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

Published: Jan 30, 2025
Happy Thursday, January 30th! We have a five-game main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel this evening. The injury to Anthony Davis headlines the slate, and LeBron James is also listed questionable. Let’s dive into the top plays and strategies for tonight’s action!
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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 30th
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Pre-Lock Update
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.
UPDATE 5:40 ET
- Dorian Finney-Smith OUT
- Gabe Vincent - OUT
- Rui Hachimura and Max Christie each have a chance to play 30+ minutes
- Dalton Knecht is an interesting option off the bench
UPDATE 6:25 ET
- Sam Merrill - Available
- Ja Morant - Doubtful
- Luke Kennard is a strong value option if Ja sits
- Desmond Bane (+1.2% USG, +3.1% AST) and Jaren Jackson (+4.2% USG, +3.2% AST) get big boosts with Morant/Smart off the floor
NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 1/30
- Anthony Davis - OUT
- LeBron James - Q
- Dorian Finney-Smith - OUT
- Gabe Vincent - OUT
- Alex Sarr - OUT
- Jalen Johnson - OUT
- Clint Capela - OUT
- Bogdan Bogdanovic - OUT
- Caris LeVert - OUT
- Sam Merrill - A
- Dean Wade - OUT
- Donte DiVincenzo - OUT
- Mike Conley - Q
- Johnny Juzang - OUT
- Cody Williams - OUT
- Alperen Sengun - Q
- Steven Adams - Q
- Ja Morant - D
- Jalen Suggs - Q
- Jerami Grant - Q
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.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Washington Wizards
- LAL -8.5
- Total: 223.5
Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- CLE -10
- Total: 240
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Utah Jazz
- MIN -5.5
- Total: 224.5
Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies
- MEM -5
- Total: 236.5
Orlando Magic vs Portland Trail Blazers
- ORL -5.5
- Total: 212.5
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
- LeBron James (if active), Anthony Edwards, Alperen Sengun (if active)
Mid
- Austin Reaves, Amen Thompson, Jaren Jackson, Desmond Bane, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas, Rudy Gobert
Value
- Rui Hachimura, Max Christie, Max Strus, Ty Jerome, Mike Conley (if active), Luke Kennard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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Stacks
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