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After a typically quiet Tuesday night, we're back up to a big nine-game mid-week ledger Wednesday. There is no shortage of elite options with 18 teams taking the floor, as well as several mid-range/value plays at each position, especially centers.
The injury report fortunately isn't overly populated with many short-term issues, either, which helps keep the player pool robust. As of late Tuesday night, there are some bright prospects in terms of solid DFS environments -- four of the seven games with posted totals sport figures over 230 points, including two that eclipse 240.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the respective main slates on DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/18/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock, which is at 7:30 pm ET. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LaMelo Ball - PG, CHA at HOU ($9,600 DK, $9,600 FD)
Ball has frequently offered returns worthy of a five-figure salary this season, and he checks into Wednesday having eclipsed 50 DK points in eight of his last 10 games and on four occasions on FD in that timeframe as well. The star guard will be an integral part of a game that has a projected total of over 235 points as of early Wednesday, and he also happens to be drawing a matchup against a team whose vulnerabilities are a perfect match for his skill set.
The Rockets have allowed the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (29.9), along with an NBA-high 55.0 DK/54.2 FD points per game to the position. Houston is also surrendering an elevated 26 assists per contest in the last three games and has given up an NBA-high 8.9 steals per home contest, two vulnerabilities Ball is very capable of exploiting as evidenced by the career-high 8.4 dimes and 1.1 steals he's averaging.
Darius Garland - SG/PG, CLE at MEM ($8,100 DK, $8,000 FD)
Garland appears set to take the floor Wednesday without Donovan Mitchell (groin), who was downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Tuesday night. The talented point guard should have plenty more offensive responsibility in his backcourt mate's absence, and he's coming off a game in which he posted 59 DK/54.7 FD points against the Pelicans, a contest that Mitchell departed after 22 minutes of floor time due to his injury.
Garland checks in already running hot, averaging 24.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, along with 50.4 percent shooting, including 46.3 percent from three-point range, over his last eight games. Garland is putting up just under 40 fantasy points per game in that sample, and the Grizzlies have been much more vulnerable to point guards recently while allowing just over 51 DK and over 49 FD points to the position in the last seven games.
Jamal Murray - PG, DEN vs. MIN ($6,500 DK, $7,200 FD)
Murray's salaries are eye-catching considering he's eclipsed 40 DK points on 10 occasions and on nine instances on FD. The star point guard shot 50 percent in his one prior encounter with the Timberwolves this season as well, and he's shooting an impressive 39.0 percent from three-point range at home this season. Murray has been even hotter from behind the arc in recent games, draining a blistering 47.1 percent of his attempts from downtown in his last 11 contests.
Minnesota checks in allowing the 10th-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards (27.3), along with 50.2 DK/48.6 FD points per game to the position. The T-Wolves have also given up the fourth-most steals per contest (8.0), and they've yielded 37.1 percent three-point shooting on the season, including 41.2 percent in the last three contests. In turn, Murray is shooting 48.8 percent from distance in the last six contests, certainly a good potential harbinger of success Wednesday.
ALSO CONSIDER: De'Aaron Fox - PG, SAC at LAL ($8,300 DK, $8,300 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Julius Randle - PF, NYK vs. WAS ($10,100 DK, $9,900 FD)
Randle lit up the Wizards for 47.5 DK/43.7 FD points just three games ago, his only prior matchup versus Washington this season. The talented forward is coming off a blistering two-game stretch where he's averaged 31.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists across 41 minutes, leading to tallies of 71.8/54.3 DK and 68/51 FD points. Randle has hit the double-double bonus in 11 consecutive contests as well, and he'll once again be primed for a successful performance in Wednesday's rematch.
The Wizards have given up an NBA-high 55.1 DK/53.9 FD points per game to power forwards over the last seven games. Washington has given up an NBA-high 2.2 steals per contest to fours over that span as well, along with an elevated 50.8 points in the paint per road contest. The Wizards are also conceding 37.2 percent three-point shooting on the road, while Randle is putting up a robust 8.9 three-point attempts in the last 15 contests.
Christian Wood - PF/C, DAL vs. ATL ($8,600 DK, $8,300 FD)
The Hawks' frontcourt has been porous most of the season and Wood arrives in a midst of a torrid stretch of play, an enticing combination for DFS purposes. Wood is averaging 22.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks across 33.4 minutes over his last 11 games, a stretch in which he's shooting 54.0 percent, including 37.9 percent from three-point range. Wood has scored at least 40 DK points on eight occasions and in seven instances on FD during that sample, including a pair of 60-plus fantasy-point efforts on each site.
Atlanta is giving up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to frontcourt players (85.5). The Hawks are also conceding the fourth-most DK (48.9) and third-most FD (47.0) points per game to power forwards on the season, including 51.7 DK/49.7 FD points per contest in the last seven games. They've also yielded the third-most rebounds per road game (55.1), as well as the fifth-most points in the paint per contest (53.7) overall, two additional metrics that further Wood's case.
Jarred Vanderbilt - PF/C, UTA vs. LAC ($5,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
Vanderbilt is never very highly rostered on a large slat, yet he's proven capable of outperforming his current salaries on multiple occasions and is in a favorable matchup Wednesday. Additionally, Vanderbilt is averaging 25 fantasy points per game on either site in his last 14 contests despite averaging just 25 minutes per game in that sample, and he's put up over 28 DK/FD points in six instances over that span.
The Clippers went into Tuesday night's contest allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to power forwards (28.4), along with 49.0 percent shooting to the position. L.A. is also giving up over 45 fantasy points per game on either site to fours on the season, along with the fourth-most steals per road game. In turn, Vanderbilt has recorded multiple steals on 11 occasions, and at least one swipe in 31 games overall.
ALSO CONSIDER: LeBron James, PF/C, LAL vs. SAC ($11,500 DK, $11,400 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Domantas Sabonis - C/PF, SAC at LAL ($10,500 DK, $10,200 FD)
Sabonis just put up 73.3 DK/71 FD points two games ago across 37 minutes versus the Rockets, a vivid reminder of his upside. The big man has exceeded 50 DK points on 19 occasions overall this season, and he's done the same on FD a total of 12 times. Sabonis has already enjoyed plenty of success against the same Lakers squad he'll face Wednesday as well, averaging 53.1 DK/49 FD points over three games while putting up 19.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists across 34.5 minutes per contest.
The Lakers check-in allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.5), along with the third-most DK (58.8) and FD (58.5) points per game to the position on the season. What's more, Sabonis may be catching L.A. at its most vulnerable point of the season, as Darvin Ham's squad has yielded an NBA-high 66.5 DK/66.3 FD points per contest to fives in the last seven games. The Lakers have also given up the fifth-most rebounds per home game (54.4), upping Sabonis' chances of recording his 33rd double-double of the season.
Alperen Sengun - C, HOU vs. CHA ($7,700 DK, $7,500 FD)
Sengun is very capable of outperforming his current salaries, as he's already exceeded 40 DK points on nine occasions and in eight instances on FD thus far this season. Sengun is coming off his best game of the season, posting 70.3 DK/70 FD points versus the Lakers to close out the MLK Day slate on Monday night. Sengun now draws an even more appealing matchup versus the Hornets, who have been highly vulnerable to centers all season and have been a magnet for double-doubles throughout the campaign.
Charlotte is surrendering the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.5), along with 55.3 percent shooting, including 41.4 percent from three-point range, to the position. The Hornets have also given up an NBA-high 60.8 DK/60.1 FD points per game to centers, along with an Eastern Conference-high 54.8 rebounds and an NBA-high 6.2 blocks per road game, giving Sengun multiple paths to fantasy success.
Walker Kessler - C, UTA vs. LAC ($5,400 DK, $7,900 FD)
The discrepancy between Kessler's salaries on DK and FD is significant, making him an outstanding value on the former but still a solid play on the latter. The emerging rookie just went off for a career-best 20-point, 21-rebound double-double on Monday night against the Timberwolves, a performance that netted an outstanding 57.3 DK/56.2 FD points across 31 minutes. It was Kessler's second straight double-double and third in the last five games, and he'll now get a crack at a Clippers team on the second night of a back-to-back set.
ALSO CONSIDER: Mason Plumlee - C, CHA at HOU ($6,300 DK; $7,200 FD); Ivica Zubac - C, LAC at UTA ($5,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
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