NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Wednesday’s 11-game slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

NBA DFS Picks & Optimal Lineup Construction | Jan. 5

Bradley Beal, PG/SG, Washington Wizards

The Wizards are currently dealing with a ton of absences at point guard. Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, and Brad Wanamaker are all sidelined due to health and safety protocols. Raul Neto appears poised to make his return – he’s not currently listed on the injury report – but the team is still in need of some playmakers.

Enter Beal. He has spent most of his career operating as a shooting guard, but he’s proven more than capable of playing point guard when needed. He’s thrived in that role over his past three games, averaging 30.3 points, 11.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. He had a 17-assist game on New Year’s – a new career-high – and he has scored at least 55.0 DraftKings points in each of his past three contests.

Beal has gotten more expensive across the industry, but he’s arguably still too cheap if he’s going to continue to see minutes at the point. Adding some increased assist potential to his already elite scoring numbers gives Beal an outstanding ceiling, especially in a juicy matchup against the Rockets. Expect him to be among the leaders in our NBA Projections.

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Furkan Korkmaz, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers were without Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton in their last game, and Korkmaz entered the starting lineup in their absence. He ultimately finished with a team-high 36.2 minutes, and he responded with 51.75 DraftKings points.

Do not a repeat performance on Wednesday, but he should still be able to provide excellent value for his salary as long as Maxey and Milton are out. Korkmaz has averaged 0.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he’s capable of taking advantage of a few additional minutes. Overall, Korkmaz has played at least 30 minutes in six games this season, and he’s averaged 30 DraftKings points in those contests.

The only real concern if Korkmaz draws another start is his potential ownership. He will likely be a popular target following his 50-point explosion on Monday, and if his projected ownership is too high, he’ll own a negative leverage score in the Boom/Bust Probability tool. That would make him a fade candidate, especially with so many potential options on an 11-game slate.

Caleb Martin, SG/SF, Miami Heat

Martin is even cheaper than Korkmaz on DraftKings, and he’s tough to ignore at just $4,500. He has blossomed into a massive part of the Heat’s rotation recently, logging at least 33.1 minutes in three straight games. Those contests have come with Jimmy Butler in the lineup, and he has already been ruled out against the Blazers with an ankle injury. That should solidify Martin’s role.

Martin has also been extremely productive with Butler and Bam Adebayo off the court this season. He’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute, so he looks like a slam-dunk value option.

Martin is also a sneaky-good rebounder. He has grabbed at least six boards in three straight games, and he has averaged 5.9 rebounds per 36 minutes with Butler and Adebayo off the court. That makes him an interesting option in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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