NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Tuesday, Jan. 21 include Nikola Jokic

Jimmy Butler is playing his third game on Tuesday following his team-imposed seven-game suspension, and the six-time All-Star hasn’t been performing to the expectations of daily Fantasy basketball players since his return. Butler is averaging 13 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his first two games back heading into Miami’s matchup against Deandre Ayton, Shaedon Sharpe and Portland, so can you confidently add Butler into NBA DFS lineups? With only five games on Tuesday, there are limited ways to form an NBA DFS strategy, and due to Butler’s vocal displeasure, he may be faded by many making NBA DFS picks. But could that create an opportunity for value and variance in NBA DFS lineups? 

Joel Embiid (knee) remains out for the 76ers, with Paul George (groin) questionable ahead of a matchup against Jamal Murray and Denver. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey has scored at least 28 points in seven of the eight games Embiid has missed since Jan. 4. Although Maxey is an expensive option on NBA DFS sites like FanDuel and DraftKings, he’s one to strongly consider as well. Before making any NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Monday, McClure highlighted Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards as one of his top NBA DFS picks from the NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Edwards had 32 points, four rebounds and three assists, returning 42.5 points on DraftKings and 39.3 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups could have been well on the way to a profitable day.

McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Tuesday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Tuesday, January 21

For Tuesday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who is listed at $12,000 on DraftKings and $12,700 on FanDuel. Jokic is coming off his third straight triple-double after having 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-100 win over the Magic on Sunday. The 29-year-old is averaging 30.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 9.9 assists this season, ranking second in assists and third in both scoring and rebounding. Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP and winner of three of the last four MVP awards, currently has the second-best odds of winning his fourth MVP.

The Nuggets host the 76ers on Tuesday, and Jokic is averaging 26.7 points, 13.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists over his last six home games against Philadelphia. Embiid played in only one of those contests, and he’s out again with a knee injury. The 76ers have lost six straight games and are coming off a 123-109 defeat to the Bucks on Sunday, whereas Denver is 6-1 over its last seven contests. 

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Magic forward Paolo Banchero ($8,600 on DraftKings and $8,800 on FanDuel). Banchero is averaging 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists over five games after missing about two-and-a-half months with an oblique injury, including scoring 34 points in his first game back on Jan. 10. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is averaging a career-high 25.2 points and 7.5 rebounds this season.

The Magic play the Raptors, who are coming off a 130-112 loss to the Bucks. Toronto has lost 17 of its last 20 games, in large part due to its 27th-ranked scoring defense (118.5 ppg). Banchero had 29 points, six rebounds and five assists in his last game against Toronto. He’s played 29 minutes in back-to-back contests, his most since his extended absence due to injury, and that workload may increase in time for a matchup against one of the NBA’s worst defenses. Banchero should also get all of the shot attempts he can handle as he is the only of Orlando’s five leading scorers active for Tuesday. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday, January 21

McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Tuesday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

Who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.