RADIO
The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on October 27, 2018. Jake Finnen's NBA DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
There are nine games on the slate and the Lakers are, once again, the team to stack. With multiple other superstars available, you have to go with one of the big four options tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo has his work cut out for him in Orlando but it could lead to an early blowout, Anthony Davis is on the second night of a tough back-to-back versus one of the leagues top defenses, and LeBron James is taking on the Spurs at home. There is only one game with a higher O/U than the Lakers/Spurs contest, Hawks vs. Bulls and you MUST find value there, but that's where I can help.
The one game I want to avoid tonight is Pistons vs. Celtics. Marcus Morris could be a sneaky pick because this is a "revenge" game for him, but both teams are either streaky on offense or extremely spread out. There is little gaurantee on who will be the highest producer and it will likely come down to the superstars like Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving simply hitting their shots, while Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin go to work in the paint. Both teams will struggle to guard each others strong suits, but the pace is what bothers me most. It's hard to bank on players to have high-scoring games when the game itself shouldn't be.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/27/18. 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 tonight's FanDuel lineup picks and our Premium DFS Cheat Sheet as well as our brand new NBA DFS Matchup Ratings tool. Make sure to check your lineups before game time and good luck. If you have any questions, find me in the NBA Chat Room, on Twitter @HalfCourtJester or on Xbox. No matter where you do it, pester me with questions.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Lonzo Ball - PG vs. SAS ($6,000)
Lonzo will continue to be a top play as long as Rajon Rondo is out. He fills the stat sheet too easily for him to go unplayed when you know he is getting his 30 minutes. Over the previous few games, he is averaging AT LEAST 30 FPPG and it's hard to see that changing with how well he is playing. His price has actually taken a slight downturn despite playing well against the Nuggets, but regardless there will be few point guards in this price range that will produce in the same quantity.
Jrue Holiday -PG/SG vs. UTA ($6,500)
Maybe I lied. So, there could be one other point guard who is capable of putting up consistent numbers tonight. Jrue Holiday won the game for his team last night and now that they face a much more capable defense, meaning the star players will be relied on even more than before. When it comes to the individual defenders on Utah, only Rudy Gobert is a real problem spot. The Jazz are filled with athleticism and strength, but their defensive scheme is what keeps teams from dominating them. Luckily, Jrue will be facing none of the the core defenders for a majority of the game so look to him to be the main facilitator, with Elfrid Payton alongside. Jrue has established himself as the scorer, allowing Payton to scrape away at his triple-doubles. Both are viable plays but Jrue has much more upside.
Kent Bazemore - SG/SF vs. CHI ($5,700)
Not the biggest fan of playing Kent Bazemore in these formats because streakiness is his most prominent attribute, but athleticism is a close second. Bazemore is an easy play because he is facing the Bulls, but be aware that he is more than capable of just missing every shot he takes. It's unlikely given his style of play and he will get his fair share of open looks under the rim, but his ceiling is dependent on how well he is shooting from deep. Bazemore has improved on his playmaking and is taking advantage of all his opportunities, so he might not put up another 50+ FPS in DFS, but if he is going to get close, this is the game for him to do it in.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Julius Randle SF/PF vs UTA ($5,900)
Julius Randle's price should not be this low. It's almost criminal given his role on the Pelicans, especially on the second night of a back-to-back. He will face stiff competition in the paint, but Rudy Gobert will have his hands full dealing with Anthony Davis for most of the game, so Randle could actually out-produce Davis given Gobert doesn't get into foul trouble. The only thing beneficial about the Pelicans playing tonight is that they don't have to travel and fatigue should not be the biggest problem, especially for Randle.
Dewayne Dedmon PF/C vs CHI ($4,700)
The Hawks have been playing extremely well for being a "bad" team, and Dewayne Dedmon has finally returned from an ankle injury. Although he is a veteran and playing behind Alex Len, it shouldn't be hard for him to find minutes. Dedmond was a bright spot of the Hawks team last year and Len doesn't really have the skill set to demand minutes over Dedmon. If Dedmon can continue to expand his range this season, he is going to offer a ton more value than in just DFS. When John Collins returns, expect Len to see less time while Dedmon fills the role as the paint protector for the Hawks.
Justin Holiday - SG/SF @ ATL ($4,500)
When it comes to the eye-test, Justin Holiday is one of the better players on the Bulls. When it comes to DFS, Holiday is about as frustrating and un-trustowrthy as they come. That doesn't mean you can just fade the streaky players, but you need to be more cautious. His price isn't super low, but for what he is capable of, he's a top value play for tonight. The Hawks have plenty of wings that can run with Holiday, but only Taurean Prince is a worthwhile defender. Even if Prince lines up against Holiday, rather than them shutting eachother down, expect both to get to their spots on the perimeter with more catch-and-shoot scoring rather that isolation offense.
DraftKings DFS Center
Pau Gasol - vs LAL ($4,400)
Once again, not a great play, but could provide solid value. Depsite only shooting 2-for-7 from the field last game, he still scored over 10 FPTS. Granted, this is just not a promising writeup or outlook, it still has to be noted because of the Spurs funky rotations. Gasol is capable of putting up bigger stat lines. Although Jakob Poeltl is considering the starting center, Gasol plays and looks more comfortable out there with the ball in his hands. His production is being lost on the rest of the Spurs players by that one-extra pass that costs Gasol an assist or two, but seeing Gasol as one of the few players that still committed to team-first basketball, he could be worth the play.
JaVale McGee - vs SAS ($5,600)
Who better to play than the player who will be lining up directly across from the either older or inexperienced frontcourt. Javale McGee isn't the best center in DFS right now but he sure is playing like it. He has YET to have a game scoring below 30 FPTS and that shouldn't change unless a freak injury occurs. McGee is the ideal center for DFS because he is literally all stats. When he gets the ball, he is shooting for finding a very easy pass to make for an assist. LeBron James and Lonzo Ball have totally opened up McGee's game and he has one of the brightest futures on this team. It's nice to see McGee playing well and having fun on a new team, so indulge on DFS.
