The NBA is back and we are dealing with an 11-game slate to really get things going today. Since we are at the start of the year, I'll be looking back at some of the player's stats from last season, until we get a better picture of how they are used in their offenses.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 10/17/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel.
As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Give me a follow on Twitter @DFS_Tom with questions or comments. Good luck everyone.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Trae Young - PG, ATL @ NY (FD - $6,100)
It has already been confirmed that Young will start the season opener for the Hawks, so if you want to buy in early on the rookie hype, now is the time. If you remember him from college, he can be very electric, but he can be streaky with his shooting. His price is reasonable today, but I would lean to him in GPPs only since you should be going for consistency in your cash games.
Donovan Mitchell - SG, UTA @ SAC (FD - $8,000)
Spida is back for his second season and oh boy, we should all be excited for what he could be bringing this season. He had a usage rate sitting around 30% last season, so we should be in for much more of the same this season. He will be playing up in pace and against a weaker Kings team, so we should be looking for him to have a large role in the offense, despite this not being the highest scoring game on the slate.
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Cedi Osman - SF, CLE @ TOR (FD - $4,500)
Osman will be starting at small forward for the Cavaliers tonight and you should be looking at him as a solid savings play, along with bringing good point per dollar value. Last season, when he saw the floor for extended periods of time, he was actually very effective and was able to reach value on FanDuel. If he busts tonight, that should be an issue since FanDuel is now dropping the lowest score in your lineup this season.
Tobias Harris PF, LAC vs DEN (FD - $7,600)
This game has an over-under set at 227, which is second highest on the slate, so you should be looking here for plenty of offense. There is a massive difference in the NBA when it comes to higher and lower scoring games, which translates right to DFS. More opportunities on the ball and more possessions mean more potential upside. Harris is a great pick in this game since he consistently scored near or over 20 points last season while adding plenty in the other categories.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN @ LAC (FD - $9,900)
The Joker is an absolute stud in the NBA and even better in NBA DFS. Love paying all the way for him at center, since you can be looking at a triple-double quickly with what he has shown he can do. This game has an over-under set at 227, so plenty of scoring to go around and if you simply look back at his game log from last season, you can see he is almost a lock for at least a double-double every night.
Willy Hernangomez - C, CHA vs MIL (FD - $4,000
Hernangomez is a bit of a punt play, but he had been very efficient at times last season. The matchup is very strong for him tonight since he will be going up against the Bucks who have been in the bottom 10 of guarding centers over the past two seasons.