The Best NBA DFS Players for Each Position

Fantasy basketball is extremely popular and entertaining amongst sports lovers. It’s up there with fantasy football, both regular fantasy leagues and DFS leagues. There are many NBA games throughout the week, meaning fantasy team managers get to see some really good action. The best NBA DFS players depend on many things. To put together a good and efficient roster means following the gameplay, trades, injury reports, and more.

This NBA season has been really interesting so far. Some of the teams completely managed to turn their luck around in the offseason and surprise everyone. The recent injuries and absence of many star players led to basketball DFS managers discovering hidden talents that only cost a dime. As the league awaits the heavily anticipated returns of players like Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving, NBA DFS managers also turn to other options. In this article, we discuss the best players for each position for the Week of January 3-10, 2022. We’re sure everyone is familiar with these names. Their salaries on FanTeam might be pricey but if you want the best, you have to pay for the best. Read onward, take notes, and assemble your team for the next NBA week.

Point Guard – Stephen Curry

Steph Curry leads all point guards in the NBA when it comes to fantasy points. The Golden State Warriors have the best record in the league, 27-7. According to online fantasy sports news in the US Klay Thompson was supposed to return to the Warrior lineup on Christmas but alas, we have to wait a bit more. Mr. 3000 is averaging 27.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 5.9 APG this season on 43.3% shooting. That field goal percentage might be unusually low for Curry but he’s still averaging 45.7 fantasy points per game. Fantasy managers have benefited a lot from Curry this season and their luck is not about to run out. As one of the best NBA DFS players, he’s also making a strong case for regular-season MVP this year.

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The Warriors will have four games next week so Curry would be a great pick. He’s a tiny bit cheaper than the others on this list but that doesn’t take away from his worth. Even if Klay finally comes back from injury he’ll still need some time adjusting. It’s true that according to Steve Kerr they want him back at full power but Steph will still be the most important player on that roster. By breaking the all-time 3-point record recently he immortalized himself as arguably the greatest shooter of all time. Who wouldn’t want him on their team?

Shooting Guard – James Harden or Donovan Mitchell?

Now, there’s a slight problem here because James Harden can play either guard position. Harden has excelled recently when he had to make up for the absence of Kevin Durant. He took the point and averaged over 70 fantasy points per game. Based on statistics alone, he would be the clear pick for the best NBA DFS point guard for next week too. But the long-awaited return of Kyrie Irving (if it happens at all) is projected for January 5th. This would mean that Harden goes back to shooting guard but with KD also back he wouldn’t average such high numbers.

See where we’re going with this? If more of Brooklyn’s stars are on the court the workload will be more even and the main offensive focus will be Durant. With that being said, James Harden is still a safe bet as a shooting guard or point guard (with no Kyrie) for next week.

Donovan Mitchell is one of the top-rated shooting guards this season. He’s also barely missed any games so he might prove more reliable than others. Mitchell is averaging 40.0 fantasy points per game and his season stats aren’t bad either. 25.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 5.0 APG on 45.7% shooting as the Utah Jazz occupy the 3rd spot in the Western Conference. Mitchell is a great pick for next week as his salary is significantly lower than Harden’s and the Jazz has four upcoming games. Putting him on your FanTeam roster would mean you get the best efficiency for cost. That way there’s still some cash left to spend on other big names. With the inconsistency and injuries of many players, Donovan Mitchell will likely remain one of the best NBA DFS players.

Small Forward – LeBron James or Kevin Durant?

The Los Angeles Lakers switch up their lineups so often it feels like LeBron James doesn’t have a starting position or he has them all. He’s the only reason the Lakers are not at the bottom of the league. An injury-ridden roster and LA’s lack of shooting have to rely on a 37-year old LeBron. The King put up insane numbers as he averaged 36.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 8.3 APG over the last seven days which helped FanTeam managers a lot. He’s also averaging 51.5 fantasy points per game and 28.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 6.8 APG on 52.0% shooting this season. Sadly, the Lakers are also 1-4 in their last five games. If James is not on the court that team starts to fall apart instantly. Both James and KD are good picks but the Lakers will only have 3 games next week.

Kevin Durant missed a couple of games but he’s still the leading small forward in fantasy points. The thing is, he is the starting choice for both small- and power forward in Brooklyn’s lineups. This means that he can do either of the two perfectly when the need arises. Durant is leading the league with 29.9 PPG on 52.4% shooting and he’s also pulling 7.8 RPG and 5.8 APG. KD is averaging 49.1 fantasy points per game and we know he’s the main component of Brooklyn’s attack. Durant and the Nets have four games next week so he’s certain to prove valuable for fantasy basketball managers. The Nets’ lineup could get interesting if Kyrie Irving returns next week. The trio of Durant, Harden, and Irving hasn’t played a game this season but if things start clicking, they’re the most dangerous big 3 in the NBA.

Power Forward – Giannis Antetokounmpo

There are a lot of great players who occasionally play power forward, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, or Domantas Sabonis. Some of them more than the others. But Giannis Antetokounmpo stands high above them all. The Milwaukee Bucks are 24-13 as of December 31st and they’re about to crawl up to the number 1 spot in the East. The Finals MVP is averaging 27.6 PPG, 11.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG on 53.3% shooting. This, amongst other things, gives them an impressive 54.6 fantasy points per game. Giannis is among the best players in the league and one of the best NBA DFS players every season. He’s projected to finish the season as the highest fantasy point scoring power forward in the league. The Bucks are also a guarantee for the playoffs.

The Greek Freak is a must-have for every fantasy team manager. That is if you’re quick enough to get him. As one of the best performing and most sought-after players on online daily fantasy sports sites in the US, his price is pretty hefty but he’s a valuable pick. Milwaukee has four games on the week of January 3-10, the first one against Detroit on Monday. Giannis averaged 60.0 fantasy points during the last two games against the Pistons. Make sure to put him on your FanTeam roster and lay back as he racks up the points for you. The only real challenge for the Bucks next week will be against the Brooklyn Nets (no offense to any other teams) which means Giannis will most likely play even more minutes.

Center – Nikola Jokić

Fantasy basketball managers suffered a blow this week as the Denver Nuggets didn’t have enough players to take the court, which led to the game being postponed. The reigning MVP is the best center in the NBA and online daily fantasy sports sites in the US all agree with this. Jokić led the league in fantasy basketball points last year, and yes you’ve read that right. Not just in his position, but across the league and by far.

Funnily enough, this year is no different. Jokić is still the top fantasy pick and is projected to stay that way until the end of the season. The Denver superstar is currently averaging 56.1 fantasy points per game as he continues to put up MVP numbers.

The Nuggets will have five games during the week of January 3-10. As the Joker is looking healthy as ever, that means we get to see some high fantasy numbers. He’s averaging 25.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.1 APG on 55.9% shooting. Denver is also currently (Dec. 31st) 5th in the West but they’re looking to climb up a few spots in the future. He has a high fantasy salary but also high value. With Nikola Jokić, you get what you pay for, and that’s the best center in the league and one of the best NBA DFS players.

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