NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Friday Playbook

It's Friday, January 2nd, and we have a 7-game NBA DFS main slate on DraftKings and 10 games on FanDuel. 

Injuries are already beginning to pile up, as Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are out, and Brooklyn, Chicago, and New Orleans have listed multiple starters out. Let's break it all down! 

Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

• News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
• Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
• Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
• NBA DFS Projections
• Lineup Generator
• NBA Ownership

NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, January 2nd

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Pre/Post-Lock Update Section

This section will be used for anything that changes from the morning until right up to roster lock. 

Injury updates, players we’re higher on than we were in the morning and so much more.

All status updates after contest roster lock will be made in the Fantasy Alarm Discord: https://discord.gg/2yATJxXe8G

6:30 PM ET UPDATE

• Mitchell Robinson - OUT
• Terance Mann - AVAILABLE 
• T.J. McConnell - AVAILABLE
• Miles Bridges - AVAILABLE
• Jamal Murray - AVAILABLE
• Moussa Diabate - OUT 

4:00 PM ET UPDATE

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Probable (upgrade)
• Jaylen Wells - Probable (upgrade)
• Trey Murphy - OUT 
  • Zion Williamson was already one of the top plays on the slate, and this only improves his outlook. Jordan Poole and Bryce McGowens (assuming he starts) are now Core plays.  

3:00 PM ET UPDATE

• GSW: 
  • Stephen Curry - OUT
  • Jimmy Butler - OUT
  • De'Anthony Melton - OUT
  • Trayce Jackson-Davis - AVAILABLE

1:00 PM ET UPDATE

• BKN: 
  • Michael Porter - OUT
  • Cam Thomas - OUT
  • Egor Demin - AVAILABLE 
  • Terance Mann - Probable
  • Nic Claxton - OUT 
• NOP:
  • Derik Queen - OUT
  • Trey Murphy - Questionable
  • Saddiq Bey - OUT
• Karl-Anthony Towns - Questionable
• De'Andre Hunter - Probable 
• Dean Wade - Questionable 
• Trae Young - OUT
• Giannis Antetokounmpo - Probable 

NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 1/2

• BKN:
  Yet to submit
• WAS:
  Kyshawn George - Out
  Corey Kispert - Out
  Cam Whitmore - Out
• SAS:
  Victor Wembanyama - Out
  Devin Vassell - Out
• IND:
  T.J. McConnell - Probable
  Isaiah Jackson - Out
  Obi Toppin - Out
  Tyrese Haliburton - Out
• ATL:
  Trae Young - Questionable
• NYK:
  Mitchell Robinson - Questionable
  Josh Hart - Out
  Landry Shamet - Out
• DEN:
  Jamal Murray - Probable
  Julian Strawther - Probable
  Nikola Jokic - Out
  Cameron Johnson - Out
  Aaron Gordon - Out
  Christian Braun - Out
  Jonas Valanciunas - Out
• CLE:
  Sam Merrill - Questionable
  De'Andre Hunter - Questionable
  Larry Nance - Out
  Max Strus - Out
• CHA:
  Miles Bridges - Probable
  Moussa Diabate - Questionable
  Ryan Kalkbrenner - Out
  Mason Plumlee - Out
  Grant Williams - Out
• MIL:
  Taurean Prince - Out
• ORL:
  Jonathan Isaac - Questionable
  Franz Wagner - Out
  Moe Wagner - Out
• CHI:
  Josh Giddey - Out
  Coby White - Out
  Zach Collins - Out
  Noa Essengue - Out
• POR:
  Jerami Grant - Out
  Scoot Henderson - Out
  Matisse Thybulle - Out
  Blake Wesley - Out
  Jrue Holiday - Out
  Damian Lillard - Out
• NOP:
  Derik Queen - Questionable
  Saddiq Bey - Questionable
  Herbert Jones - Out
  Dejounte Murray - Out
• SAC:
  Yet to submit
• PHX:
  Grayson Allen - Questionable
  Jalen Green - Out
• OKC:
  Isaiah Hartenstein - Out
  Jaylin Williams - Out
  Ousmane Dieng - Out
  Nikola Topic - Out
  Thomas Sorber - Out
• GSW:
  Stephen Curry - Questionable
  De'Anthony Melton - Questionable
  Al Horford - Probable
  Trayce Jackson-Davis - Probable
  Draymond Green - Out
  Seth Curry - Out
• MEM:
  Jaylen Wells - Questionable
  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Questionable
  Vince Williams - Out
  Brandon Clarke - Out
  Zach Edey - Out
  John Konchar - Out
  Ty Jerome - Out
  Scotty Pippen Jr. - Out
• LAL:
  Jarred Vanderbilt - Questionable
  Rui Hachimura - Out
  Gabe Vincent - Out
  Austin Reaves - Out

h/t @UnderdogNBA 

NBA DFS Slate & Game Overviews

In the section below, I’m listing the most notable things we need to look at in Las Vegas, including notable O/U and spreads. Not every game is listed, but every game listed has the pace and defensive numbers listed.

NBA DFS Core Player Pool & Lineup Picks

Here are the core players I’m looking at for my NBA DFS picks tonight. You can see the full analysis of tonight’s NBA DFS projections and player pool below or skip ahead to building the best lineups possible by locking these into the aforementioned lineup generator now.

High

• Luka Doncic (FD), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (FD), Jalen Johnson, Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns

Mid

• Paolo Banchero, Zion Williamson, Stephon Castle, Ja Morant (FD), De'Aaron Fox, Jordan Poole, Tre Jones, Jalen Smith, Noah Clowney 

Value

• Kevin Huerter, Keldon Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Caleb Love, Egor Demin, Julian Champagnie, DaRon Holmes, Tre Johnson, Isaac Okoro, Bruce Brown, Danny Wolf, Luke Kornet, Terance Mann, Harrison Barnes, Day'Ron Sharpe, Yves Missi, Ziaire Williams, Bryce McGowens

Don't Miss The NBA DFS Playbook Live Show At 5:00 PM ET 

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