X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (10/18/18): NBA DFS Lineups

With the MLB postseason in full swing, the NFL season approaching its midway point, and more importantly, the NBA back in action, there is no better time of year to be a sports fan. (I've heard various arguments for other times of the year - they're all iniquitous and worthy of a boisterous Kawhi laugh.) Thing is, my Yankees lost to the stupid Red Sox and Eli Manning is worse than Uncle Rico... But, the New York Knickerbockers are undefeated! So, let's focus on the positives and talk some hoops.

Now normally, I'm an analytical guy. Not normally, I still am. But, the point I'm trying to make here is that I like to nerd out with stats and spreadsheets. There's not much information to be had on day three of the season, though, especially considering four of the teams on tonight's three-game slate have yet to play their season opener. Sure, I have years of data at my expense, but with coaching/personnel changes, rookies, injuries, and player improvement/regression, a lot of that data goes out the window early on. PS - I watch sports practically 24/7 (if my wife isn't watching one of those true crime shows or Insecure) so don't take those admissions as me being some accountant who has no feel for the game itself. Name the place, I'll give you buckets right now.

Anyway, what you'll find below are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/18/18. As the season progresses, expect more nerdage. But, for now, talent and opportunity reign supreme. Also, I try to avoid chalky plays as much as possible. Where's the value in telling you that LeBron James is a good play? That said, my picks may vary from higher-priced options to lower-priced, value plays (and everything in between) and you can always head to the RotoBaller DFS page to check out more DFS advice and lineup picks or hit me up on Twitter @maxingyourodds. Enough with the pleasantries, though, let's win some money!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

DraftKings DFS Guards

Rajon Rondo - PG, @ POR ($5,800)

Rondo led the league in assist ratio last season. That statement in itself might not seem moving, but when I tell you that he finished at 44.5%, you should at the least be minimally impressed. On one hand, playing alongside LeBron James will probably be a detriment to his assist numbers. On the other, playing alongside LeBron James will likely lead to some easy layups (that he'll pass up in favor of dishing the ball to someone else). Nonetheless, Rondo was one of the better values last season -- finishing in the 30 DraftKings fantasy point range on the regular -- and I'll be taking full advantage with Lonzo Ball expected to come off the bench to begin the season in what should be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair (the implied Vegas point total, or over/under, of 222 is the highest of the night and LA finished the preseason second in PACE).

Evan Turner - SG/SF, vs POR ($4,200)

It sounds like Maurice Harkless is going to play, but even if he does, I'd imagine his minutes will be limited given that he's still dealing with the lingering effects of the arthroscopic knee procedure that he underwent at the end of last season. The importance of game one is microscopic when compared to his health in the grand scheme of things, and should he be out, or limited, the door will be open for Turner, Nik Stauskas, or Seth Curry to step in and fill the minutes. Not only is Turner the most likely candidate, but he's also the most capable of doing a little bit of everything to fill up the box score.

 

DraftKings DFS Forwards

Dario Saric - SF/PF, vs CHI ($5,500)

Saric was one of my DraftKings lineup staples a season ago. Quietly, he ran off 40-straight double-digit scoring performances from the end of November to the beginning of March while putting up 13 double-doubles on the season. Sure, he didn't do much in Tuesday's season opener at Boston (six points, six rebounds, one assist) but the Sixers got drubbed - nobody outside of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons did much. If the home opener isn't enough motivation, the embarrassment of the 18-point loss on opening night should do the trick and Philly should look much better tonight with Saric putting up solid numbers in a favorable matchup.

Otto Porter Jr. - SF/PF, vs MIA ($5,600)

89 players attempted at least 300 threes a season ago. Otto Porter's 44.1% from deep led them all. Better than the Splash Brothers, better than J.J. Redick, Kyle Korver, Joe Ingles or whomever else you think can shoot the rock... He finished first. Now yes, Miami has almost always been known as a stalwart defensively, but injuries to Justise Winslow and James Johnson make them far less worrisome in that regard. They also get the pleasure of starting the season with a road back-to-back (this is the second half).

 

DraftKings DFS Centers

Jusuf Nurkic - C, vs LAL ($6,300)

Like Saric, Nurkic is one of those guys who you won't hear much about -- never will he be the SportsCenter lede -- but he balls. Consistently. One of the few true "bigs" left in the game, he averaged 14 points and nine rebounds a season ago and even adds a few assists, and steals for good measure. The only concern here is the Lakers opting to go small, with Lebron and Kyle Kuzma manning the four and five; extended run with that lineup would be death for Nurkic's minutes. However, as long as JaVale McGee or Ivica Zubac are out there, so too should Nurkic, and neither one of them can hold him.

NBA News and Player Updates




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Rodgers26 mins ago

Could Be Placed On IR Or Benched
Jordan Eberle4 hours ago

To Miss At Least Three Months
Matthew Knies4 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Owen Power4 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Friday
John Gibson4 hours ago

Busy In Overtime Loss
Connor Hellebuyck4 hours ago

Sharp in Friday's Victory
Kyle Connor5 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Friday's Victory
Noah Fant12 hours ago

Questionable For Week 12, Update Coming On Saturday
Brock Purdy14 hours ago

Week 13 Status Uncertain
14 hours ago

Nationals Non-Tender Kyle Finnegan On Friday
15 hours ago

Rays Non-Tender Dylan Carlson
15 hours ago

Rockies Non-Tender Brendan Rodgers, Cal Quantrill
Mike Yastrzemski15 hours ago

Avoids Arbitration With Giants
15 hours ago

Blue Jays Non-Tender Closer Jordan Romano
Dustin May15 hours ago

Dodgers Sign Dustin May To One-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
Walker Kessler15 hours ago

Might Return To Action Saturday
Kyle Filipowski15 hours ago

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jordan Clarkson16 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Saturday
Miles McBride16 hours ago

Questionable To Face Jazz
Joel Embiid16 hours ago

To Remain Out On Sunday
Nikola Jokic16 hours ago

Returns To Action Friday
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope16 hours ago

No Longer On Injury Report
Wendell Carter Jr.16 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Saturday
Brady Singer16 hours ago

Shipped To Cincinnati
Jonathan India17 hours ago

Traded To Kansas City
Tre Mann17 hours ago

Listed As Out For Saturday
Torrey Craig17 hours ago

Available Versus Hawks
Nick Richards17 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Jarace Walker17 hours ago

Ready To Face Bucks
Ben Sheppard17 hours ago

Misses A Third Consecutive Game
Anfernee Simons17 hours ago

Returns To Action Friday
Ja Morant17 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Saturday
Jerami Grant17 hours ago

Ready For Action Friday
Marcus Smart17 hours ago

Questionable For Saturday
Deandre Ayton17 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Yves Missi17 hours ago

Will Not Play On Friday
Stephen Curry17 hours ago

Available Versus Pelicans
Scoot Henderson18 hours ago

Absent On Friday
Rashod Bateman18 hours ago

Added To Week 12 Injury Report
Vince Dunn18 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Kraken Next Week
TOR19 hours ago

Alexander Nylander Joins Maple Leafs On One-Year Deal
George Kittle19 hours ago

Cleared For Week 12
Jason Dickinson19 hours ago

Expected To Play On Saturday
Cam York19 hours ago

Expected To Return Saturday
San Francisco 49ers19 hours ago

Nick Bosa Won't Play Against Packers
Mason McTavish19 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Brock Purdy19 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Tage Thompson19 hours ago

Continues To Sit On Friday
Kevin Hayes19 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Kris Letang19 hours ago

Might Return On Friday
Ladd McConkey20 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
CeeDee Lamb20 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 12
Sam LaPorta20 hours ago

Off The Injury Report, Cleared For Week 12
Jake Ferguson20 hours ago

Ruled Out With Concussion
DeVonta Smith20 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Brock Purdy20 hours ago

Not Seen At Friday's Practice
T.J. Hockenson21 hours ago

Expects To Be More Involved In Week 12
Alexander Mattison21 hours ago

Zamir White Doubtful To Face Broncos
Nico Collins21 hours ago

Set For Increased Workload Against Titans
Mike Evans21 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable
Malik Nabers21 hours ago

Questionable For Week 12, Intends To Play
Sam Darnold22 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
D'Andre Swift22 hours ago

Gets Questionable Tag For Week 12
Keenan Allen22 hours ago

Lands On Injury Report, Questionable For Week 12
Shohei Ohtani24 hours ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Tabatha Ricci24 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Muslim Salikhov1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale1 day ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet1 day ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan1 day ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang1 day ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Ozzy Diaz1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
MacKenzie Weegar1 day ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini1 day ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan1 day ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski1 day ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes1 day ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo1 day ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Carlos Ulberg2 days ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir2 days ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes2 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA2 days ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo2 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Shohei Ohtani2 days ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Cody Bellinger2 days ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
2 days ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chris Sale3 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal3 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat3 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English3 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin3 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg3 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole3 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
3 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers3 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
4 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri4 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
Charles Oliveira5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler5 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva5 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy5 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP