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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 18, 2018. Tom Bellucco's NBA DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Another small four-game slate awaits us on Thursday night, but do we have some fun games to analyze. Not only are there some injuries in high-total games to exploit, but we have Rockets suspensions to consider too.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/18/18. I'll point out some of the best values based on prices vs. projected production for each position. I'll also throw in a few possible tournament plays that I'm considering.
You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. Hit me up on Twitter @BellRoto with any questions or comments. I'm always open for an NBA DFS conversation. Let's get to it!
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Isaiah Thomas - PG, CLE vs. ORL (DK - $5,700)
Isaiah Thomas played 32 minutes in his last game against Golden State, and that was three days ago. There should be no reason (except maybe a REALLY early blowout) that he can't reach 30 minutes again here. He put up 21 shots in that contest, but his inefficiency from the field kept his price down one more game. I'm going on record and saying this is IT3's coming out party in Cleveland. He'll heat up early and often against a woeful Orlando defense that plays the perfect pace for transition buckets. Jump on now while you still can.
T.J. McConnell - PG, PHI @ BOS (DK - $4,400)
T.J. McConnell's recent game logs are inflated by Ben Simmons foul trouble and JJ Redick's injury in the last contest. However, Redick will be out a few games and we don't need 45 DK points from him. Anything above 25 will do at this price point, and we can count on extended minutes both next to and backing up Simmons. This is a game where McConnell's hustle plays will be needed against a scrappy Boston team, so I think he can rack up enough peripheral stats on top of his increased shot attempts to get us to a solid number on Thursday.
Other Guards to Consider: Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Elfrid Payton
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Andrew Wiggins - SF, MIN @ HOU (DK - $5,800)
There isn't a total in this game yet, but I expect it to be high and within a 10-point spread. With James Harden back and playing 25ish minutes, I'm definitely not playing him, and I'm reluctant to play Chris Paul. I'm also a little scared that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute hounds Jimmy Butler all night, especially with Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green suspended. What does that mean? Well, someone has to score, and my money isn't on Jeff Teague against Paul defense. So, I guess I'll have a lot of Andrew Wiggins, who, in this scenario, would get James Harden defense. Do I feel good about it? No. But it's a four-game slate, and if this plays out the way I think it does, I could have a huge leg up in a tournament.
Al-Farouq Aminu - SF/PF, POR vs. IND (DK - $5,000)
Can you tell I don't like the forward position very much on this slate? I guess you should pay up for LeBron James if you can. However, if you want to be contrarian, I think Al-Farouq Aminu is in another good spot. He's shown he can play well in faster-paced games, and this should be another one. Aminu should find some open three-point shots with Thad Young trying to keep up with him, and there's always upside for blocks and steals with his length. Eh, I don't hate it.
Other Forwards to Consider: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Al Horford
DraftKings DFS Centers
Taj Gibson - PF/C, MIN @ HOU (DK - $5,400)
I almost put Karl-Anthony Towns here, but I don't feel all that great about him recently with his shot attempts rarely eclipsing 15. Sure, the rebounds should be there, but I'd rather take those extra rebounds with a cheaper player like Taj Gibson. Gibson will get his shots too, and he collects just as many peripherals as KAT on some nights. This is certainly more of the cash play, while Towns would be the GPP play. I gave you a bunch of cheap picks, so you can choose where to pay up on your own. Personally, I still have no idea where I'm going to spend for my stud on Thursday.
Other Centers to Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns, Clint Capela
