Tuesday's five-game FanDuel main slate brings a strong mix of star power, value opportunities and injury-driven volatility, making tonight's NBA DFS decisions heavily dependent on the latest NBA injury report, confirmed NBA starting lineups and updated NBA projections. With several high-usage players sidelined and multiple rotations in flux, this breakdown highlights elite spends, expected chalk and salary-saving targets to help you build competitive NBA DFS lineups. We'll factor in recent NBA player stats, matchup context and roster trends to support sharper lineup construction. Whether you're tracking breaking NBA news or fine-tuning your lineup optimizer process, this guide is designed to give you a clear edge.
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NBA Games Today
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, Jan. 13 @12:00 p.m. ET:
Phoenix Suns at Miami Heat (-1) (O/U: 230.5)
Chicago Bulls at Houston Rockets (-13) (O/U: 223.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5) (O/U: 226.5)
Denver Nuggets (-2.5) at New Orleans Pelicans (O/U: 233.5)
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5) (O/U: 229.5)
We have a serviceable set of betting metrics Tuesday with the exception of the Bulls-Rockets game, where Houston is expected to file a fairly comfortable victory. Projected totals aren't especially appealing after several slates with plenty of figures in the high 230s/low 240s, but there will be plenty of star power on the floor and the opportunity for expectations to therefore be exceeded.
NBA Injury Report Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Jamal Murray, DEN (ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Murray can't suit up, Jalen Pickett is likely to remain in the starting five, while the usage rates for the rest of the first unit, particularly Aaron Gordon, should skyrocket.
Anthony Edwards, MIN (foot): OUT
In Edwards' absence and that of Rudy Gobert (suspension), Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels should be among the biggest beneficiaries, while Bones Hyland should make his way into the first unit.
Norman Powell, MIA (back): QUESTIONABLE
If Powell can't play, Jaime Jaquez and Pelle Larsson will likely absorb the majority of small forward minutes, while Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins could also benefit from extra opportunity.
Other notable injuries:
Josh Giddey, CHI (hamstring): OUT
Coby White, CHI (calf): OUT
Rudy Gobert, MIN (suspension): OUT
Jalen Green, PHO (hamstring): OUT
Devin Vassell, SAN (thigh): OUT
Herbert Jones, NOP (ankle): OUT
Christian Braun, DEN (ankle): OUT
Tari Eason, HOU (ankle): OUT
Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC (calf): OUT
Devin Vassell, SAN (thigh): OUT
Saddiq Bey, NOP (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Aaron Gordon, DEN (hamstring): PROBABLE
Elite NBA DFS Picks
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,900) and Victor Wembanyama ($10,100).
Giannis is coming off having scored 64.1 FD points against the Nuggets on on Sunday and has been over 40 FD points in each of the eight games since returning from injury.
SGA has bounced back from a recent three-game stretch with less than 40 FD points to post 68.2 and 50.0 in his last two games. However, it's worth noting he's facing a Spurs team that's held him to 17.6 percent three-point shooting in three prior meetings this season.
Wembanyama returned to the first unit his most recent time out and provided 46.9 FD points in 27 minutes against the T-Wolves on Sunday, but the Thunder have held him to 17.7 and 8.3 rebounds per contest in three meetings thus far this season.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jamal Murray, DEN ($9,900)
If Murray is cleared to play, he should be very popular in Nikola Jokic's ongoing absence and after scoring over 53 FD points in each of his last three games.
Alperen Sengun, HOU ($9,400)
Sengun came back from a three-game absence to score 43.8 FD points against the Kings on Sunday, which should help keep him very popular Tuesday.
Kevin Durant, HOU ($9,300)
KD is averaging 47.1 FD points over his last five games, making him an appealing point-per-dollar play at his salary.
Devin Booker, PHO ($9,200)
Booker has seen some fluctuations in his production in recent games, but he has upside north of 50 FD points and will be an integral part of a fast-paced game against the Heat that could lead to one of his higher-percentile performances.
Amen Thompson, HOU ($8,900)
The combination of Thompson's average of 44.2 FD points over his last seven games and his salary should ensure he's on plenty of rosters in a favorable matchup against the Bulls.
NBA DFS Value Picks
Jabari Smith, HOU vs. CHI ($6,200)
Smith continues to offer key complementary production for the Rockets and finds himself in a very favorable positional matchup Tuesday, which makes him an eye-catching salary-saving option. The versatile forward is averaging 29.4 FD points in the nine games dating back to Christmas Day, and he's reached that figure despite some offensive struggles that have seen him shoot just 38.5 percent and post a trio of single-digit scoring tallies in that span. The matchup Tuesday should lend itself to one of Smith's stronger performances, as the Bulls are allowing an NBA-high 53.6 FD points per contest to power forwards for the season, including an NBA-high 54.8 over the last 15 games.
Ayo Dosunmu, CHI at HOU ($5,900)
Dosunmu makes for an intriguing option on the other side of the Bulls-Rockets matchup, and he comes into Tuesday's contest on quite the nice run of production. The veteran guard is averaging 30.2 FD points across his last eight games, a stretch where he's contributed a well-rounded 15.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals while shooting 51.6 percent, including 43.2 percent from behind the arc. Dosunmu is averaging a solid 26.5 minutes across that span as well, and although the matchup against the Rockets is generally a daunting one, the combination of Dosunmu's salary, recent form and opportunity keeps him as a viable alternative.
Zeke Nnaji, DEN at NOP ($4,400)
Nearly the last man standing at center for the Nuggets in the wake of the absences of Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas, Nnaji is averaging 24.7 minutes off the bench in six January games and parlaying that opportunity into 12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 27.4 FD points per contest. He's also been doing a solid job spacing the floor in that span, shooting 43.8 percent from distance. Then, New Orleans comes into Tuesday conceding the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (36.8), along with co-NBA-high two-point shooting (59%) and the second-most total rebounds per home game (57.9). With Nnaji seeing a solid allotment of playing time at the moment, he's a very strong candidate to deliver a strong return on what is still a very reasonable salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Julian Champagnie, SAN at OKC ($5,300)
