RADIO
Not to brag or anything, but all five of last week's picks hit. You're welcome. That came across a bit more braggy than I intended; I'm sorry... Let's move on. Another Thursday means another chance to dominate random adversaries. Another chance to see flames above the scores of our players as we watch that little white ball marker make its way to the green portion of the DraftKings scoring meter and await the coveted trophy alert come night's end. (For the record, Jusuf Nurkic didn't finish last Thursday with the little flame over his 30.25 score but I'm still counting that as a W given his $6,300 salary.)
There are just four games on the slate tonight, and truth be told, I kinda like the smaller slates. Less variation and fewer opportunities to gain an advantage by hitting on a lower-owned player, yes. (Also, infinitely fewer lower-priced options altogether.) However, it also means less margin for error which separates the men and women from the boys and girls. That said, a strategy which has brought me a gang of success on these lighter evenings is building around two ballers. And, by ballers I mean $9,000-plus salary. Not only are these guys the most consistent, but they're also the most likely to put up monster 50-plus point nights and if half of the contest entrants get 100-plus DraftKings fantasy points from two of their players, and you don't, you've already lost. Yes, that means you'll have to roll the dice on one or two lower-priced players, but as long as the rest of your lineup is solid, you really don't need much more than 15 points from these guys in order to bathe in glory.
Below you'll find my DraftKings daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for 10/25/18, and if this is your first time, I try to avoid chalky plays as much as possible. I find absolutely no value in telling you that Russell Westbrook is good at basketball. My picks vary from mid-tier priced options to lower-priced, value plays and since we'll only be looking at a handful of guys, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @maxingyourodds with any questions. (Informing me that my picks are terrible, and/or trash talk, is also welcomed.) You can also check out tonight's FanDuel lineup picks and our Premium DFS Cheat Sheet as well as our brand new NBA DFS Matchup Ratings tool. Oh, and please be sure to check your player's status prior to the opening tip - I will not be held liable for your negligence in that regard. *Stats prior to Wednesday night's games*
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Reggie Jackson - PG, vs. CLE ($5,700)
I feel like there was a point in George Hill's career when he was considered to be a decent defender, but that point obviously wasn't any time in recent memory. Of the 188 guards who have logged minutes thus far, Hill's 119.7 defensive ranking puts him 156th while his starting backcourt mate, Rodney Hood, sits 170th at 121.2 - there's a reason why the Cavs have allowed the most assists and seventh-most points to opposing point guards through their first four games. Jackson gets the nod based on the value he's offering in this matchup alone, but he's far more than a matchup-based play. His 20.8 usage percentage is good for third on the Pistons (behind Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond), his 16.9 assist percentage is tied for second, and at 20 points per game, he's Detroit's second-leading scorer. He won't contribute much outside of points and assists, but that hasn't prevented him from averaging 30.3 DK fantasy points on the season - an average which he should easily surpass tonight.
Evan Fournier - SG/SF, vs. POR ($5,600)
Playing for the Magic is a bit like screaming in the middle of a deserted forest. Go as hard as you so please... Nobody will notice you're there. I'm not going to sit here and act like Fournier is some otherworldly talent who deserves all sorts of praise which he's unjustly being deprived of. But, he put up a double-double his last time out (14 points and 10 assists), has scored at least 12 points in each of the Magic's four games, is averaging 17.5 points and 4.8 assists on the season, and 44% of his field goal attempts have come from three-point range. That last point is big considering opposing guards have made 6.4 threes per game against the Blazers while shooting 35.8% from deep - both of which put them among the bottom half of the league.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Gordon Hayward - SF, at OKC ($5,500)
Hayward is still on a minutes restriction, but it's rare to find a player of his caliber priced this low. Take advantage. There's always the chance that head coach Brad Stevens gives him a little extra run, but even if he doesn't, Hayward has averaged slightly more than one DK fantasy point per minute this season so his "25-minute restriction" gives us about a 25-point floor at a serious discount.
Paul Millsap - PF, at LAL ($5,800)
Millsap offers a combination of consistency and upside that's hard to find among the mid-tier priced forwards. He's averaging 9.3 rebounds per game, has already recorded two double-doubles through the Nuggets first four, and the Lakers have been one of the worst rebounding teams throughout the early goings... Starting Kyle Kuzma -- and his 6.8 rebound percentage -- again at PF (as they did last night) doesn't help in that regard. At all. Millsap is also averaging 11.3 points per game while adding at least one block and steal in every game thus far for dessert. Oh, and the best part about all of this, he's shot a heinous 38.2% from the field. Not only is it a matter of time before his shots start to drop, but the Lakers have allowed opposing forwards to hit 48.7% from the field against them - the fourth-highest clip.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Mason Plumlee - PF/C, at LAL ($3,900)
Tonight seems like a good night to pay up at center, but should you decide to hit the clearance rack, Plumlee is your man. Again, the Lakers have been one of the worst rebounding teams and just yielded 11 boards apiece to Deandre Ayton and Tyson Chandler. Plumlee is averaging just 16 minutes per game -- which is far from ideal -- but he's been hyper-productive when on the floor - averaging seven points and five boards in his limited action. He's also averaged 22.6 DK fantasy points per game over the Nuggets last two making him a solid lineup filler should you decide to employ the aforementioned dual-baller strategy.
