NBA DFS: Studs, scrubs, and duds on DraftKings and FanDuel Jan. 25

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Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Top star players, best value picks, and guys you should stay away from on January 25 in NBA DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Welcome to Studs, Scrubs, and Duds; FanSided’s daily fantasy NBA lineup helper.

Here’s what’s on the slate for tonight:

7 p.m. ET: Brooklyn at Detroit
8 p.m. ET: Chicago at Cleveland, Oklahoma City at Minnesota
8:30 p.m. ET: LA Lakers at Philadelphia

How this works:

Studs: Top high salary picks that you can build your lineup around.
Scrubs: Value players looking for a big night or consistent options to help fill out your lineup.
Duds: Players to avoid given their high salary and/or poor matchup.

Five players are picked on each slide, positions are not applicable, and both DraftKings and FanDuel salaries are listed.

Studs

Ben Simmons (vs LAL – $9,400 on DK; $9,700 on FD): It’s a tough matchup as the Lakers defense will be very focused on Simmons, but with Embiid out, he’s really taken his numbers to the next level. He’s always a triple double threat and I’m not as sold on the guys above him when it comes to overall value. Even with it being a tough matchup, numbers aren’t an issue for Simmons given the circumstances.

Zach LaVine (at CLE – $9,200 on DK; $8,600 on FD): LaVine is always good for a big numbers of points and there should be no exception in this one. The Cavaliers don’t offer much on defense and LaVine should be in for a 30+ scoring night. He’ll also chip in with assists and rebounds in this one, which isn’t always guaranteed for him.

Kevin Love (vs CHI – $7,900 on DK; $7,100 on FD): Love has been a tad inconsistent as of late but this is a perfect matchup for him. There’s a lot of good value in this game because neither team have cap crippling players and they both have some guys who get plenty of opportunities. The Bulls defense is better than you might expect, which is why I do caution a bit against some of the guards of the Cavaliers.

Derrick Rose (vs BKN – $7,500 on DK; $6,800 on FD): Rose has been putting up great numbers in recent weeks and nothing will change with this matchup. The Nets don’t offer much in terms of defense and the entire vibe around the team is not good right now. Meanwhile, there are no real questions with Rose. He will continue to get his numbers for a bad Pistons team.