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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on January 18, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! With 12 Monday games, the NBA decided to leave us out in the cold a bit with a teeny tiny two-game slate. Of the four teams, only New York is facing a back-to-back. Minnesota, Detroit, and Golden State played their last game on Sunday. With a slate this small, a studs-and-duds approach is a viable way to win, but you'll still need your fair share of value guards, forwards, and centers to bring how that tournament.
While both games come in with an over/under below 220 points, Golden State is the heavy favorite for most points scored because of their implied total of 115 points. Detroit is a 14.5-point underdog in San Francisco, but their fast pace keeps them in my thoughts. Well, that and there are only four teams to pick from, so it's challenging to fade any team.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/18/22. And instead of meticulously trying to comb through the rest of the myriad of injury and "health and safety protocols" issues in play, be sure to check out our NBA Injuries Report as well as NBA Player News for updated information.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Stephen Curry - PG, GSW vs. DET ($10,200 DraftKings; $10,600 FanDuel)
If there were any other stud-like options at the guard positions on Tuesday, I would take them over Stephen Curry. Maybe it sounds crazy to the casual DFS fan, but I swear it's true. Curry (hand) is returning to the lineup, but he's been in a bit of a shooting funk. Over his previous six games, the two-time MVP is making 33.9 percent of his field-goal attempts and 25.5 percent of his three-pointers. However, I can't get away from him too much because there are so few top-tier options on this sale and because he is Stephen Curry.
This guy can go supernova on any given night. However, past performance does not predict future performance, and Steph has shown us time and time again that he is a couple of threes away from finding his golden touch once again. I especially like that tonight's game against the Pistons is also a pace-up spot for Curry and the Warriors against the worst defensive team on the slate. Plus, Detroit allows the seventh-most fantasy points to point guards and fourth-most to shooting guards, so wherever Curry sets up should give him a great matchup on the court.
Cade Cunningham - PG/SG, DET at GSW ($7,500 DK; $6,000 FD)
It's been an up-and-down season for the No. 1 overall pick, but the ups have become a lot more frequent in recent weeks. Over Cade Cunningham's last four appearances, the rookie is averaging 34.5 DKFP (DraftKings fantasy points) thanks to 19 points, five assists, four rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers, and 1.3 steals per night. Of course, all those numbers would be higher if he weren't irrationally ejected from Sunday's game versus the Phoenix Suns. Thanks for taking the fun out of the game, refs. Regardless, I'm really enjoying watching Cunningham figure out the pro level each night, and I believe he's a big-game player.
Golden State falls into that big-game category despite their recent offensive struggles. Plus, the Warriors clock in as the 10th-best matchup for point guards over the last 15 games. Cunningham is probably too inconsistent for cash-game lineups, but I love him as a tournament play because of his immense ceiling.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
RJ Barrett - SF, NYK vs. MIN ($7,300 DK; $7,200 FD)
Maybe it's perfect timing, and it makes for a good story, but RJ Barrett sure seems to enjoy having his former-college teammate, Cam Reddish, in New York. While it's undoubtedly just a coincidence, the 2019 first-round pick is playing a tremendous stretch of basketball. Barrett is producing 26.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 triples in the last four contests. The Knicks are in a strange position as they wait for some of their veterans to come back into the fold. However, a lot of their young guns are taking advantage of the playing time, and it will eventually result in quite a headache for Head Coach Tom Thibodaux. I could've written about several of their guards or forwards, but Barrett is the one I trust the most. He's scored at least 43 DKFP in three of four contests and now meets the ninth-best matchup for small forwards.
Otto Porter Jr. - SF/PF, GSW vs. DET ($5,800 DK; $6,900 FD)
With Draymond Green (calf/back) on the sidelines, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala have seen their minutes increase in the Warriors rotation. However, for DFS purposes, I'm riding with Porter on Tuesday night. Over the weekend, the 28-year helped his team battle through some tough injuries with nine points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals in a win over Chicago. Then, the 2013 draft pick registered 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, two threes, and a block in a loss to Minnesota. Those performances racked up 37.25 and 36.25 DraftKings points, respectively, and I'm confident he can hit that points range for DFS managers against Detroit.
Over their previous 15 games, the Pistons give up the fifth-most DraftKings points (43.91) to small forwards. In addition, Detroit is the worst defense among tonight's teams by over 4.3 points per 100 possessions. Even with Stephen Curry back for Golden State, they will still need all hands on deck as the Warriors are struggling on the offensive end of the court. Porter is a reliable pair of hands at just $5,800 on DraftKings and well worth a look in your lineups.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Karl-Anthony Towns - C, MIN at NYK ($10,200 DK; $9,600 FD)
So a two-game slate makes this especially tricky at the center position because Karl-Anthony Towns is the only player priced above $8,000, and the next-most expensive option, Draymond Green ($7,100; $7,000), is out. KAT will be mega-chalk in any contest, and he's someone you have to roster in any cash game. Even if he flops, he'll be doing it on 80 percent of your competitor's teams at the same time.
Since returning from a six-game absence, the two-time All-Star is recording 25.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, four assists, 2.9 stocks (steals+blocks), and 1.5 three-pointers per contest. He's scored at least 45 DKFP in four straight games and has the second-best odds (behind Stephen Curry) to lead the slate in fantasy points. With so few elite options on this slate, rostering Karl-Anthony Towns is a simple decision and should be a massive priority for DFS managers.
Mitchell Robinson - C, NYK vs. MIN ($5,400 DK; $5,400 FD)
Whenever a player makes 79.1 percent of the field goal attempts, they are worth a look in DFS formats. So Mitchell Robinson deserves a passing glance at center as a possible pivot away from Karl-Anthony Towns. Although, to be honest, Robinson is so priced down it's pretty easy to fit them both in your lineup and go with the double-center route to victory. Robinson's ceiling barely comes close to KAT's floor in DFS, but recently, he's been picking it up in the scoring department and registering some good fantasy point totals.
The fourth-year player has scored at least 10 or more points in five consecutive games for only the third time in his career. Another double-digit scoring performance will tie his career-high (six games) he set in the 2020 regular season right before the shutdown. Facing Minnesota gives him a great chance to tie that streak as the Timberwolves are the worst defense versus centers on tonight's schedule, allowing 55.95 DKFP to the position over their last 15 games.
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