Best NBA DFS Picks for January 6th Include Paolo Banchero, Alex Sarr, and 3 Others

We find high-upside options in these (5) must-start DFS items for the NBA January 6th slate of games.

Jan 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Our January 5th DFS Slate thrived. We stacked many players in the Jazz-Trail Blazers game and they delivered. Shoutout go to Donovan Clingan's (17) Rebounds, Deni Avdija's (33) Points, and (29) Points from Shaedon Sharpe. VJ Edgecombe also nearly delivered a Triple-Double. Tonight, we look to build a streak of success. Look to these players are your best January 6th DFS Selections.

Jordan Poole, PG/SG — $5,800 (FanDuel) | $5,600 (DraftKings)

Poole is newly back from injury and his output has been very respectable. In his two weeks/six games back, Poole has played five of those games to high minutes. In those five games, he is averaging (32.7) FanDuel Points per Game. That would be nearly 5x of tonight's salary.

The Pelicans play this game at home, host to the Lakers, who rank 26th versus Point Guards. The Pelicans are also 9th in Pace of Play, to aid any offensive momentum against a bad defense. At all times, Poole should be a Top-2 option on the court.

Desmond Bane, SG/SF — $7,600 (FanDuel) | $7,900 (DraftKings)

I am not one that thinks that Bane is an all-world player, but this matchup highly favors his upside. The Magic will be without Jalen Suggs tonight and, once again, without Franz Wagner. This means that Bane is a Top-2 usage option on the court at all times. The Wizards are terrible, ranking 30th versus Shooting Guards. With Suggs out in their last game, Bane went for a stat-line of 31-6-6 .

Aaron Nesmith, SF/PF — $5,700 (FanDuel) | $5,300 (DraftKings)

One mans trash is another mans treasure... wait, that is harsh... What I mean to say is that one mans absence is another mans opportunity. That is the case for Nesmith.

Benedict Mathurin will be out tonight for his 2nd straight game. In Mathurin's last game out, Nesmith saw a natural minutes increase to (34) Minutes, more than his (29.5) Minutes per Game. In that game versus Orlando, Nesmith recorded a stat-line of 25-4-8. He faces a Cavaliers team, without Donovan Mitchell, that is 27th versus Small Forwards.

Paolo Banchero, PF/SF — $10,400 (FanDuel) | $9,200 (DraftKings)

Paolo Banchero's @OrlandoMagic teammates are shooting 47.3% from 3-point range when he kicks the ball out to them this season. That ranks No. 1 in the @NBA among the 88 players who have dished out 50-plus kickout passes leading directly to 3-point attempts. pic.twitter.com/jhhoMHAHUv

— Josh Cohen (@Josh_Cohen_NBA) January 5, 2026

Well, if you are playing Banchero, you ought to play him on DraftKings at a discount. Even at the $10,400 price, Banchero is usable. In the absences of Wagner and Suggs, Banchero surges highly in this offense. Over Banchero's last four games, he is averaging (54.3) FanDuel Points, and over 5x of salary. The Wizards are 30th versus Power Forwards.

Alex Sarr, C/PF — $7,500 (FanDuel) | $7,100 (DraftKings)

Alex Sarr last six games:

4 blocks
4 blocks
2 blocks
6 blocks
3 blocks
4 blocks

Top 5 in blocks this season. pic.twitter.com/4RhcUVMfQM

— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 3, 2026

Sarr is the go-to player on this Wizards team. They may not be a good team, but Sarr is their leader and he will perform to heavy volume tonight. Sarr is 1st on the Wizards in Usage Rate, %Pts, and 2nd in Rebound Percentage, behind Justin Champagnie, who averages just under (17) Minutes per Game.

In this matchup, the Magic face the Wizards as the 19th Ranked Unit versus Centers. In terms of rebounding, the Magic are 13th and without Wagner to assist the matter. Sarr should have free-reign to hit double-digit rebounds, on top of some chase-scoring as (7.5) Point underdogs with a (233.5) Point Over/Under.