NBA DFS Picks: Saturday 1/4/25

If you're looking to have some fun this basketball season, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections, powered by numberFire, update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

NBA DFS Picks for Today

Guards

Top Priorities

Tyler Herro ($8,000)

It became pretty clear yesterday that the Miami Heat are now Tyler Herro's squad.

It'd be surprising if Jimmy Butler played another minute for Miami after Friday's suspension, and Herro has led the Heat offense when he's been off the floor behind a 28.9% usage rate and 43.3 FanDuel points (FDP) per 36 minutes.

Jack Harlow's favorite player is largely salaried for this role, but I want to nab him one last time below $8,500 against the Utah Jazz. Utah allows the sixth-most points (25.6) and second-most assists per game (10.6) to opposing point guards. They're also a huge pace-up spot for Miami, ranked 12th in tempo to the Heat's 27th.

Topping 39 FDP in 6 of his last 11 games with Butler in and out of the lineup, this is a great matchup for he -- and the Heat offense -- to move on.

Dennis Schroder ($5,700)

The largest confirmed injury on the slate lies with the Golden State Warriors.

Stephen Curry (knee) will sit the second leg of Golden State's back-to-back, opening the door for Dennis Schroder. This is a marquee opportunity for the Dubs to finally get Schroder in a comfortable place.

The veteran guard posted 37.8 FDP per 36 minutes in Brooklyn behind a 59.0 true shooting percentage (TS%). With the Warriors, he's only managed 26.0 FDP per 36 minutes due to a 43.4 TS% as the off-ball guard next to Steph.

FanDuel Research's NBA DFS projections, expecting an on-ball role, forecast 32.8 FDP in 34.0 minutes on Saturday.

Others to Consider

Tyrese Haliburton ($8,900)

Tyrese Haliburton exploded for 70.5 FDP on Thursday in Miami, but upside is never the question with the inconsistent guard. Loving over 233.0 points in today's NBA best bets between the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers, I could see a few monster games from various players in this one.

Buddy Hield ($4,100)

Projections everywhere -- including ours -- will love Buddy Hield in Curry's stead, but he's topped 20 minutes just once in nine games and has become an afterthought since the Dubs nabbed Schroder. He'll be rostered like a sure thing; I see him as a high-upside dart.

Wings

Top Priorities

Devin Booker ($8,800)

Suns-Pacers is my favorite game stack on Saturday's slate, and Devin Booker is back at the right time -- and salary -- for it.

Surprisingly, we haven't seen Phoenix since New Year's Eve when Book returned to 30 minutes. He didn't shoot the ball well, but that was an encouraging sign he's past a groin issue.

This salary seems too low for him in a shootout environment when Bradley Beal (hip) and Jusuf Nurkic (suspension) both trending closer to out. He's averaged 46.3 FDP per 36 minutes behind a gaudy 32.4% usage rate with those two off the floor. Notably, the Suns are 5-0 in games without Beal but having Booker and Kevin Durant.

Fresh legs should benefit him -- and the Suns -- in a game that has all the makings of a back-and-forth affair.

Jaylen Wells ($4,200)

It feels like the Memphis Grizzlies continue to find a way.

Ja Morant (shoulder) and Marcus Smart (finger) are out, so here comes...Jaylen Wells? The two guard dropped 30 points in 36 minutes on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, and the second-round rookie should be good for a back-to-back.

That's absurd upside compared to what's required for this salary. A better note to justify him here would simply be 30-plus minutes in three of his last four games. The ability to score like that behind a 17.4% usage rate in the stretch is gravy.

Wells is FanDuel Research's top-projected value play so far today at 25.9 expected FDP.

Others to Consider

Jonathan Kuminga ($7,000)

Jonathan Kuminga dropped 50-plus FDP twice in December in games without Curry, so he'll pop onto the radar of many despite the general volatility of Steve Kerr randomly moving away from him at times. Andrew Wiggins (hamstring) sitting out on Saturday could help alleviate those concerns.

Christian Braun ($5,400)

It's playoff time for the Denver Nuggets -- at least by looking at minute totals. Christian Braun logged 42 minutes for a thin team missing Aaron Gordon (calf) on Friday. It's really hard for a guy averaging that court time to not exceed value at this salary, and Braun (28.6 FDP per 36 minutes) produces fine himself.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Victor Wembanyama ($11,900)

The quickest way for Victor Wembanyama to solidify himself as the greatest player in the world is to demolish the current one head-to-head. He's doing that.

Wemby dropped 35 points and 18 rebounds on the Nuggets' dome on Friday before tonight's immediate rematch, and from a fantasy perspective, it could have been better. He had just two blocks (for his standards) with seven turnovers.

Denver's defense has fallen apart without Gordon, posting the league's fifth-worst defensive rating (116.8) and fifth-highest pace (102.2) over their last 10 games. This a delightful matchup for production.

Our projections aren't always kind to the megastars, but they expect a slate-high 59.6 FDP from Wembanyama, and unlike Nikola Jokic, he's eligible at forward or center. That's another tiebreaker in his direction when Jokic hasn't been great on back-to-backs.

Myles Turner ($6,600)

The Myles Turner market inefficiency could end tonight.

Our projections will routinely target the big man as salary-based value, but they're also not wrong. Turner has topped 32 FDP in seven of his last nine games, and importantly for me, he's exceeded 32 minutes in six of these. The Rick Carlisle doghouse is usually his undoing.

A quick start can help avoid the doghouse, and he's got a good chance at one tonight against a Suns team without Nurkic that allows the second-most points per game to centers (26.0) as is.

FDR's projections are expecting 36.8 FDP in tonight's games, and another productive night at the office could finally push this salary closer to $7,000 -- where it should be. We'll remember this time fondly.

Others to Consider

Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,700)

There's a two-condition requirement to Jaren Jackson Jr. obliterating this salary. He's got to stay out of foul trouble, and Ja Morant has to sit. The latter is expected tonight, and a Warriors team with the eighth-lowest rate of two-point shots (55.3%) should help the former.

Nikola Jovic ($4,800)

The NBA DFS community's favorite typo might be more appealing of a lineup plug than his fellow countryman tonight. Nikola Jovic has exceeded 25 minutes in three straight games and seems to be the benefactor of Butler's absence. Production could follow against a poor Jazz D.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.