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The NBA brings five games to the table Thursday. The highlight matchups of the evening feature the Jazz hosting the Thunder, and the Pacers taking on the Kings. The Raptors, who traded Pascal Siakam to the Pacers on Wednesday, will also be in action.
With Siakam having just been traded Wednesday afternoon, it seems unlikely that he will eligible to play in time for Thursday’s game. Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) is also listed as questionable for the Pacers. A notable player who has already been ruled out for this slate is Daniel Gafford (concussion).
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/18/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome new NBA injuries report tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 pm EST. Good luck RotoBallers!
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Today's DraftKings, FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC at UTA – PG ($10,200 DK; $11,000 FD)
This should be a fun game. The Thunder have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference all season, while the Jazz have put on a surge of late that has them back in the playoff hunt. For DFS purposes, we like this game because both teams rank inside the top-10 in the league in pace of play. That leaves Gilgeous-Alexander with one of the highest floors of any player included in this slate.
Luke Kennard, MEM at MIN – PG/SG/SF ($5,300 DK; $5,500 FD)
The Grizzlies have been the team that has arguably been hit the hardest by injuries this season. They are especially thin at guard with Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (ankle), and Marcus Smart (finger) all out. That has propelled Kennard to average 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.5 three-pointers of the last four games. The key is, he logged at least 29 minutes in three of those matchups.
Gary Trent Jr., TOR vs. CHI – PG/SG ($4,300 DK; $4,700 FD)
When Trent gets hot, he can drill three-pointers with the best of them. He did that with Siakam out Wednesday, hitting eight three-pointers on his way to scoring 28 points against the Heat. He logged 31 minutes and started, which could be a role that he fills again Thursday with the newly-acquired Bruce Brown Jr. and Jordan Nwora potentially not available.
ALSO CONSIDER: De’Aaron Fox, SAC vs. IND – PG ($9,100 DK; $9,200 FD), Immanuel Quickley, TOR vs. CHI – PG/SG ($7,000 DK; $7,600 FD)
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Today's DraftKings, FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Scottie Barnes, TOR vs. CHI – SF/PF/PG ($8,100 DK; $8,800 FD)
Now that Siakam is gone, Barnes is the leader of the Raptors. He is already in the midst of a breakout campaign, averaging 20.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. The Bulls have seen their defense take a step backward with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic starting again, so slowing down Barnes could be a problem for them.
Buddy Hield, IND at SAC – SF/SG ($6,100 DK; $5,900 FD)
Hield prepares to take on his former team with a larger role potentially in hand. The acquisition of Siakam might actually boost his minutes, given that Brown is no longer a member of the Pacers. Over the 13 games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes this season, Hield has averaged 16.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.
GG Jackson II, MEM at MIN – PF ($4,000 DK; $6,400 FD)
With the Grizzlies missing so many key players, they have given Jackson an opportunity to crack their rotation. The initial returns have been stellar. He has produced at least 20 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in both of his last two games. In those games, he logged 27 and 29 minutes, respectively. While his salary isn’t as appealing on FanDuel, it’s so cheap on DraftKings that he’s a viable tournament option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Julius Randle, NY vs. WAS – PF/C ($8,800 DK; $9,000 FD), RJ Barrett, TOR vs. CHI – SF/SG ($6,600 DK; $6,800 FD)
Today's DraftKings, FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Domantas Sabonis, SAC vs. IND– C/PF ($10,000 DK; $10,300 FD)
Both the Kings and the Pacers rank inside the top-11 in the league in pace of play, so points shouldn’t be difficult to come by in this matchup. Sabonis has continued to stuff the stat sheet in multiple departments, averaging 22.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists over his last 17 games. While his salary will do a number on your budget, he also comes with an incredibly high floor.
Isaiah Hartenstein, NY vs. WAS– C ($6,700 DK; $7,700 FD)
When Mitchell Robinson (ankle) went down, the Knicks initially turned to Jericho Sims as their starting center. He then got hurt, which pushed the team to play Hartenstein even more. Since he moved into the starting five, he has averaged 7.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks over 15 games. The Wizards have given up the most rebounds per game in the league, so this matchup is about as good as it gets for Hartenstein.
Marvin Bagley III, WAS at NY – C/PF ($4,000 DK; $5,000 FD)
Bagley was having a difficult time just finding his way onto the floor for the Pistons. That shouldn’t be a problem in his debut for the Wizards with Gafford out. Over 10 games that Bagley started with the Pistons, he averaged 14.0 points and 5.6 rebounds. The potential for him to log around 25 minutes on a team that plays at the fastest pace in the league leaves him with the potential to be a bargain.
ALSO CONSIDER: Nikola Vucevic, CHI at TOR – C ($7,500 DK; $8,000 FD), Santi Aldama, MEM at MIN – C/PF ($4,500 DK; $5,900 FD)
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