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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on October 24, 2018. Jake Finnen's NBA DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
This is going to be one of our bigger slates this early in the season, so it'll be a little more risky to stack, but the Pheonix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers game is still the one to target. There are plenty of options to really flex your money with, but if you are spending up, you have two real choices. You can either go James Harden and LeBron James. Joel Embiid does have an enticing matchup, but being on the second night of a back-to-back, but it's still tough to trust him in those situations, especially after an overtime loss.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/24/18. 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 today's FanDuel lineup picks and our Premium DFS Cheat Sheet. And don't forget to check out our brand new NBA DFS Matchup Ratings tool with daily player projections. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Find me in the NBA Chat Room, regrettably on twitter @HalfCourtJester, or indulging in the lag-fest that is Call of Duty Blackout.
DraftKings DFS Guards
J.J. Barea - SG, at ATL ($4,800)
First off, it's somewhat funny J.J. Barea is listed as a shooting guard because he isn't, at all. Secondly, this actually might work out in your benefit if you decide to fade James Harden tonight. If you can slot Barea at the two, it allows you to find value with either Cameron Payne for super-value, or Lonzo Ball for a little more consistency. Either way, playing Barea here can open up more options for tonight. The Hawks barely have a defense when it comes to their backcourt so although Barea CAN be limited at times, it won't necessarily be this time.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - SG, at PHO ($4,00)
This is an ugly pick and I won't try to paint it as anything other than that. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is not the greatest fantasy player, but when he has his nights, which he absolutely does, he is a golden eagle flying above the rest of the high-priced, low ceiling-ed shooting guards. On other nights he posts some incredible duds that will make you say, "Yeah, NEVER playing him again." Well, time to fight those inhibitions and trust Pope. His price is low so a dud is manageable, but it's hard to see him floundering against Pheonix.
BIG NOTE: Micheal Beasley is in a similar position. It's a guess whenever they will produce, but while Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo are out, their upside is at a monthly high.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kyle Anderson - SF, at SAC ($4,100)
Unfortunately, Kyle Anderson has one of the lower floors tonight, but the way he finished last game and the Kings playing on the second night of a back-to-back is a concoction for success. The Kings are top three in the league when it comes to pace while the Grizzlies are in the bottom two. Usually in these types of matchups, the slower team takes control and in this case, go with the slowest player on the second slowest team, who USED to play for the current slowest team.
Jabari Parker - SF/PF, vs. CHA ($4,900)
The Jabari Parker in Chicago experiment isn't going horrible, but the teams lack of defense is seriously influencing the rest of the players. Although they can score, they struggle to stop anyone and it makes it hard to track the Bulls as a whole. Both Parker and Zach LaVine will be the only two consistent spots on this team so play them whenever they have a cheap price like tonight. They will benefit from price drops because their team is unpolished and will lose a ton of games, but their scoring ability and production is hard to ignore. Parker might be point dependent, but he is scoring the ball with ease and playing with confidence. That's an easy bet to take.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Pau Gasol - C, vs IND ($4,600)
Pau Gasol was making pinpoint passes last game and although playmaking is second nature to every Spurs player, Gasol was still a clear focal point of where most of the offense was coming from. Whether the pass was directly from him or went through his hands, his usage compared to his production makes him an ideal sleeper. If he plays, he is going to pick apart the Pacers inexperienced frontcourt and have no problem producing as a sleeper pick at center. Eventually, this will cool down and he will be extremely hard to predict because of the Spurs, but as of right now he is one of their best players.
