RADIO
Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel NBA DFS lineup picks for 1/12/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
The weekend is upon us, my fellow DFS and Rotoballer friends, and what better way to start it than with a nine game slate? Seriously, this is an incredible slate of basketball games tonight. Incredible in terms of fantasy and watch-ability.
Before I get into my player selections, let's see what sort of interesting lines (overs, unders, spreads, public, etc) have been set as of this morning. Like I alluded to above, there are very attractive games on this slate. If you like to stack games, the hardest decision you're going to make tonight is narrowing down which game(s) to choose. As of right now, there are five games with over/under listings of 211 and above. These could all make for possible game stacks, and are good sources of player production, even if you don't deploy a stack. The Rockets at Suns (227) is at the top, followed by the Cavs at Pacers (221) and the Bucks at Warriors (222). In terms of spreads, we only have one game with a double digit mark (the Wizards are 10.5 point favorites over the Magic). Overall, that's a pretty low number of games with that high of a spread, and it means we shouldn't have to fear blowouts too much.
Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/12/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too.
FanDuel DFS Guards
Ricky Rubio - PG, at CHA ($5,100)
This is a really nice matchup for Ricky (and many of his Jazz teammates) and appears to be one of the best values at either guard position tonight. Rubio has been playing well of late and doing so with consistency we haven't seen from him in prior years. He has beaten value - by a good margin, too - in three of his last five games, and somehow his price is still lower than it was 10 days ago. Tonight, Ricky sees the soft defense of Kemba Walker in what will be a pace-up game for Utah. He should see 30 minutes tonight around his regular Usage rate of 22%, and that combined with this game context at a price tag of just $5,100 screams value. He's a good cash play tonight and the fact that Rubio can snag a few steals here and there puts him in tournament play as well.
Chris Paul - PG, at PHX ($10,800)
With the cash savings rostering Ricky Rubio provides, it makes it much easier to pay up for a stud as your other point guard tonight. You'll likely want to do that, as there are more than a few studs on the board - and all seem to have favorable matchups. As of right now, I think Paul is the superior point guard to play up for. He edges Steph Curry for me as he has the softer matchup, the higher projected game score, and doesn't have the Questionable tag hanging over his head. Make no mistake, Curry is a solid play tonight and I think he can pay off his tag, but with his health status and that offense having so many weapons, I think it's harder to confidently slide Curry into your cash lineups with the superior matchup Paul has. (UPDATE: Curry has been ruled out). Paul and his teammates take on the Suns in what is the highest projected total of the evening (227) and we've all seen what CP3 is capable of (in terms of fantasy production) when James Harden is sidelined. The price has crept up a bit, but it's now at a total he would have paid off his past two games regardless. The extra possessions tonight should make paying off his price tag even easier, and you have to like the way he's running this offense right now. Over the past five games, his lowest assist total was nine, while twice achieving 13 - all while having a very high Usage rate over 30.
Also Consider for Cash: Rajon Rondo - PG, vs POR ($5,300); Stephen Curry - PG, at MIL ($10,200); Jarrett Jack - PG, at MIN ($4,700)
Also Consider for Tournaments: Spencer Dinwiddie - PG, at ATL ($6,700); Elfrid Payton - PG, at WAS ($6,700); Eric Bledsoe - PG, vs GSW ($7,700); Dennis Schroder - PG, vs BKN ($7,400)
Devin Booker - SG, vs HOU ($7,800)
Sticking with this game here, because the environment is excellent. Booker has failed (just barely) to hit value in his past three games, and the price has climbed up a few hundred. Why? Well, the aforementioned excellent game context, but also because the only reason he's failed to hit is because of very poor shooting nights. In other words, no need for concern that he didn't pay off his tag in those matchups - they were far more difficult matchups, and the shooting volume and his minutes were still there. Tonight, with extra possessions in a fast-paced game, he could command a Usage rate north of 35 - as he's been doing often of late - which gives him an enormous ceiling. This Rockets team essentially gave a lot of Usage and minutes that formerly belonged to James Harden and handed them to Gerald Green. That's relevant for the Suns, as Green is also an awful defender. The Rockets currently rank 26th in DVP versus shooting guards. For the season, Booker is averaging a pretty strong 1.08 FanDuel points per minute on the floor.
Kent Bazemore - SG, vs BKN ($5,400)
Bazemore or baze-less? Tonight, the answer is more, as he's got a pretty damn low price tag and an excellent matchup. We all know Brooklyn likes to get the ball up and down the court and their defense is soft in a lot of areas. One area in particular is in defense of shooting guards, where they rank 20th in DVP and 24th in defensive efficiency. Tonight, Bazemore should see his normal run of 27-29 minutes with a Usage rate between 20-22%, making him a great value with a higher ceiling than usual. He's been really efficient this year from a fantasy stance, pouring in 1.04 FanDuel points per minute, despite a pedestrian looking 14.5 PER.
Also Consider for Cash: Andrew Wiggins - SG, vs NYK ($6,200); Caris LeVert - SG, at ATL ($5,600)
Also Consider for Tournaments: Victor Oladipo - SG, vs CLE ($9,500); Donovan Mitchell - SG, at CHA ($7,100); Will Barton - SG, vs MEM ($6,000)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
LeBron James - SF, at IND ($11,500)
Normally I wouldn't like the idea of playing LeBron when he's on a back to back, but King James only played 30 minutes last night due to the blowout. I have a feeling he and the Cavs regroup, and, at the least, make this a good contest. This could certainly be an Eastern Conference semis preview. This game features one of the highest totals of the evening, and the Pacers interior defense definitely took a hit when Myles Turner was injured. James and his 1.46 FanDuel points per minute mark should see 32-36 tonight in what Vegas projects to be a tight score. If it stays close, LeBron should have no trouble paying off this tag - and then some.
Also Consider for Cash: Gerald Green - SF, at PHX ($4,800)
Also Consider for Tournaments: Jonathon Simmons - SF, at WAS ($4,500)
Markieff Morris - PF, vs ORL ($5,000)
Power forward isn't much different than any other position in that there are pretty above average plays in each of the tiers - high, middle, and cheap. Morris falls somewhere in the middle and is quite a value. He has been crushing his price implied total of late but hasn't seen much of a price increase. This game is projected for one of the highest totals and Morris will match up against a team that ranks 28th in DVP versus power forwards. Morris carries a pretty strong 0.86 FanDuel point per minute mark into this game and his play has been trending upward.
Also Consider for Cash: Aaron Gordon - PF, at WAS ($7,100); Draymond Green - PF, at MIL ($7,800)
Also Consider for Tournaments: Kristaps Porzingis - PF, at MIN ($8,400)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Clint Capela - C, at PHX (7,600)
Capela is in an absolute crush spot here. He's such an athletic, run-the-floor center that he can thrive in this type of game environment and put up some big numbers against the mostly traditional centers the Suns roll out. I think it's pretty incredible that he isn't priced higher than this as he's someone who has a 1.34 FanDuel point per minute mark this season. He should see 30+ tonight and command a Usage rate around 20%. He owns a very strong season PER rating of 25, and as such, I think his floor is pretty safe even if the shot isn't falling. If if it is - and he's facing a middle of the pack defense against centers (15th DVP, 17th efficiency) - I think he can be a tournament game changer.
Also Consider for Cash: Enes Kanter - C, at MIN ($5,300); Marcin Gortat - C, vs ORL ($4,500)
Also Consider for Tournaments: DeMarcus Cousins - C, vs POR ($11,000); Karl-Anthony Towns - C, vs NYK ($9,100); Nikola Jokic - C, vs MEM ($9,300)
