NBA DFS Picks for Monday, 1/9/2023 – 3 Plays to Build Around Tonight
You will need to eat the chalk at times in daily fantasy basketball, but if you make the right fade calls, you can separate yourself from the pack in a hurry. If you want an idea as to how to do that for tonight’s slate, check out my NBA DFS fades.
On the other side of the coin, you do need a core to build around. It’s early in the process – and a lot can change leading into lock – but I have three core picks I really like. I’ll break them down, and it’ll be up to you to decide which to roll with on 1/9:
*All picks for the Draft Kings main slate.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks ($12k)
Nikola Jokic is projected to be 17% owned on this six-game slate, while The Greek Freak is for some reason going overlooked.
The Joker gets the Lakers, so he’s obviously in a smash spot, but it’s not like Giannis has a tough matchup against a Knicks team he’s dominated this year.
Just look at what he’s done against them so far in two meetings:
- 33.5 points
- 13.5 rebounds
- 8 assists
- 66.4 fantasy points
Most are still bitter after Giannis bombed in his last outing (12.5 fantasy points!) but there’s just no way he’s that bad again.
Prior to that unthinkable dude, The Greek Freak had rattled off games of 72, 81, 81, and 84 fantasy points. How in the world are we not racing to roster him?
Malcolm Brogdon, G, Boston Celtics ($5.3k)
While there are some chalky plays I’ll be against tonight, Broggy isn’t one of them. He stands to benefit immensely from the absence of Marcus Smart, who has been ruled out for tonight.
Brogdon presently projects for the second highest ownership of tonight’s six-game slate, but he also should see considerable burn and find success against the Bulls.
With 25+ fantasy points in each of his last three games, it’s not like he hadn’t been delivering already, anyways.
Naji Marshall, F, New Orleans Pelicans ($5.5k)
Another guy I really like is Naji. It might be a bit much to demand him to continue his recent scouring surge, but there’s no denying his role as long as Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram both remain out.
Here’s what Naji has done over his last two games:
- 24 points (39 fantasy points)
- 23 points (41.75 fantasy points)
He’d been fairly useful before that two-game run, too. He’s scored in double figures in five straight games now, as well as eight of his last nine.
With the extra minutes and usage coming his way, I still think he’s too cheap to ignore on this six-game slate.
These are my top three NBA DFS picks to build around for GPPs on this slate. I will gladly pivot to Giannis from the chalky Jokic, and I will eat the chalk if Naji and Broggy are high-owned. From there, I’ll be searching for value, and keeping an eye on anymore injury news. Good luck!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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