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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 12, 2019. Jake Finnen provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
There are only six games on the main slate today and it's already looking like value plays are going to need to pay off. If you aren't paying up for Russell Westbrook tonight, you have to play either Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis or a mix of Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine, and Kemba Walker. All of the players I listed have upside every night so even though it might seem like a bad idea to go with Westbrook playing the Spurs the second time in three nights, but there aren't really any changes the Spurs could make to stop a similar outing. The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz is sneakily becoming the game to stack, but do not fade anyone in the Hornets-Kings game. There will be plenty of rebounds to go around and while Willy Hernangomez is going to get absolutely destroyed on defense, he still has upside as a rebounder that can score in the paint.
If you forced me to choose who will be the most productive player tonight, I have a gut feeling tonight is Paul George's night. I love Anthony Davis's upside against the Timberwolves and especially Karl-Anthony Towns, so it's hard to really say George will out-produce Davis. Even then, I still think George finishes tonight as the today's leading scorer.
I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 01/12/19. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses before the opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Dennis Schroder - PG/SG, vs. SAS ($4,700)
Dennis Schroder didn't perform terribly in his last game against the Spurs, but he did take 14 shots while only scoring 14 points. Clearly, an area he can immediately improve on and seeing how much freedom he had to operate last outing, I expect a similar impact with better results. Paul George and Russell Westbrook are still going to be a handful for the Spurs to defend, so while the secondary scorers already have a heavier weight to carry playing San Antonio twice in a row, I still have plenty of confidence in Schroder at such a low price. Abdel Nader and Terrence Ferguson aren't safe picks, but based on last game they should have much more opportunities to be productive, although I worry Ferguson won't be able to repeat his incredible shooting performance. 90% confidence in Schroder and closer to 40& for both Nader and Ferguson.
Nicolas Batum - SG/SF, @ SAC ($4,900)
There has been more than a fair share of talk about Nicolas Batum under-performing this season. I can't really argue with that because compared to recent seasons, this has been a downtrend almost two years in the making. He is more than capable of having big games and he does, but the consistency between games has all but disappeared. Batum has been playing the defense-first role with playmaking coming in a close second, so the stats are there, but aren't coming in bunches. He doesn't really try to find his shot anymore, but if there has been one consistent aspect to Batum's game it's his minutes. Until his minutes drop off, he will have upside as someone who can find teammates and hit shots from the outside. Against the Kings, the upside is there and with his price below 5K, bank on him assuming a scorers role tonight.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Jonathan Isaac - SF/PF, vs. BOS ($3,600)
This isn't the smartest pick going agains the Celtics defense, but it could allow Jonathan Isaac to see the shot attempts he needs. If he isn't going to be a presence in the paint as a seven-footer, he needs to start spacing the offense. Honestly, I don't think Isaac is a promising prospect. I think there is too much to his game that works against his size that it will be hard for him to reset his mentality in order to realize this. He blocks shot's but isn't a shot blocker. He has a quick release on a long jumpshot but doesn't shoot. He will have good games, giving people reason to believe he has upside, but until he realizes that he needs to play a role as a big, and not just be big, he will always be underperforming. Regardless, tonight I think the Celtics let him do whatever he wants with the ball, leading to a great performance, but this is still the Celtics team that thrives on defense so the rest of the Magic are already capped.
Derrick Favors - PF/C, vs. CHI ($5,100)
The Bulls have quality rebounders but none of them have the sheer strength of someone like Derrick Favors. Yes, his mobility is always a problem but the Bulls simply lack the talent to compete with the size of Favors. Bobby Portis will be forced to use his athleticism and Lauri Markkanen might just be out of luck when it comes to rebounding versus the Jazz. Since the pace will be slower I expect the Bulls to keep this game competitive through the first three quarters, but it's nearly impossible for Chicago to keep Rudy Gobert and Favors from exceeding their projected tonight. The competitiveness of this game will come down to how well Kris Dunn and Zach Lavine are shooting.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Willie Cauley-Stein - C, vs. CHA ($6,900)
It's really hard not to target the Hornets frontcourt. They are lacking so many key pieces and they have minimal, if any defense. Willie Cauley-Stein's price has been hovering around this area for some time because he can demolish weak frontcourts and has upside every night. You can expect one of his best games of the season because Cauley-Steins athleticism and length make it nearly impossible for any Hornet big to simply stop him. Being in the Western Conference doesn't automatically make him a better player, but the teams he has grown accustomed to playing are head-and-shoulders better than teams in the East. The Kings might be losing to the West's elites, but they get the chance to eat when teams like the Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, and Pistons are up on the schedule. With a price below 7K, don't be afraid to go cheaper with the bigs and spend up for guards.
