DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Thursday 1/21/21

With three games to choose from on Thursday's slate -- which locks at 7:30 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

LeBron James ($9,200) -- In a matchup of top teams and MVP stars, James will meet Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in a game with a nice 228.5 over/under. It's the type of game you expect LeBron to get up for in a big way, and his reduced salary gives him additional appeal. His season average DK output is above his salary-implied total of 46 DraftKings points -- five points per every $1,000 in salary -- and he's blown past that to hit 50 on six occasions early on this season. Oh, and you can lock him into your point guard or small forward spot. If you want to be different deploy, him at point guard over Stephen Curry, who is $400 more.

Immanuel Quickley ($4,100) -- In the event you decide to go low at point guard -- or if you opt for James at small forward -- Quickly could be a source of value on a night that's not exactly full of it. He hasn't been the model of consistency, but he has managed at least 17 points and 29.0 DK points in three of his last four games. Look for his minutes to be in the 20s as he stands to benefit from a pace-up game with the Golden State Warriors, who -- per NBA.com -- average nearly eight possessions more than the New York Knicks on a per-game basis.

Shooting Guard

Donovan Mitchell ($7,900) -- At his salary, Mitchell isn't someone I would prioritize in GPPs. His salary will prevent you from getting the 50-point ceilings of James and Antetokounmpo. But he is a solid choice in cash formats, as he's averaging 38.0 DK points with nothing short of 30 in any of his last nine games. As Utah's offensive leader, he owns a 31.2% usage rate with which he has averaged 19.5 shot attempts in his 33.3 minutes per contest. He's fresh off a 42.3-fantasy-point game against this same opposition, so why expect anything less the second time around.

Jordan Clarkson ($6,100) -- Clarkson has certainly found a home in Utah. In his first full season aboard, he's averaging 17.6 points and 29.6 DK points on a 25.8% usage rate. His production has been inflated to some extent by the recent absence of Joe Ingles, but even with Ingles back in the lineup, Clarkson was able to go for 18 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds last time out. At this point, Clarkson is a guy who is more likely to give you 40 fantasy points than 20, particularly against a bottom-third defense like New Orleans'.

Small Forward

Kelly Oubre ($5,700) -- Oubre's slow start has been a frustration point for many Warriors fans and fantasy owners. He has played nowhere near the level he did with the Phoenix Suns, but it looks like he is coming around to his usual self. After shooting just 33.6% from the field and 13.7% from three in his first 10 games, the swingman has hit 46.2% of his shots and 34.8% from three in his last three, according to NBA.com. Just two games ago, he posted 23 points and 37.0 DK points against the Lakers of all teams. With his confidence returning, Oubre is a key value in the middle tier tonight.

Josh Hart ($4,500) -- Tonight's slate is a very top-heavy one skewed toward a more stars-and-scrubs type of lineup. Paying up for the stars in the Bucks/Lakers game is going to cost you, but you don't have to slip all the way down elsewhere. Hart is a guy who has seen consistent minutes (28.5 a game), and he has hovered around 18 to 25 DK points. There is but a small chance he breaks 30, but you aren't asking of the world of him. That responsibility is on the LeBron or Giannis of your lineup.

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,500) -- Whether you want to stack Bucks/Lakers or not, Giannis is the top dog tonight -- and it's not even close. His 52.7 DK points per game are 4.9 above the next-closest player, Julius Randle, but in the seven games in which he's logged at least 30 minutes, he has averaged 59.0 DK points. He has the ability to go for 60 or more on any night, and you best believe he'll be fired up against LeBron and company. Don't shy away from devoting this much of your cap to a guy of Giannis' potential.

Zion Williamson ($7,700) -- Speaking of potential, Zion is a guy who could pop off for a big double-double on any given night. And of late, he has been as efficient as they come. Averaging 34.3 minutes over his last seven, the second-year phenom has broken out for 27.2 real-world points per game on 62.2% shooting. He is averaging a team-high 5.8 free throw attempts in that same span, while also chipping in 7.8 boards and 2.5 assists. His 40.7 DK points a game in that span equals a return of 5.3 points per $1,000 at tonight's salary.

Center

Brook Lopez ($5,100) -- Lopez has caught fire of late, and his coach seems to be rewarding him for it. Since turning in a 17-point game on January 8th, the Bucks' big man has averaged 11.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks on his way to 28.0 DK points in 31.4 minutes. He's played 34 minutes apiece in each of his last two, averaging 13.0 points and 30.5 DK points. That's more than enough in a spot that might require him to play 30-plus minutes against the likes of Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell. Pay no mind to the tough matchup; on a slate like this, you need to take the minutes and production.

James Wiseman ($4,500) -- As with Quickley, Wiseman is a high-upside rookie you should be aiming to roster in tournaments and GPPs. Though he was limited to only four points and 9.25 DK points in 13 minutes against the tough D of the Lakers. In the two games prior (both competitive, mind you), he avoided foul trouble, knocked down 8-of-13 shots and managed 32.75 DK points. The theme of Wiseman's big-value games is substantial minutes, as he's averaged 31.7 fantasy points in the four games in which he's played 24 or more minutes. If he's able to avoid foul trouble, he's a great way to save some of your cap at center.

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.