NBA DFS Picks DraftKings + FanDuel Expert Lineup Building Strategy 1/26

Monday made for a pretty straightforward slate; if you didn’t have Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the same lineup, you weren’t winning a tournament. It was frustrating not to have enough of those two, as I feel like I’m routinely over the field on both most days. But Tuesday provides an opportunity for redemption, so let’s get to work identifying some NBA DFS picks and strategy for this three-game slate over on DraftKings and FanDuel.

[SportsbookAffiliates]

Join AWESEMO+ today!

Use accurate data and advanced tools crafted by the #1 DFS player.

NBA DFS Slate Starter: Picks & Strategy | Jan. 26

The Stickers on the Clippers

With the Clippers ruling out stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George early Monday due to COVID-19 protocols, as well as starting guard Patrick Beverley announced as not even traveling to Atlanta due to knee soreness, I was concerned DraftKings and FanDuel wouldn’t appropriately spike the salaries on this team for Tuesday. We have seen multiple slates this season tarnished by eight- or nine-man rotations and the sites’ inability to aggressively price up backups. And while there was ample time to react to the news in this instance, I was still pessimistic.

Well, FanDuel proved me half right, as they made a truly half-hearted attempt. While most everyone on the Clippers saw some sort of a bump, there still isn’t a single one priced above $6,000, making it extremely simple to build lineups to get whomever else you want on this slate. DraftKings, however, might be a slightly different story:

This is the entire pool of Clippers we’ll be considering for our NBA DFS lineups tomorrow (minus Beverley, of course). Keeping in mind the minimum is $3,000 on DraftKings and $3,500 on FanDuel, these price hikes are far more substantial. At first glance, I love that there are no sub-$4,000 bargain bin freebies, and I especially love how aggressive they were with the likes of Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann, who were both near the minimum last game out.

Latest NBA DFS Content

Given, the Marcus Morris price could’ve gotten an extra $1,000 jump for my money. But I’m not going to complain since these salaries give the slate far more playability/viability. We’ll have to wait to see what that starting lineup looks like, as that will dictate who we should be prioritizing in this spot (let it be known, I’ll have interest in Mann no matter what). Be sure to tune in to the Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows on the Awesemo YouTube channel tomorrow, as they’ll break down this most vital part of the slate as the news rolls in. And be sure to like and sub while you’re there, as the race to 50,000 YouTube subscribers is on.

The FanDuel Funhouse

While I’m not super pleased with their Clippers pricing, FanDuel should still be plenty entertaining because of studs they did jack up the going rate on. I nearly had a heart attack when I pulled up their pricing and saw Clint Capela at $10,500, and their $7,200 on DeMarcus Cousins is significantly less egregious than DraftKings’ $6,000 tag. Victor Oladipo is also a $8,800 player over there now, and R.J. Barrett got a bump up to $7,500 so as to make small forward less of a glorified pick-’em.

For me the most interesting spot on FanDuel is what to do with Trae Young ($10,600) if he’s ruled in, or with Rajon Rondo ($4,800) if he’s ruled out. With Leonard, George and Beverley off the floor, this Clippers’ defensive unit won’t be a shell of itself. Whoever starts between these two will be a preferred option to run back my copious amount of Clippers exposure. And while point guard is a generally loaded position, John Wall and Russell Westbrook are expected to be on minutes limits again. That further establishes Young as by far my highest-projected play at the position should he be good to go.

Final Thoughts for Your NBA DFS Lineups

I’m going to find it difficult not to include at least two Clippers in every lineup tomorrow. But in lineups where I’m looking to avoid that path, completely game-stacking the Rockets, Wizards will certainly be the way I do it. Two awful defenses in a high-paced game environment sounds fun.
The only total out at the moment is the Jazz and Knicks’ grotesque 212.5 number. While we can cherry pick an expensive option from it here and there, getting to value on either team is going to be next to impossible for me.
Just play DeMarcus Cousins.

Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.

Looking for more NBA DFS picks content? We have loads of articles, data, cheat sheets and more on the Awesemo NBA home page. Just click HERE.

Author

Eric Lindquist

Eric Lindquist hails from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (yes, that’s the one with Mount Rushmore). A steady diet of three SportsCenters a day at an early age led to his obsession with sports, one that 30 years later is paying dividends for him as a successful DFS player and sports bettor. Despite over half a million dollars in net career earnings, he’s most passionate about helping others achieve their financial goals, an energy you can witness on the daily in his current role as a host and analyst at Stokastic. He’s a former Division I golfer at Iowa State, wishes he was a former Minnesota sports fan, and is a proud father to a 100-pound Bernese Mountain dog named Duke that wishes he could just eat people food instead of the crap he and his wife feed him on the daily.