Fantasy Basketball Picks: Best DraftKings NBA DFS Goals, Values for Jan. 20

Thursday’s NBA slate is pretty small. There are three games to choose from and the main one DraftKings the slate begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the best options to consider in each position.
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peak guard
Stud
Lucas Doncic, Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns ($10,400) – Thursday’s slate is small, so stud options are going to be limited. That said, you have a few different options available to you at point guard. That includes Doncic, who is coming off back-to-back monster performances. He racked up 67.25 DKFP in 38.7 minutes two games ago, and he followed that up with 72.5 DKFP in his last outing. Overall, Doncic has averaged 1.58 DKFP per minute over the past month, which is the best rating in the position by a significant margin.
Other options – Stephen Curry ($10,500), Chris Paul ($7,500)
Value
Cameron Payne, Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks ($4,200) – Payne has a wide range of results most nights. He doesn’t usually play a lot of minutes, so he has to be extremely productive when he’s on the pitch to pay his price. Luckily, that’s something Payne is capable of. He’s averaging 1.01 DKFP per minute this season, so he can afford his $4,200 salary with limited playing time.
Other options – Kemba Walker ($6,100), Devonte’ Graham ($5,100)
shooting guard
Stud
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks ($8,300) – It’s rare that one of the most expensive players in a position also stands out as one of the best values, but that’s the case with Booker on Thursday. He’s been on a tear recently, scoring at least 30 points in three straight games, and he finished with 71.75 DKFP in his last contest. That said, its price has actually gone down over that time. He’s down to just $8,300 for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, and he has huge appeal for that salary.
Other options – Caris LeVert ($7,900), Klay Thompson ($5,300)
Value
Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers @ Golden State Warriors ($4,300) – Duarte returned to the Pacers roster three games ago, and he’s been a great source of value. He has played at least 32.3 minutes in each of his last two games and he has scored 26.25 DKFP or more in both. This includes a massive performance of 47.75 DKFP, which gives it a solid ceiling for its price. Overall, Duarte has averaged 0.94 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he should be able to afford his $4,300 salary fairly easily.
Other options – Mikal Bridges ($4,800), Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($3,600)
small forward
Stud
Josh Hart, New Orleans Pelicans @ New York Knicks ($6,300) – I’m a big Hart fan. It’s a fantastic underrated asset that has the potential to fill the stat sheet. He’s one of the best rebounding wingers in basketball — he’s averaging 7.5 rebounds per game this season — and he’s also posting career highs in points and assists per game. Add it all up and he’s averaging 1.00 DKFP per minute this season. Hart’s price has also dropped by $700 over the past two games, so he’s a good low-cost contender.
Other options – Brandon Ingram ($8,000), RJ Barrett ($7,200)
Value
Jeremy Lamb, Indiana Pacers @ Golden State Warriors ($3,000) – Lamb has struggled to stay healthy during his tenure with the Pacers, but he’s back in the lineup for now. He just finished 24.7 minutes in his last outing, and he should have a similar workload on Thursday. This makes him an attractive option at the absolute minimum. Lamb has also averaged 0.92 DKFP per minute this season, so he’s a bit more capable than the typical mini-priced player.
Other options –Torrey Craig ($3,800)
Power forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns ($7,600) – Porzingis is still working his way back from injury, but his playing time is moving in the right direction. He clocked 33.5 minutes in his last outing, which is more than enough for Porzingis to potentially pay his current price. It has averaged a high position of DKFP 1.31 per minute over the past month, and its price of $7,600 makes it significantly cheaper than usual. This will likely be our last chance to target Porzingis before its price returns to the $9,000 range.
Other options – Julius Randle ($9,100)
Value
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers ($4,300) – Kuminga entered the Warriors’ starting lineup in their last game, and he could continue in that spot as long as Draymond Green is out. This makes it a very attractive value option. Kuminga has averaged 1.00 DKFP per minute over the past month and he has scored at least 26.25 DKFP in each of his last four games. He should be penciled in for at least 25 minutes whether he starts or comes off the bench, making him underpriced at $4,300.
Other options – Herbert Jones ($4,400)
Center
Stud
Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans Pelicans @ New York Knicks ($7,700) – Valanciunas is really your only option if you want to pay at the center. He is the only player whose price is above $5,200.
Fortunately, Valanciunas has some merit on Thursday. Its output per minute has been down a bit recently, but it’s still one of the best in the business in that department. He’s averaging 1.27 DKFP per minute this season, and he lost 33.3 minutes in his last outing. It responded with 46.5 DKFP points and its price fell to $7,700 after peaking at $9,600.
Value
JaVale McGee, Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks ($4,000) – The Suns have ruled out Deandre Ayton, which creates an interesting situation at center. Both McGee and Bismack Biyombo have provided value with Ayton out of the lineup recently, with Biyombo having the better performance in the Suns’ last game.
Still, I give the lead to McGee on Thursday. Both players saw roughly the same number of minutes on Monday, but McGee has been slightly better on the minute this season.
Other options – Bismack Biyombo ($4,000), Isaiah Jackson ($3,000)
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