NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for January 1 include Giannis Antetokounmpo
The NBA New Year’s slate features just six teams in action, but also some of the league’s hottest players. MVPs Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be on the court, as will potential future MVPs in Jayson Tatum and Ja Morant. Loading your NBA DFS lineups with stars is a tried and true formula, but you won’t be able to list all the elite options on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings due to NBA DFS salary cap limitations.
Thus, you’ll have to weave more economical options from the rather limited NBA DFS player pool on New Year’s Day. Perhaps Sacramento sniper Kevin Huerter would fit the bill after averaging 19.4 points with stunning 59-49-90 shooting spreads over his last five games. Before we lock in the NBA DFS picks for Sunday, be sure to check out NBA DFS tips, player rankings, stacks and top daily fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.
McClure is a DFS professional with over $2 million in career earnings. He is also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine which uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as matches, statistical trends and injuries.
This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal rosters that he only shares on SportsLine. They are must-haves for any NBA DFS player.
On Saturday, he highlighted 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton in his top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. The result: Melton had a full stat line with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, returning 44.75 points on DraftKings and 47.9 points on FanDuel. Everyone who included him in their lineups was well on his way to a profitable day.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Sunday and has locked down his top daily fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by going to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Sunday, Jan. 1
For Sunday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Bucks forward Antetokounmpo, who is listed at $12,100 on DraftKings and $12,300 on FanDuel. The two-time MVP has had an otherworldly run in his last six games, as four of them have seen him go past 40 points. During that streak, Antetokounmpo is averaging 38 points, 14.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per night.
His 32.1 PPG on the season is a career high and he ranks third in the NBA. An enticing game against the Wizards on Sunday awaits as Antetokounmpo has shown his all-around ability in his last two games against Washington. He first had a stat line of 29-18-5 against the Wizards and then he followed that up with a 30-point triple-double against Washington. The Wizards have given up at least 100 points in 23 straight games, so there will definitely be opportunities for Antetokounmpo to rack up plenty of stats on New Year’s Day.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes lining up Celtics guard Marcus Smart ($6,000 on DraftKings and $6,500 on FanDuel). Smart had 17 points and nine assists in his last outing, both above his season averages. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also had three rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Boston travels to Denver on Sunday and the Nuggets are among the worst teams in the league as leaders on defense. They awarded the second most Fantasy Points to opposing PGs on DraftKings and the third on FanDuel. Denver just allowed Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox to 31 points and a season-high 13 assists on Wednesday, so look for Smart to become the latest point guard to take advantage of a suspect defense.
How to Set Your NBA DFS Lineups for Sunday, January 1
McClure is also targeting a player who could leave en masse on Sunday because of a dream game. This choice could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
Who is DFS pro Mike McClure setting up his optimal NBA DFS rosters for Sunday? Visit SportsLine now to see the best NBA DFS picks, rankings, tips and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career earnings, and find out.