DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Friday 1/8/21

With 10 games to choose from on Friday's slate -- which locks at 7:00 p.m. EST -- let's look at the top options across all five positions for NBA DFS.

Be sure to check out our projections, which are updated throughout the day as news breaks, and our other DFS tools such as advanced stats and a matchup heat map.

Here are some of the top plays on today's DraftKings slate. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Kyle Lowry ($7,900) -- Averaging 39.8 DraftKings points, Lowry has been an ultra-consistent producer over the first seven games. According to NBA.com, his assist rate is up to 31.1% behind a 21.9% usage rate. And in peculiar fashion, he's actually been better away from the Raptors' makeshift home in Tampa Bay. He's upped his DK points per game to 42.0, averaging two more assists a night. His opponent, the Sacramento Kings, are 23rd in defense to start with, and now they'll be absent De'Aaron Fox at the point. Toronto is in search of their second win of the year, so I expect Lowry to take lead in this plus matchup.

Tyrese Haliburton ($5,400) -- Opposite Lowry, Haliburton is likely to draw the start or at least play big minutes with Fox no longer in the lineup. When he went down last game, the rookie logged 34 minutes, knocking down 7 of his 15 shots for 17 points. He stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds and six assists, adding three steals to get to his final output of 44.25 DK points. Haliburton is inexperienced, but he's been playing with surprisingly great poise. He'll need it against Toronto, sure, but it's tough to find a better value than a starter with his level of talent.

Shooting Guard

Jaylen Brown ($8,700) -- By betting total alone, this is the most appealing game environment of the night. According to oddsFire, the Celtics and Wizards share a 234.5 over/under heading into Friday, giving Boston a 120 implied total. That puts both Brown and Jayson Tatum in play, but Brown is cheaper with similar upside. On a 28.5% usage rate, the 24-year-old is averaging 26.2 points on 54.7% shooting and 41.2% from downtown. Combined with solid peripheral stats, he's made his way to 50-plus fantasy points in three different instances this season, making him a good play in both cash and tournaments.

Bruce Brown Jr. ($4,000) -- Brown is one of the go-to values on Friday night. The Brooklyn Nets are without Spencer Dinwiddie, Kevin Durant, and -- presumably -- Kyrie Irving, after Irving decided not to play for personal reasons. It's unclear if he'll return, but even when he played Tuesday it was Brown who got 23 minutes of run in a start at the off-guard spot, making three shots and assist on five others. He started again Thursday, but a matchup with Memphis (16th in defensive efficiency) makes a big difference compared to his performance against Philadelphia.

Small Forward

Jayson Tatum ($9,200) -- Tatum's been on fire of late, picking up where he left off in the bubble late in the summer. On the year, he's converted on 46.8% of his attempts, including 45.1% of his shots from deep. He's only missed four free throws on his way to 26.3 points per game, but it doesn't end there. Tatum has four games of at least four assists and seven with no fewer than eight rebounds. Again, Washington is inexperienced defensively and playing at the league's highest pace. He should have no problem producing big numbers tonight.

Brandon Ingram ($8,500) -- Tatum is viable for both cash and tournaments, but if I'm choosing between these two Duke products, Ingram is the better cash play. While Tatum competes with Brown for top dog on his team, Ingram has been the driving factor for New Orleans. The results have followed, with the 23-year-old showing up consistently every night, scoring fewer than 20 points just once all year while notching 30-plus DK points in every game. His average is better than five-times value here, and Charlotte has no one to slow him down on the wing. If you can fit both forwards in your lineup you are off to a great start.

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,900) -- Who -- or what -- can stop Giannis? The only answer seems to be blowouts. While the Greek Freak is averaging 52.5 DK points a game, his average across four of those (all blowouts of 20 or more) was down at 46.4. In games decided by fewer than 20 he has put up 57.3 -- or 5.3 points per $1,000 at this price. The Milwaukee Bucks are 5.5-point favorites, and with their combination of defense and firepower this one has all the makings of a close game. As long as you find the value Giannis is worth every dollar.

Daniel Theis ($4,300) -- The NBA's Health and Safety protocols could force the Celtics to play without three frontcourt contributors on Friday night. All of Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams are considered questionable and could sit this one out if they're deemed high risk. That would leave Theis to man the center spot with the potential to play 30-plus minutes. It just so happens that he's facing a team that gives 62.5 DK points per game to centers, according to FantasyPros.

Center

Rudy Gobert ($7,500) -- A handful of centers are worth a look, but Gobert is playing in an up-paced game against Milwaukee. The Bucks average the fourth-most possessions per game to date, while the Jazz are down at 23rd. One of the byproducts of that high pace is Milwaukee opponents averaging 5.1 blocks per game, one of the areas where Gobert's bread is buttered. He is at 2.5 blocks a game this season, and when you fold in his usual double-double he averages nearly 40 DK points. It's not out of the cards for him to mount his second straight 40-point outing and sixth of the season.

DeMarcus Cousins ($5,100) -- As of Thursday night, Christian Wood is again questionable to play after sitting out Wednesday's game with left knee soreness. Cousins drew the start in his stead and accounted for 9 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks, turning in 40 DK points in only 23 minutes. The Houston Rockets opted for a smaller lineup for portions of the second half, so imagine what he could have done in more time. It's unlikely that they do the same against Orlando and a great inside scorer like Nikola Vucevic. A 227.5-point over/under is just icing on the cake.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.