RADIO
A nine game slate with value located all over the place has me way too excited, way too early. Plenty of teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, which means certain players will be seeing a few extra minutes, while other starters will be forced to carry a heavier workload. The top-tier of superstars tonight are enticing, but seem too expensive given each situation. Not many games are lined up to be competitive, which means tomorrow is going to be the most intense day of regular season basketball this year.
Look for LeBron James to dismantle the Magic, a production duel between Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis, Kemba Walker destroying the 76ers per usual and the Rockets actually needing both James Harden and Chris Paul to beat the Kings. Both Victor Oladipo and Paul George carry upside, but because both are facing weaker teams, it's hard to assume both wont be able to put their respective games away early.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 11/17/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks. Also, check out today's FanDuel lineup picks and be sure to take a look at injury updates prior to the opening tip
Do not forget to check your lineups before tip-off and find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any last minute questions.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Dennis Smith Jr. - PG, vs. GSW ($5,300)
After scanning over the guards for Saturday, there was only one that really stuck out as the mid-level option that is going to exceed projected. Dennis Smith Jr. has not had an overly-impressive game log recently, but he does have upside every night and just needs the games to stay competitive to produce at his best. The Warriors aren't dipping entirely, but they experiencing some type of technical difficulties. Not that Steph Curry being back would hurt Smith's upside, but not having to guard Curry absolutely helps his case.
Hamidou Diallo - SG, @ PHO ($3,200)
Hamidou Diallo was the butt of too many jokes last game and this is where he can save face. After blowing a windmill dunk, Diallo needs to keep his aggressive mentality going to stay in the rotation. His defense will need to keep improving, but it's good enough for him to see minuted and develop on the offensive end. The Suns don't have many defensive stoppers aside from Trevor Ariza and Diallo has upside if this game falls into garbage time. Either way, Diallo will see run in the rotation and will get the chance to heat up against the reserves.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Doug McDermott - SF/PF, vs. ATL ($3,000)
It's unfortunate Doug McDermott couldn't do more to secure him minutes against the Hawks, but I'm still fairly confident he will get a fair share regardless. The Pacers are coming off a somewhat close contest against the Heat the night before and the Hawks are literally one of the worst teams at defending small forwards. McDermott needs to start contributing more in the stat sheet to be more fantasy relevant and he'll get more than his fair share of opportunities Saturday.
P.J. Tucker - SF/PF, vs. SAC ($4,400)
P.J. Tucker's game log is disgusting. The one saving grace is his minutes. They are about as untouchable as 10-foot rim in a old man's league. The only problem is every time you roster him, it takes faith. You never know what you are going to get, but if he has a good game he will always beat his projected. You will need value tonight and Tucker is coming off his least productive game of the season, so expect some type of rebound.
DraftKings DFS Center
Rudy Gobert - C, @ BOS ($7,300)
Rudy Gobert and the Jazz looked a bit rough last night. They had moments where they found success, but overall they struggled. That has been a bit of a trend for the Jazz lately, but near the end of the game they started to find some type of momentum. Gobert on the other hand, had a costly lapse in judgement that arguably cost the Jazz any chance of getting back in the game. He was livid after, but returned to the court determined. Despite being a 7-footer on the second night of a back-to-back, Gobert is going to eat the Celtics frontcourt alive.
