NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 1/18

Tuesday presents a two-game slate, and even with only four clubs in action, NBA fantasy lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel will be flush with high-level talent and value plays. The Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page will provide breaking news when starters are announced as well as a full injury report on players who might be missing in action. Below are some NBA daily fantasy options that stand out for tonight’s slate using Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.

Boom/Bust NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & Picks

Boom: R.J. Barrett: $7,300 DraftKings/$7,200 FanDuel

18.5% DraftKings Boom/10.1% FanDuel Boom

With only two games on tap tonight, Barrett is a very difficult fade. He has been excellent in his last 10 starts, scoring 37.9 DraftKings points in 36 minutes per game. During this run Barrett has led the Knicks with a 28.1% usage rate and shot 46% from the field. Derrick Rose (ankle) and Kemba Walker (knee) missed all of these games, and while the latter is questionable for tonight, he carried this designation for nearly the entire month of January and has yet to suit up. Walker feels much closer to doubtful, and even if he is able to make his return, it will almost certainly be in a limited role.

Nonetheless, Barrett should approach 40 minutes tonight, playing way up in pace against the Timberwolves. Compared to the Knicks who rank dead last, Minnesota rank fourth in pace this season. Barrett should thrive in this up-tempo setting and has a top-10 boom score for both DraftKings and FanDuel in Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool.

Boom: Trey Lyles: $5,100 DraftKings/$5,700 FanDuel

21.9% DraftKings Boom/8.0% FanDuel Boom

Since returning from a three-game absence due to health protocols, Lyles has been very effective, producing 28.5 DraftKings points in 26.1 minutes per game across his last eight. Jerami Grant (thumb) is still on the shelf, and when he has been off the floor this season, Lyles has generated 1.02 DraftKings points per minute and a 22.1% usage rate in a sample size of 633 minutes.

Lyles will be facing the Warriors and their league-best defense, but Golden State will be without Draymond Green (calf), certainly improving this matchup for Lyles. Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool is giving him a ceiling over 30 fantasy points tonight, and while Lyles is viable on both sites, he is a core play for this two-game slate at only $5,100 on DraftKings. At this affordable salary, Lyles has a top-three boom score and is rating as a top-three value for DraftKings in Awesemo’s projections.

Latest NBA DFS Content

Bust: Karl-Anthony Towns: $10,200 DraftKings/$9,600 FanDuel

51% DraftKings Bust/55.8% FanDuel Bust

Simply put, Towns is overpriced on both DraftKings and FanDuel right now. In his past six starts since exiting health protocols, Towns has scored less than 50 DraftKings points on four occasions. With both Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell available during this run, Towns’ usage has dipped to 26.3%, which is 2.6 percentage points lower than his season average. The Timberwolves will be at full strength tonight, and the Knicks present a very poor matchup.

As noted above, New York is the slowest team in basketball. Furthermore, they rank 13th in defensive efficiency and are allowing the second-fewest points in the paint. In this difficult spot, Towns’ props are set at 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on BetMGM. Before defensive stats and bonuses, this equates to only 36.5 fantasy points, which is not even close to 5x value for Towns at his current price tags on either DraftKings or FanDuel. Particularly on DraftKings, where they are similarly priced, pursuing Stephen Curry’s ceiling is a better move for GPPs. Albeit with blowout concerns, the Warriors far and away hold the highest implied team total on the slate tonight against the Pistons (115.75 points). Detroit ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency, and Green will be unavailable for Golden State. With Green off the floor this season, Curry has supplied an elite 1.4 DraftKings points per minute.

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