3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/21/21

While building a daily fantasy basketball lineup, it's important to make sure you find the right studs to anchor your team. As the most expensive players in your lineup, they need big-time production to match their high salaries.

You may find it hard to fit some of these guys in while staying under the salary cap, but you can check out our projections to find value players for your rosters. Let's take a look at the top high-salaried DraftKings plays of the day.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C, Milwaukee Bucks

DraftKings Salary: $10,500

Thursday's National TV schedule is highlighted by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. It's a matchup of two MVP-caliber players who will undoubtedly go face-to-face for periods of time. But whether they do or not, there's no reason to discount Giannis. In fact, given a $500 salary drop from just nine days ago, he's somehow a value at his high salary.

According to FantasyPros, the Lakers are third-best at limiting opposing power forwards when it comes to fantasy points, but Antetokounmpo's versatility makes him a unique matchup for Anthony Davis and others. There's little downside to playing Giannis, given his involvement in all areas. On top of his 33.6% usage rate, he's amassed a 26.4% assist rate and 15.2% rebound rate, according to NBA.com. His floor is around 40 DraftKings points on a nightly basis, but on average, he's tallied up 59.0 DK points per game in the seven games in which he's logged 30 or more minutes.

A half-point spread -- via NBA Finals odds -- in the defending champions' favor signifies a super-close game, one in which Giannis should play in the mid-30s. Don't be afraid to build around him in this star-studded contest.

LeBron James, PG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers

DraftKings Salary: $9,200

Speaking of stars, the King himself is in a great spot for a monster game -- no matter which way you view him. The Bucks are in the middle of the league against point guards, but they rate eighth-worst versus small forwards. And it's that same positional eligibility that will provide you the flexibility to make a unique lineup or two.

There's much more to the LeBron hype, though. At this salary, his combination of a floor and consistent ceiling is too much to pass on. His 47.3-point average is good for more than five-times salary, while he has hit or surpassed 46 fantasy points in 8 of 13 games. He has a half-dozen outings of 50-plus.

The likelihood for James to notch yet another 50-point game is there, too. The Bucks operate at the league's seventh-fastest pace, averaging nearly two more possessions per game than the slower Lakers do. LeBron should make the most of that pace boost in a game carrying a 228.5 over/under.

Zion Williamson, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans

DraftKings Salary: $7,700

Talk about undervalued studs! Even after a hyper-efficient game -- 32 points on 14-of-19 shooting -- against these Utah Jazz, Zion Williamson's salary fell another $200 from where it was just two days ago. It doesn't make much sense.

While Utah ranks sixth in defensive rating, they just don't have a big-bodied player with the athleticism to guard Zion. That was evident last game (a blowout nonetheless), when Williamson totaled 43.75 DK points in 35 minutes. It was his third straight game of more than 40 DK points as well as his fifth in his last six. He's playing no fewer than 34 minutes in competitive games of late.

Utah's pace and defense could help to steer others away from Zion, so there's a chance for you to be more overweight here than the masses. If that's the case, you should certainly take advantage with the way Zion is playing in recent games.

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.