research and make some picks. Kick back and enjoy the six-game main slate that starts at 7 p.m. ET.

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Guard

Studs

Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks vs. Charlotte Hornets, $8,300 — The Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back, but both games have been at home and on Saturday the Hawks welcome Charlotte to town. The Hornets present an advantageous matchup with a 113.6 Defensive Efficiency Rating (27th) and an advantageous 103.2 in Pace (7th). Murray is running hot. He’s scored over 48 DKFP in three straight games heading into Friday’s home contest with the Knicks. Also, Trae Young ($) is banged up. The Hawks’ star point guard could be limited or sit on Saturday. Either way, Murray should continue to roll in this matchup.

James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers at Sacramento Kings, $10,000 — Are his slate breaking days done? He’s no spring chicken and, like most veterans, Harden realizes the insignificance of regular season games. However, Harden has been priced accordingly. When the slow-paced 76ers match up against a fast-paced team, Harden can exceed his normal point-per-dollar return. The Kings should put up a fight at home, but will struggle on the second night of a back-to-back. Also, the Kings present a beneficial matchup with a 112.7 Defensive Efficiency Rating (24th), and while their medial 102.4 in Pace (12th) is not lightning fast, it is a significant boost for the 76ers.

Value

Saben Lee, Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers, $3,700 — Keep your eye on the injury report on Saturday. The Suns were thin in the back court on Thursday with Devin Booker and Chris Paul out. Lee played 29 minutes and scored 15 points along with six assists and three rebounds. On Monday, he scored 10 points in 29 minutes. In the two games before that, he scored 12 and 8 points in less than 15 minutes in each game. He can score DKFP if he gets minutes, and he’s getting minutes.

Forward

Studs

Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers, $6,800 — A bad spot for the Pacers is a great spot for Bridges. The Pacers are on the back-end of a back-to-back, and this is their fourth road game in six days. With the Suns dealing with injuries, Bridges’ workload has increased. He’s scored over 41 DKFP in four of the last five games. The Pacers present an attractive matchup with a 112.8 Defensive Efficiency Rating (25th) and an equally advantageous 104.1 in Pace (3rd).

Value

Kyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets, $5,900 — Where did this come from? Anderson has scored 49 DKFP or more in each of his last three contests. In three of the six games before his hot streak, he hit 5.8x, 6.0x and 8.3x. The Rockets are weak defensively (115.5 Defensive Efficiency Rating — 28th) and their 102.1 in Pace (14th) should not slow down the up-tempo T-Wolves.

KJ Martin, Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, $4,800 — Not a lot of attention is paid to the perennial cellar dwellers. The Rockets are once again located at the bottom of the standings this season — their 10-35 record is the worst in the NBA. However, there is some DFS substance to this team. C Alpren Sengun ($) is developing into a triple-double machine (some say the poor man’s Nikola Jokic). Kenyon’s son is raw but explosive, and has come to life since the turn of the new year. In his previous eight games heading into Friday night’s matchup, he was averaging 24.6 DKFP (14 points and 5 rebounds per game) in 28.3 MPG with an average point-per-dollar return of 6.4x.

Center

Studs

Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers, $7,800 — With Booker out again and Chris Paul joining him on the bench on Thursday, Ayton stepped up in the Suns’ win over the Nets. Ayton scored 24 points, grabbed 14 boards and carried a 32.8% usage rate across 31.5 minutes. There is a possibility that even more Suns could be out on Saturday. Ayton and Bridges will have to carry the team in a winnable and up-tempo contest.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers at Sacramento Kings, $11,400 — Putting Embiid and Harden in the same lineup is a tough sell, but it could work in GPPs. Very few lineups will feature both, and this matchup could turn into a track meet. The Kings can score at will, and this forces their opponents to keep pace. Over the last six games, the Kings lead the NBA in scoring with a whopping 132 points per game. This shouldn’t be surprise because they lead the league in scoring this season with 119.9 PPG, but 132 is ridiculous. The 76ers are going to have score to win, and Embiid and Harden are their two biggest contributors.

Value

Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks, $3,100 — Hornets coach Steve Clifford does not like to play rookies. No matter how many times Mark Williams, 2022 first-round pick out of Duke, proves that he is ready for a steady workload, Clifford limits his minutes. In his last 12 games, Williams is averaging 15.7 minutes per game, but he’s scoring 15.9 DKFP per game. On Wednesday, he scored 34.5 DKFP in just 19 minutes against Houston. He can ball, but will Clifford let him?

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.