Happy Friday, RotoBallers! The NBA season is finally here, and we have a solid 11 games slotted for this evening. Now that the season is entirely underway, we'll begin to see players taking nights off for load and injury management. This will affect how we set our lineups, and it's always necessary to keep a sharp eye on the news prior to lock. So let's look and see what this slate has in store for us.
Tonight, we have ourselves an 11-game slate on this lovely Friday. With both FanDuel and DraftKings having multi-position eligibility players, we'll have to attack slates accordingly to make our lineups as optimal as possible. That's where I come in! I'll look to find my personal top plays and values for tonight's slate. Things can also change during the day, so I'll do my best to update you as news comes out!
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 11/18/22. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Tyrese Haliburton, at HOU (FD: $8,900, DK: $9,200)
I'll start off tonight's slate off with Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton is off to a stellar start to his 2022-2023 campaign, averaging 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He's logged double-digit assists in each of his last four games and now gets a solid matchup against a Houston team that ranks 23rd in efficiency. He projects to nearly 35 minutes with a 25.13% usage tonight, and I'm expecting big things, of course. His price remains too low, and I'll take advantage of it while it lasts.
Jalen Green, vs IND (FD: $6,500, DK: $6,500)
On the other side of this matchup, we have Jalen Green. Kevin Porter Jr. is questionable as I'm writing this, but I'm writing this under the assumption that he will play. Green has been on a heater of late, with three 25+ point games across his last five, and logging at least six assists in each of his last four. Tonight, he projects to a 25.22% usage rate across 35.3 projected minutes against an Indiana defense that ranks 25th in efficiency against shooting guards.
Alec Burks, at LAL (FD: $4,300, DK: $5,300)
Finally, we have Alec Burks to finish up the guards' portion of the article tonight. Burks has played just two games on the season but has done quite a bit in them, averaging 16 points, two rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Due to his conditioning (or lack thereof), he's played in 25 and 17 minutes in those two matchups but should see a bit more as he rounds back into form. With Cade Cunningham out for tonight's matchup against the Lakers, my model projects Burks for 21.7 minutes and a 25.62% usage rate.
Also consider: Luka Doncic (FD: $12,000, DK: $12,700), Theo Maledon (FD: $4,400, DK: $3,900)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jimmy Butler, at WAS (FD: $9,200, DK: $8,900)
I'll take a look at Jimmy Butler tonight in our nation's capital. Butler is coming off a "clunker" performance against the Raptors, logging 13 points, one rebound, and five assists across 38 minutes. He should see a nice bounce-back game this evening against the Wizards' defense that ranks 27th in small-forward efficiency. My model projects Butler to see roughly 36 minutes of action, with a usage rate of around 23%, which could rise in the absence of Tyler Herro.
Bojan Bogdanovic, at LAL (FD: $5,800, DK: $5,800)
Bojan Bogdanovic has had a solid beginning to the season, averaging 20.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He should have himself a night tonight in the absence of Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, projecting to a 23.44% usage across roughly 32 minutes. While Bogdanovic is rather scoring-dependent, the Lakers rank 24th in efficiency against small forwards, and this game should be a high-paced and high-scoring contest.
Al Horford, at NO (FD: $5,500, DK: $5,700)
To round up the forward spots, I'll once again take a look at Al Horford. I wrote up Horford last week and he did us well, logging 21 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while adding in two steals. I'll take advantage of Horford's power-forward eligibility on FanDuel, and while the matchup isn't an easy one, Horford should play roughly 31.5 minutes with a 13.7% usage rate. He projects north of 5x value once again on both sites, so I'll be leaning on him for some mid-priced value tonight.
Also consider: Wendell Carter Jr. (FD: $7,000, DK: $7,800), Kelly Olynyk (FD: $5,300, DK: $5,200)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Deandre Ayton, at UTA (FD: $6,700, DK: $6,200)
Last but not least, I'll take a look at Deandre Ayton. Ayton has had a relatively slow week but should have a bounce-back night tonight. The Jazz struggle against the center position, ranking 24th in center efficiency, and truly have no one who can keep up with Ayton. He should play roughly 30 minutes tonight and projects to a usage rate of 20.69%. While this does appear to be a low-paced matchup, Ayton does project north of 5.5x value on both sites tonight, and could be a solid option should you choose to not play Joel Embiid.
Also consider: Joel Embiid (FD: $11,200, DK: $11,300)
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