Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Friday, January 2nd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-01-02 16:07:14 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career. So, who better to walk you through the madness of an NBA DFS slate? Core Plays LIVE will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best plays, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, you’ve come to the right place.

Happy Friday!

At this point, you could tell me it was a Monday, and I would believe you. Between the holiday, the kids being home from school, and the crazy sports schedules, every day feels like a blur. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but I am certainly looking forward to things slowing down here in the next couple of weeks. I’m also looking forward to the NFL playoffs. As a Jaguars fan, I have zero expectations each season. That way, anything better than 0-17 is a positive. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but they could make a run in the weak AFC.

In the association tonight, we have 10 games on the schedule. FanDuel and DraftKings remind me of my parents growing up. They have common interests but are rarely on the same page. FanDuel is rolling out a 10-game main slate, while DraftKings is rolling out a 7-game main slate.

Let’s dive into the games.

NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Friday, January 2nd

Slate Overview

• Slate Size – FanDuel: 10 Games, DraftKings: 7 Games
  - 7:00 pm ET – San Antonio Spurs at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 pm ET – Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards
  - 7:30 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
  - 7:30 pm ET – Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 8:00 pm ET – Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans
  - 8:00 pm ET – Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls
  - 8:00 pm ET – Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 9:00 pm ET – Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns
  - 10:00 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors
  - 10:30 pm ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

This section will be updated as injury news is released throughout the day.

Team Previews

San Antonio Spurs (at IND)

We kick off tonight’s big slate with the Spurs, who go on the road to take on the Pacers. This is a favorable matchup for fantasy production, as Indiana is 12th in pace and 23rd in points allowed per game. San Antonio’s team total is a point higher than their season average. Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell are both out.

Here’s who benefits the most with Wemby and Vassell off the floor:

Naturally, a lot of players on the Spurs are going to have positive RGValues with those two key players out tonight. Stephon Castle sees the biggest usage boost (+8%), while De’Aaron Fox sees the biggest FP/min. boost (+0.17). Both are strong plays for cash games and tournaments. Dylan Harper has been a solid per-minute producer (1.08 DK / 1.07 FD) all season and should see a few extra minutes tonight.

Harrison Barnes is cheap and should see small upticks in minutes and usage. Keldon Johnson likely won’t start, but he’ll see an uptick in playing time off the bench. Luke Kornet doesn’t seem to have much of a ceiling, but he should see minutes in the upper 20s with increased rebounding potential with Wemby out. We should also bring up Julian Champagnie, who is coming off a 50-fantasy-point outing the other night. Don’t be shy with your Spurs exposure tonight.

Indiana Pacers (vs. SAS)

The Pacers have a difficult matchup on paper, but the Spurs are a much worse defensive team with Wemby out. The Pacers actually have a team total that is 5 points higher than their season average. Obi Toppin, Isaiah Jackson, and Tyrese Haliburton are all out.

Here’s my problem with the Pacers — they aren’t trustworthy. There’s systemic risk with how bad this team has been this season, and there is no consistency on an individual level. If targeting the Pacers, I would only look their way in large-field tournaments. Andrew Nembhard has topped 38 fantasy points in 3 of his last 8 games. I prefer him over Bennedict Mathurin, who has been held under 36 fantasy points in 8 straight games. Aaron Nesmith should be back to playing his full allotment of minutes, but do we really want to target him on a large slate? Pascal Siakam is my favorite target here. His price has come down, and he sees a matchup boost with Wemby out.

Brooklyn Nets (at WAS)

The Nets are playing on the second half of a back-to-back, but they won the matchup lottery tonight. They get to face the Wizards, who are 8th in pace and bottom 3 in rebounding rate, points allowed per game, and defensive rating. Brooklyn’s team total is 4 points higher than their season average. We don’t have their initial injury report yet, but we have Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, and Terrance Mann all listed as questionable in the Situation Room.

With the three questionable players in the projections, Nic Claxton is the only player with a positive RGValue on the Nets. He’s been volatile, but he has legitimate 50+ fantasy point upside at a reasonable price point. Targeting centers against the Wizards has been a profitable strategy all season. If MPJ is out again, a bunch of value will open up. I’m still hesitant to target Cam Thomas, who has yet to play more than 22 minutes since coming back from injury.

Washington Wizards (vs. BKN)

The Wizards have a fairly difficult matchup against the Nets, who have been playing some excellent defense over the last few weeks. On the season, Brooklyn is 27th in pace and 9th in points allowed per game. Washington’s team total is a point lower than their season average. Kyshawn George, Corey Kispert, and Cam Whitmore are all out.

We have a ton of games on the schedule tonight. It’s a “thanks, but no thanks” when it comes to the Wizards. The only fun narrative here is that twin brothers Julian Champagnie and Justin Champagnie get to square off tonight. Washington’s Champagnie is cheap and has topped 20 fantasy points in 5 straight games.

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