NBA DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for October 18, 2017
For the rest of the DFS NBA season, we’ll be writing up the guards, forwards, and centers we’re considering for our Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for daily fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, and more. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for a new ways to play NBA DFS, be sure and give DRAFT.com a try with our promo code!
When playing daily fantasy NBA, it’s important to consider the point spreads and totals in order to predict gameflow. Injuries play a huge role in the NBA on a nightly basis, and players can come out increasingly motivated for big games depending on other factors. And always, always check the starting lineups and injury news right before tipoff.
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10/18/17 DFS NBA TOURNAMENTS
DraftKings Power Dunk Premiere: $444 buy-in, $1M guaranteed
DraftKings Four Point Play: $4 buy-in, $500k guaranteed
DraftKings Wednesday Shootaround: $20 buy-in, $350k guaranteed
FanDuel EPIC Monster: $444 buy-in, $1M guaranteed
FanDuel Clutch Shot Encore: $4 buy-in, $500k guaranteed
FanDuel Slam: $25 buy-in, $250k guaranteed
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Marcus Morris (knee)
Gordon Hayward (ankle)
Kawhi Leonard (quad)
C.J. McCollum (suspension)
Nic Batum (elbow)
Markieff Morris (abdomen)
Rajon Rondo (groin)
Seth Curry (leg)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
Anthony Davis (illness)
Zach Randolph (mouth)
Greg Monroe (calf)
T.J. Warren (back)
Tyreke Evans (ankle)
Alex Len (foot)
Best DFS NBA Plays for October 18, 2017
Point Guards
John Wall ($9.8k DraftKings, $10.0k FanDuel)
The Wizards didn’t make any big moves this offseason, but the supremely confident Wall will look to prove that they’re still very much ECF contenders. He’s been extremely efficient this preseason while showing off an improved jumper and he draws a juicy matchup in his regular season debut. The Sixers improved defensively last year, yet still gave up the seventh-most PPG (108.1). Wall averaged 23.4 PPG and 10.8 APG at home and 27 PPG and 9 APG over 3 meetings with Philadelphia last year. Look for him to dictate the action in the Wizards home opener.
D’Angelo Russell ($6.6k DraftKings, $6.6k FanDuel)
The Nets offense will likely run through Russell this year, making him an appealing early-season target until his price tag adjusts to his new usage rate. He was restricted by Byron Scott’s old school antics two years ago and bogged down in a deep Lakers rotation last year, but now he’ll start at SG on a team with only Jeremy Lin and Allen Crabbe as alternative scoring options. Brooklyn led the league in pace last year and the Pacers middling defense should become far worse with Darren Collison taking over for the much more athletic Jeff Teague at the point.
Others to Consider: Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Smart, Jeremy Lin, Yogi Ferrell
Shooting Guards
James Harden ($10.2k DraftKings, $11.0k FanDuel)
He’s still a bit pricey on FanDuel, but Harden should be worth the money in the right matchups on DK. Despite the addition of a ball-dominant PG in Chris Paul, The Beard will continue to fill up the stat sheet offensively, especially against an inexperienced Kings team that ranked 25th in defensive rating and has allowed the fifth-most FPPG (42.17) to opposing SGs over the last 2 seasons. Harden averaged just 20.8 PPG on 39.3% FG shooting over 4 meetings against the Kings last year, but torched Sacramento for 36 PPG the previous year and should become more of a pure scorer with Paul in the mix.
Dennis Smith Jr. ($6.8k DraftKings, $4.3k FanDuel)
The odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year is expected to lead the Mavericks offense all season and they badly need Smith to start hot with Seth Curry likely out for multiple weeks with a leg injury. Smith Jr. has impressed at every turn during the draft process and preseason and he’s a mature young man both mentally and physically. The Hawks are entering a rebuilding phase with franchise leader Paul Millsap no longer in town and will be exploitable both on the perimeter and down low early in the season.
Others to Consider: Bradley Beal, Jrue Holiday, Victor Oladipo, Rodney Hood, Jaylen Brown, Avery Bradley
Small Forwards
Khris Middleton ($6.4k DraftKings, $7.0k FanDuel)
A year removed from ACL reconstructive surgery, Middleton should be able to handle a full slate of minutes for the Bucks. He was right on his usual pace with averages with 17.3 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per 36 minutes over 29 games last year and shot 43.3% from downtown while showing very little rust or ill effects from his injury. Middleton’s always been a killer against the Celtics, averaging 18 PPG against Boston over 3 meetings during his last full season and he’ll have the advantage of playing the Celts on the second half of their B2B set.
Rudy Gay ($5.5k DraftKings, $5.5k FanDuel)
With Kawhi Leonard (quad) expected to miss at least opening night and possibly more games, the Spurs should immediately look to utilize their new acquisition. Gay has been accused of playing selfish basketball at times, but chances are Gregg Popovich and his staff have already coached him up during training camp and will help him fit within their system. With LaMarcus Aldridge struggling to close the season and set to match up with the Wolves formidable front court, Gay could be the Spurs main source of offense at home in a winnable matchup against pure scorer Andrew Wiggins.
Others to Consider: Otto Porter, Allen Crabbe, P.J. Tucker, Jeremy Lamb, Joe Ingles
Power Forwards
Aaron Gordon ($6.9k DraftKings, $6.3k FanDuel)
A big riser this year at his position, Gordon flashed a much improved shooting touch from the outside this preseason. If he can supplement his inside prowess with a perimeter game, the sky is the limit for a player with even more athleticism than Blake Griffin when he came out of school. Along with Elfrid Payton, he’s poised to lead a young Magic team that is flush with young talent and he should be able to bully Miami’s smaller frontcourt while Nikola Vucevic and Hassan Whiteside tangle.
Jayson Tatum ($4.1k DraftKings, $3.5k FanDuel)
A promising season for the Celtics took a significant hit when Gordon Hayward went down with a fractured ankle in the first quarter last night, but that also opened a significant opportunity for some of their young players. Jaylen Brown is going to see a huge spike in playing time and usage with Hayward out and makes for a great play at SF, while Tatum would’ve been a great value at PF regardless because Marcus Morris (knee) is still about a week away from returning. The rookie impressed tremendously with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists while playing 37 minutes and there’s been no time for his price tag to adjust. He’s the value play of the night once again.
Others to Consider: LaMarcus Aldridge, James Johnson, Derrick Favors, Al-Farouq Aminu, Trevor Booker
Centers
Myles Turner ($7.7k DraftKings, $7.2k FanDuel)
The Pacers are now Turner’s team with Paul George in Oklahoma City. One of the most talented young big men in the league, he could have another bigtime opener after dropping 30 points with 16 boards and 4 blocks in an overtime win over Dallas to begin last year. The Nets are obviously a plum matchup after allowing the second-most PPG (112.5) in the NBA last year along with the third-most FPPG (53.62) to opposing centers. Timofey Mozgov is far too slow to deal with Myles Turner and the rest of the Nets options at center are bit under sized to deal with him on the boards.
Jusuf Nurkic ($7.5k DraftKings, $7.5k FanDuel)
All eyes are on Nikola Jokic in terms of finding the next all-around big man to lead an NBA squad, yet Nurkic is nearly as talented in terms of his ability to put the ball on the floor and pass from the high post. He’s poised to do big things in his second full season with Portland and should get off to a good start against a Suns team that starts ancient center Tyson Chandler ahead of slow-footed backup Alex Len. The Suns have allowed the fifth-most FPPG (52.09) to opposing centers over the last 2 seasons and Nurkic has a stranglehold on frontcourt minutes for the Blazers.
Others to Consider: Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Dewayne Dedmon
