Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for January 13 – DraftKings

Saturday Night NBA DFS features a full-size slate this weekend. It’s a big one and you’re going to need a lot of screens. Let’s dig into some research and make some picks, as we gear up for the seven-game main slate that starts at 7 p.m. ET.

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Guard

Studs

Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $9,700 — Luka Doncic has been ruled out for the second game in a row. That means Kyrie becomes one of Saturday’s best DFS NBA picks. Irving was left to carry the weight on Thursday, and he scored 70 DKFP. With Doncic on the court, he scored over 51 DKFP in four consecutive contests from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9.

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards, $10,100 — The Hawks got blown out by the Pacers. The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton didn’t even play. That’s not a good look. Young also did not look good. He shot poorly and may have a shoulder injury. He could sit on Saturday or this could be a get right spot. The Wizards have one of the worst defenses in the NBA. They play at one of the fastest paces in the league. It’s no surprise that this game has the largest total on slate (251.5). The sportsbooks seem to believe Trae will play.

Value

Tim Hardaway Jr., Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $5,800 — Luka Doncic’s replacement on Thursday had a big night. Hardaway played 39 minutes and scored 51.5 DKFP in the Mavs’ home win over the Knicks. Jason Kidd will likely start Hardaway again on Saturday. The matchup isn’t great, but Hardaway projects to play north of 35 minutes with a usage rate above 25%. Also, he has eligibility at guard and forward.

Forward

Studs

DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls at San Antonio Spurs, $7,300 — The projections, optimizers and simulations loved DeRozan on Friday’s slate. He was the darling of the touts. He came through. Pricing for Saturday’s slate was released before DeRozan scored 55.75 DKFP in 41 minutes of run. His run has been ridiculous — regularly reaching 40 minutes. His price tag is way too cheap for 40 minutes and almost a 30% usage rate against the Spurs (fifth in pace and 25th in Defensive Efficiency Rating).

Value

Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks, $4,200 — It’s better to be early than late. Is this too soon? Forget timing, will Kispert ever be a good NBA DFS pick? At this price, it doesn’t take much. Kispert shot well through 18 minutes of work on Jan. 8. He earned more time. In the Wizards’ last game, Kispert played 30 minutes and scored 15 points (22.75 DKFP). This is a matchup between two of the worst defenses and two of the fastest teams in the NBA. Also, the Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back. There will be studs and optimal DFS value picks in the Wizards-Hawks game.

Dario Saric, Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks, $4,700 — He’s old and this is a back-to-back. Saric played both ends of a back-to-back last week, and he played well (32.25 DKFP and 23.25 DKFP). If this is too worrisome, then consider C Trayce Jackson-Davis ($5,600), but his cost is prohibitive compared to the Saric bargain — $900 cheaper and multi-position eligibility. Saric scored 34.75 DKFP in 28 minutes on Friday against the slowest team in the NBA. On Saturday, the Warriors play the second-fastest team in the NBA.

Center

Studs

Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks at Memphis Grizzlies, $6,600 — This has been one of the safest NBA DFS picks over the last two weeks. Hartenstein has return 5x value in seven straight games. His salary has increased from $5,800 to $6,600. He does not qualify as a “Value Pick,” but he’s very affordable. Why is he so safe? He plays for Tom Thibodeau. He gets minutes. With those minutes, he grabs a ton of rebounds.

Value

Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks, $5,400 — Ja Morant is done for the season. His usage had to go somewhere. Tillman picked it up, and his salary has come up — $1,500. That’s not enough. Tillman scored 34.75 DKFP on Jan 9. and 39.75 DKFP on Jan. 12. Another 7x to 8x value night should be on the docket for Saturday.

Bruno Fernando, Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards, $4,000 — We probably shouldn’t talk about this pick (sorry, there’s a five-year-old in this household). Bruno is a reach, but there is a conversation to be had. The Hawks-Wizards game is a prime NBA DFS spot. C Clint Capela ($6,300) is not 100% and this is the second night of a back-to-back. PF/C Onyeka Oknongwu ($5,800) could see a boost in minutes and usage if Capella is out or limited. That would also mean more time for Bruno in the best matchup in DFS. Capela was out on Jan. 10, Bruno Fernando scored 21.75 DKFP across 17 minutes in the Hawks 139-132 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

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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.