It’s great to be back in the swing of things in the NBA, RotoBallers. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I’m selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.
This is going to be an interesting slate. It’s a small five-gamer, but three games hold spreads of at least 10.5 points, including the best game environment on the slate in the Hawks-Celtics matchup. We’ll have to get creative with our lineups on this one, especially considering we don’t have any “mega ceiling” options like Jokic or Wembanyama in play. Tatum likely holds the highest potential ceiling, but the blowout risk is present, and he has exceeded 60 DK points only once over his last 11 games.
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This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/18/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.
This feels like a prime spot to get to some Celtics as they’re facing the vulnerable Hawks defense, but it’s challenging to prioritize anyone when the entire team is healthy. They’re just too deep and too good, and I don’t have much interest in anyone on Boston, especially considering the blowout risk (BOS -10.5). If I get to any of the higher-priced Celtics, I’ll take Jaylen Brown at his sub-$8,000 price tag.
Amen Thompson has entered the chat. His price has risen to $8,400 on DraftKings, but it is fully warranted as he’s playing upwards of 40 minutes per game lately and averaging 43.4 DK PPG over his last five contests. He needs 42 DK points to hit 5x value tonight, and that feels very attainable as he’s facing the Trail Blazers on the road. Portland allows the fifth-most fantasy points per game overall, the fourth-most to SGs, and the eighth-most to SFs. They also rank 28th in defensive rating, so Thompson will have every opportunity to continue his hot streak in this spot.
Anthony Edwards is the ultimate GPP play on tonight’s slate. He will be playing in the second leg of a back-to-back and facing a Cleveland defensive that ranks 10th in defensive rating, so the risk of a dud is undoubtedly there. However, the young star has produced at least 61 DK points in four of his last eight games, including a monster 65.25 DK point game last night against the Knicks. He is averaging 32.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 5.3 APG during that stretch. He’s feeling it lately, and it’s worth noting that the Cavaliers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game over their last seven games.
This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it’s a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you’ll find guys who make lineups work.
Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar:
The non-Edwards Timberwolves are all underpriced as long as Donte DiVincenzo remains out of the lineup. Mike Conley hit 5x value last night despite scoring 19 DK points, and his salary decreased by $100 for tonight’s matchup. He should see minutes in the high-20s again tonight, and that will play against a Cleveland defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to PGs over their last seven games. Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Naz Reid are the remaining Wolves to consider tonight. Reid and McDaniels are my priorities due to their recent form and more solidified roles.
Andrew Wiggins and Trayce Jackson-Davis are in play for the Warriors against the putrid Wizards’ defense. I will gravitate toward Wiggins as Draymond Green is on track to return, putting a dent in TJD’s upside. Jonathan Kuminga, Kyle Anderson, and Brandon Podziemski won’t play tonight, so the path for Wiggins to put up another 35+ DK point performance is there for the taking. As a reminder, the Wizards rank last in defensive rating and allow the most fantasy points per game this season.
Top Value Plays:
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Tyrese Maxey may have to carry the load by himself tonight, which interests me as long as Paul George doesn’t suit up. The game environment is terrible as the matchup holds a low 222.5-point implied total and the slowest projected pace on the slate, so I won’t get too crazy with my Maxey ownership even if PG13 remains out. Stephen Curry gets a much better game environment and matchup against the Wizards, but he’s not in good enough form, with just one 50+ DK point showing over his last eight games.
I’d instead get to the cheap and mid-range options at the position in Conley, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, and Dennis Schroder. None of them are inspiring options, but they all hold value at their respective price tags tonight. I will prioritize Conley and Schroder from that group, but a case can be made for all of them at their pricing.
Top PG Options:
Schroder, Sharpe, and Holiday qualify at SG, and they make up my top exposures at the position based on how things currently stand. However, as stated in the “Core” section, I am very interested in Anthony Edwards tonight. He’s putting up 60+ DK points with regularity lately, and he gets a Cavaliers defense that has been vulnerable against guards over their last seven games. He will have to continue carrying the offensive load, with DiVincenzo likely out again tonight, so he makes for an excellent GPP play at low ownership.
Top SG Options:
Sharpe, Edwards, and McDaniels are three priorities at SF tonight, but Andrew Wiggins is my top priority at the position. Wiggy is still moderately priced, and the Warriors don’t have adequate options for the position behind him, so he will likely play around 35 minutes against the most forgiving defense in the NBA. He’s at 1.00 FPTS/min, so he’s lined up to provide lots of value at his salary tonight.
Top SF Options:
Naz Reid, Draymond Green, and Alexandre Sarr are my non-Wiggins targets at PF tonight. Reid can be streaky, but his extreme efficiency can lead to value-crushing performances when his shot falls. He put up 39 DK points over 25 minutes last night and has exceeded 30 DK points with some regularity over his previous 10 games. He’s shooting 68% on three’s over his last five games, which is an absurd metric. The Cavaliers don’t defend PFs well, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position this season.
Green gets the same glorious matchup as Wiggins, and we know his all-around game can occasionally lead to some gaudy fantasy scores. I’m willing to roll those dice against the Wizards. Sarr also looks excellent on the other side of the matchup, as the rookie is coming off impressive performances of 33.25 and 36.75 DK points heading into tonight’s action. The Warriors don’t defend PFs well, either, allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position this season.
Top PF Options:
Onyeka Okongwu is finally being unleashed. After a few years of playing second-fiddle to Clint Capela and having his upside capped, the Hawks are beginning to showcase the big man by giving him more minutes. Over the last two games, he has been a monster, scoring 52.75 and 45.75 DK points at a $ sub-$5,000 salary on DraftKings. It’s tough to expect similar production tonight against a stingy Celtics frontcourt, but that type of upside can’t be found in his salary range.
Reid, Green, and Sarr can also be rotated at center, but I am interested in Rudy Gobert and Jarrett Allen. Gobert has played below his standards lately, which has caused his salary to drop to the point where he needs just 26 DK points to hit 5x value. The matchup isn’t ideal, but he will be required against an imposing Cleveland frontcourt tonight. Jarrett Allen is on the other side of the matchup, and he profiles as a high-risk, high-reward type of play, given his current form and tough matchup.
Top C Options:
Trae Young. He famously raises his level of play for these games, but I can’t see the Hawks staying competitive long enough for him to hit value at his lofty salary. He needs 50.5 DK points to hit 5x value, and he has reached that mark in four of his last eight games. The Celtics allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game overall and the seventh-fewest to PGs, so I will let others chase a big game from Young in this difficult matchup.
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
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