RADIO
There are only four games tomorrow so I am going to keep this simple. The Cleveland Cavaliers - Orlando Magic game is a goldmine for guards, and a here's fun little side-stat. Both the Cavaliers and Magic rank in the bottom ten when it comes to defending shots. Both teams give up the highest frequency of open shots, so feel free to pick up some LeBron James shares and stack the scorers. The 76ers have struggled against guards recently, so feel free to unleash Kyrie Irving, but as for the rest of the Celtics backcourt, it's usually a toss up each night, proceed with caution.
Damian Lillard is going to be an enticing option against the Pacers backcourt, but recently the Pacers been one of the better teams against opposing point guards. That being said, sometimes these top defenses can only do so much to stop the likes of Lillard, so I am not fading Lillard or C.J. McCollum despite their potentially tough matchup.
Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/18/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Terry Rozier - PG vs. PHI ($4,000)
The 76ers defense can lock down opposing teams at times, but Terry Rozier has been consistent off the bench and will have no problem producing at home versus Philadelphia. Rozier's recent games have been down compared to his usual 20+ performances from a few weeks ago, but he should be regaining that form against a team that tends to give up threes. The 76ers give up around 15 threes a game, which is slightly above the league average so expect Rozier to get more than his fair share of oppurtunities.
Cory Joseph - PG @POR ($4,300)
This Pacers backcourt production comes from the unlikely point guard tandem of Darren Collison and Cory Joseph. Throughout the season the Pacers have been inconsistent when it comes to backcourt defense, but recently their defense has been their cornerstone for their production. The past two games, Joseph has gotten at least one steal and close to 30 minutes. When Joseph get's minutes, he produces and his improved defense is helping in the box score. He is one of the better backup point guards in the league and he thrives in his bench role. Every night Joseph is capable of being a top sleeper and especially when he will be needed in what should be a close game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Dwyane Wade - SG vs. ORL ($5,200)
The Magic have struggled on both sides of the ball for a multitude of reasons. Most of them being un-timely injuries to key role players. That means their defense is full of gaps and experienced players will use it to their advantage. While the Cavaliers defense ranks near the bottom in plenty of categories as well, their offense has been captained by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is the high-usage side-kick that can put up attractive stat-lines on more than one occasion. Expect Wade to get to his spots with ease and find a way to generate offense alongside LeBron James.
Evan Fournier - SG @CLE ($5,700)
Just as easy as it is to play Dwyane Wade, you need to give Evan Fournier a look. As the best shooter on the Magic, Fournier will get shots and plenty of them. The Cavaliers defense has been pretty dang bad and teams have been able to exploit it time and time again. The Magic may not dominate the Cavs, but expect them to rain down an absurd amount of threes. Expect Fournier and Aaron Gordon to be attempting a majority of those threes.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Jonathon Simmons - PF @SAC ($4,500)
Don't worry, only two more Orlando players to talk about it. Unfortunately, Jonathan Simmons is one of those really good hustle players that does what needs to be done on defense, then on offense he gives up good shots for better shots, which turn into great looks for buckets he doesn't get assists for. It's really quite annoying but then there are times where his hustle turns directly into production and he triples his value.
Khem Birch - PF @CLE ($3,900)
The unlikely sleeper that helps you roster Joel Embiid and LeBron James tonight. Khem Birch is a rim-running rebounder that lives in the paint and in the pocket of opposing forwards. He goes after blocks, second-chance points and rebounds. There are few players that can be as valuable as Birch given the minutes and he has absolutely earned them last game. This is just the beginning of his fantasy career and he will get the chance to capitalize on an excess of shots being tossed up by notoriously inconsistent teams.
Daniel Theis - SF vs. PHI ($3,800)
The 76ers frontocurt is decent defensively with Joel Embiid, but they need to be elite to keep Thies from being effective. Ok, maybe that is a little over-hyped, but Thies is one of the top role players in the Celtics scheme. He does his job, rebounding and going after second-chance points, arguably better than anyone on the team. His stats are relative to his minutes and he will play against Philadelphia. Since the 76ers are the top rebounding team in the league, Theis will have his hands full all night. His role fits perfectly against the 76ers weaknesses and he should end the game with a decent amount of rebounds and points, exceeding his extremely low value.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Joel Embiid - C @BOS ($10,000)
Ah yes, the play of the night. If Joel Embiid is healthy, you have to play him. Yes, the Celtics defense is stingy, but Embiid continues to show his improvement in isolation situations and why good offense beats good defense. The next step for his game is late-game composure, but he has proven time and time again why there is no defensive player that can stop him. Al Horford and Aron Baynes are going to have a very tough time keeping Embiid from being one of the top point scorers of the night.
