It’s Friday, January 9. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is hurtling toward the halfway mark of the regular season. On Friday, we have a total of 10 games on today’s NBA DFS slate. Both FanDuel and DraftKings split up the evening, with three games available in a late-window slate with tip times after 10 p.m. EST.
We have an NBA TV doubleheader, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies squaring off at 8 p.m. EST, and the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers meeting at 10:30 p.m. EST.
Here are our top NBA DFS picks and advice for tonight’s slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
Jalen Johnson (PF – ATL)
- DraftKings: $10,800
- FanDuel: $10,700
Johnson is the most expensive option on the board, who is one, healthy, and two, facing a very favorable matchup. Johnson won’t have to face the suffocating defense of Nikola Jokic, so he should be able to have his way inside the paint against a Nuggets team with an OPRK of 25th. He is averaging 53.2 Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG), so he is headed for a big stat night.
Since flipping the calendar to 2026, he has already secured one triple-double, while averaging 20.0 points (PPG), 9.8 rebounds (RPG), and 8.0 assists (APG), while dropping in a total of five 3-pointers so far through four outings. When he faced Denver earlier this season, he went for 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists on Dec. 5 in Atlanta.
Tyrese Maxey (PG – PHI)
- DraftKings: $9,700
- FanDuel: $10,500
If you don’t want to quite hit five figures for your top player at DraftKings, Maxey is a strong option to build your team around. The Orlando Magic have an OPRK of 20th, but that likely should be a bit higher with both Franz Moritz (ankle) and Moritz Wagner (knee) sidelined, as well as Jalen Suggs (knee).
Maxey is coming off a 22-point, 8-assist game against Washington on Wednesday, and he has scored at least 22 points in seven straight games and 10 of the past 11 outings. You know what you’re getting in the scoring department, and he has 7.0 APG and 6.3 RPG with 1.8 BPG in four games in January, too.
Devin Booker (PG, SG – PHX)
- DraftKings: $8,400
- FanDuel: $8,700
Looking at Booker, he is averaging 41.7 FPPG this season. In what could be a high-scoring game in the desert, he and the Suns face a Knicks team with an OPRK of 25th. The sportsbooks are expecting a lot of points, with a total set at 229.
Booker is coming off a poor game by his standards, hitting just 6-of-15 (40.0%) from the field with 13 points, his lowest production since Dec. 1. When he had 11 points against the Lakers, he rebounded the next night with 27 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Booker doesn’t have back-to-back poor games, and you can expect the 3-pointers to be flowing.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
Zion Williamson (PF – NOP)
- DraftKings: $8,000
- FanDuel: $8,500
Don’t necessarily get carried away, as the Pelicans are the Pelicans, but they’re facing a matchup against the Washington Wizards, which calls for a rare New Orleans stack. The Wizards are 30th in OPRK, and Williamson is averaging 37.1 FPPG. He should be able to go off Friday, as will a handful of his teammates.
Williams posted 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists with a steal on 10-of-15 shooting in Atlanta on Wednesday. He has 152 points in the past six games against Eastern Conference opponents, or 25.3 PPG.
Amen Thompson (PG – HOU)
- DraftKings: $8,000
- FanDuel: $8,600
In the late window, Thompson is a strong play against the Trail Blazers in the front-end of a back-to-back set. Portland is 23rd in OPRK, and Thompson is rolling with 38.6 FPPG, so he is in line for a big game. Don’t be dissuaded by the fact the sportsbooks have this game with the second-lowest total on the board. We’ll have offense from a select few players.
Amen was the answer to DFS players’ prayers on Wednesday, going for 24 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal on 8-of-16 shooting in 39 minutes. He is averaging 21.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG with 1.0 BPG in four games in January.
Peyton Watson (SF, PF – DEN)
- DraftKings: $7,000
- FanDuel: $7,000
Watson has really stepped up and answered the bell, helping fill the void with Jokic on the shelf. He has five straight games with 21 or more points, and he has grabbed at least four rebounds in each of those games, too. In addition, he has been on fire from behind the arc, going for six 3-pointers last time out against Boston.
In four games in January, Watson is averaging 24.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.8 3PT, and 1.3 BPG, easily the best stretch of his early NBA career. The 23-year-old from UCLA exploded for 30 points last time out against Boston, and the only concern is foul trouble with Watson. If he can avoid the ref’s whistle, he’ll be golden, especially at this price.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
Derik Queen (PF, C – NOP)
- DraftKings: $6,200
- FanDuel: $7,000
Remember that Pelicans stack we were talking about above? The rookie Queen needs to be part of that, especially as he returns to his old stomping grounds. Queen starred at the University of Maryland last season, and he was born in Baltimore, so he is likely to be a little amped up for this game in front of plenty of family and friends.
Queen was a little shaky last time out in Atlanta, going 3-of-9 from the field with just six points, but he was able to produce 10 rebounds with two blocks and two steals. In three games in January, he is averaging 9.3 PPG and 9.3 RPG with 4.7 APG, so you’re going to get your money’s worth in some fashion.
Jabari Smith Jr. (PF – HOU)
- DraftKings: $6,100
- FanDuel: $6,200
Smith is another Rockets player to target, especially at a mid-tier price. If you saw his performance in Portland on Wednesday, though, you might be a bit leery to get into the Smith Jr. business.
Smith went just 2-of-13 from the field and 1-of-7 from behind the 3-point line, finishing with six points. Oddly enough, he was also 2-of-13 in Dallas on Jan. 3, going 1-of-7 from behind the arc, going for seven points. He bounced back the next game for 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists with three triples. Look for more of the same here.
Kyshawn George (SG – WAS)
- DraftKings: $6,100
- FanDuel: $6,300
The 22-year-old first-round pick in 2024 is starting to come into his own. He hasn’t played since Dec. 26, when he went for 23 points, six rebounds and three triples, while hitting 9-of-13 from the field. He missed the past five games due to a left hip flexor strain, but he should be able to go. Circle back around to double-check, though. He isn’t on the injury report, though.
George faces a Pelicans team with an OPRK of 30th, and he is averaging 33.2 FPPG. At this price, if he can return and play without restrictions, this should be a strong value.
NBA DFS Value Plays
Jase Richardson (PG, SG – ORL)
- DraftKings: $3,400
- FanDuel: $3,800
Richardson is battling a sore ankle, so he carries a questionable tag into this game. He has been filling in admirably for Jalen Suggs (knee), who is out again. Richardson is averaging 13.0 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 RPG, and 2.0 3PT in the past three outings. If he cannot go, Tyus Jones could be a low-cost alternative./
Tristan da Silva (SF, PF – ORL)
- DraftKings: $4,200
- FanDuel: $4,100
Da Silva is expected to start Friday night, as Fs Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner are sidelined again. Da Silva is averaging 12.3 PPG across the past three outings, and he has at least two 3-pointers in each of the games. He is a strong option in the starting lineup at this price.
Steven Adams (C – HOU)
- DraftKings: $5,100
- FanDuel: $5,300
Adams is expected to be in the starting lineup with Alperen Sengun (ankle) continuing to miss time due to a sprained right ankle. Adams is averaging 7.5 PPG with 11.0 RPG in the past two outings, hitting 53.8% from the field in the previous two games, as his minutes have bumped up to 30.5 minutes per game.
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