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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on January 18, 2020. Jake Finnen provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Today's Saturday slate has plenty of options and with nine games, we are going to have to get creative with some of our lineups. There are plenty of value plays and no shortage of high-tier players, but with how the games are structured, the Rockets - Lakers contest clearly holds the most weight tonight. Whether you go with James Harden, LeBron James, or Anthony Davis here, all three are going to be heavily-scattered throughout lineups.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/18/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
Find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Anfernee Simons - PG/SG, @ OKC ($3,100)
With how much upside Anfernee Simons has on a nightly basis, it's hard to fade him when his price can change the foundation of your lineup. The addition of Carmelo Anthony has hurt the ability for Simons to really generate and have high-usage games, but he has still seen near 30 minutes in close games so the Trail Blazers are obviously invested in his development. The Thunder just played the Heat last night at home and lost, so not only should Simons have upside from the potential lack of energy coming from the Thunder, but Oklahoma City will also not want to lose two in a row at home. So even if Oklahoma City plays more inspired basketball, expect Portland to use that against them and play just as quick.
Terrence Ross - SG/SF, @ GSW ($5,300)
Normally Terrence Ross is just a boom-or-bust pick, but this game seems like it was made for both Alec Burks and Ross. Both teams have struggled to generate consistent scoring from their backcourt, and outside of a few big games from certain players, both teams have relied on playing the hot hand heavy minutes. It's not a bad strategy, just tough to gauge in certain situations. The Warriors defense should be so focused on containing Nikola Vucevic and trying to limit Markelle Fultz that Ross should have another one of his solid games, as long as he can hit a few shots.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Andrew Wiggins - SG/SF, vs TOR ($6,900)
Not trying to imply that Andrew Wiggins has to play better, but he absolutely has to play better. After posting to close to 30 points a night for half of November, he has significantly cooled off, specifically in his last two games versus the Pacers, only scoring a total of 32 points across two games and 66 minutes. Not good knowing what he is capable of, and seeing how he failed to score against teams he was made to score against, it increases the chances he's randomly going to go off versus the Raptors. I am not saying this game will be close or the Timberwolves will win, just that even though Wiggins should be limited by the Raptors defense, by some miracle he won't and he'll prove everything wrong with playing the numbers. It doesn't hurt that Toronto ranks 23rd against opposing shooting guards.
Larry Nance Jr. - PF/C, @ CHI ($3,600)
After going scoreless in his initial return to action, Larry Nance Jr. responded by posting a 16 points on 8 shots in his second game back. It doesn't get much better than this for Nance and seeing how his managed to actually score with near-perfect efficiency, he should keep it going against the Bulls defense. Nance is one of those players that just needs minutes for him to produce, but where that production comes from is always up in the air. Nance can do so much on the court that his versatility is his strongest aspect, he just needs minutes so he can get in the flow of the game. Everyone who has played Nance on one of his good nights knows how valuable he can be with no restrictions.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Willie Cauley-Stein - C, vs ORL ($3,700)
Despite the price, this is one of the safer picks on the night. After initially looking at Marquese Chriss and telling myself this won't be the game, Willie Cauley-Stein is the complete opposite. Despite Chriss returning to the Warriors, Cauley-Stein's track record against Orlando is too good to pass up. Every time Cauley-Stein has played the Magic over the previous two years, he has posted a fairly significant double-double. Without Jonathan Isaac it shouldn't change and with his price, that upside is hard to beat at center tonight.
