Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks, Value Plays - Thursday, January 18

Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves showdown slate NBA DFS lineup picks for Thursday January 18th, 2024. Koby's top FanDuel, DraftKings daily fantasy basketball value plays.

Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! Welcome back to our weekly showdown. As expected last week was a blowout and I had switched one player the lineups I had sent would have cashed, this one looms as another potential blowout but if the Pistons can keep it close then I believe anyone can. The Grizzlies are still down so key players such as Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Derrick Rose are all out for this game. Leaving potential value in their rotation, so come check it out!

I love playing the NBA showdowns daily, it has become one of my favorite forms of DFS. Nothing is more thrilling than having a lineup consisting of players from one game and sweating it out while watching it live. There is a lot less room for error though with there being fewer options to choose from. Hopefully, with all the advanced stats, I will be able to bring you the best analysis possible and get you some extra cash for the weekend ahead. So strap in as the season is just beginning and we will be here all year long. 

I will provide you with daily fantasy basketball picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves NBA DFS showdown slate on January 18. These NBA DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter/X @DFSKoby and please feel free to ask any questions about upcoming slates as I'm happy to answer any DMs or in our RotoBaller Discord!

MVP/Captain Plays

Anthony Edwards- PG/SG, $15,600 (DK) 

Key Stats

• 2023 Avg. Season Stats: 26 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5 assists with a combined 1.9 STOCK average.

Anthony gets a fantastic matchup going into this game, the Grizzlies are allowing the fourth most fantasy points to guards this season putting Edwards in a spot to have a boom game. He has averaged 44 Fantasy points per game this season and in his last full matchup against the Grizzlies, he finished 42 fantasy points in what was a 22-point win. If Memphis can keep this somewhat close we could see Edwards finish with 50+. The only issue I see with playing Edwards at Captain is his price, he is the most expensive on the slate but with how juicy this matchup is it can't be ignored.

Jaren Jackson Jr.- PF, $14,400(DK)

Key Stats

• 2023 Avg. Season Stats: 21.2 points, 1.8 assists, and 5.7 rebounds with a combined 2.6 STOCK average

Jaren Jackson Jr. seems to be the last man standing, with everyone out from the Memphis side of things, this bumps JJJ usage through the roof giving him a 9% Usage bump in games with those players out for injury. The ball is going to go through JJJ and if Memphis has any chance in this game it will be because of him. He is averaging 36 Fantasy points per game this season and over the last five games it has jumped to 44 DK a game. It is a tough matchup against the towers but with his usage, he will be a must-have!

Other Captains/MVPs: Karl Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert

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DFS Flex Plays

Vince Williams Jr.- SG/SF, $8,000 (DK)

Vince has found himself in a starting role with all the injuries to the team, Memphis is running a 9-man rotation and that is about all they have available. Vince has seen the most minutes of the starters finding himself getting 36 and 38 minutes over the last two games which has resulted in 44 DK in both games. He has shown to be a guy who does a little bit of everything, the matchup against Minnesota is awful but production has to come from somewhere and with him averaging about 1.2 FPPM I expect Vince to be one of those main scorers.

Mike Conley- PG, $7,600 (DK)

Obviously, Gobert and KAT are in better positions but if you need someone to pivot to who is a bit cheaper, then take a look at Mike Conley. Just like his fellow guard, he gets a great matchup against the Grizzlies giving up fourth-most fantasy points to guards. He has recently had good matchups against Portland and Detroit and those resulted in solid games scoring 26 and 30 fantasy points.

He also scored that 30 against Portland in only 20 minutes which gives a little hope if this one happens to blowout that Mike is still able to score well enough to pay off his price. Mike this season has averaged 27 DK points per game this season and hopefully, we can see something 30+ out of the veteran PG.

Other Flex Options: Xavier Tillman, Luke Kennard

DFS Value Plays

GG Jackson- F, $4,200$ (DK)

GG came out of nowhere! With all the recent injuries to all the guards for Memphis, this has led to GG getting plenty of minutes to show off his game. I'm surprised this wasn't a bit more bumped after his massive increase in minutes over the last two games. The great thing about this play too, it's blowout-proof! They are going to give the rookie the run regardless of the score. In his last two games, he has scored 41.5 and 33 DK points. In those two games, he had 27 and 29 minutes and with everyone out I expect those minutes to continue.

Kyle Anderson- SF, $5,000 (DK) 

Kyle has seen his minutes go up and down throughout the season which makes him a bit hard to trust but his price is what intrigues me. If he happens to have a solid game against a Grizzlies team that gives up the 10th most fantasy points to SFs then I want to be in on it. Getting those top guys isn't going to be cheap and getting a player with some reliable minutes who is also cheap is someone we have to look at. Minnesota runs a tight rotation but Kyle is usually mixed in there somehow. If you want cheap on the Minnesota side, you are limited so your best option really is Kyle Anderson.

Other Value Plays: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jacob Gilyard

Have a great night and let's make some cash!

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