The Memphis Grizzlies seemingly can’t catch a break when it comes to significant injury news. First, they lost superstar point guard Ja Morant (shoulder) for the season shortly after his return from a 25-game suspension. Since, fellow guards Marcus Smart (finger) and Desmond Bane (ankle) have suffered injuries that could cost them six weeks each. But for keen daily Fantasy basketball players, injury signals opportunity. Players that go under the radar in the NBA DFS player pool can now be those value options that when combined with an elite player having a monster performance can lead to a huge payout.
Vince Williams Jr., a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is averaging 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and six assists over his last two games compared to averaging 6.9 points per game on the season for the Grizzlies. Luke Kennard, David Roddy and Gregory Jackson are three other Memphis players from the NBA DFS player pool who went from averaging single-digit points all season to double-digits over the last two contests. Should you include any of these Grizzlies against the Timberwolves when making NBA DFS lineups? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.
McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.
This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Tuesday (when he last published picks), McClure highlighted Clippers guard James Harden as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Harden had 16 points, five rebounds, eight assists and a block, returning 37.75 points on DraftKings and 36 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, January 18
For Thursday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who is listed at $8,500 on DraftKings and $8,900 on FanDuel. Brunson is coming off his second straight 30-point game, finishing with 30 points and seven assists in a 109-94 win over the Rockets on Friday. He’s scored at least 30 points in three of his last four contests and is averaging 27.5 points and 7.5 assists over his last six contests.
The Knicks play the Wizards, who have the worst scoring defense in the NBA this season while allowing 125.3 points per game. Washington is coming off a 129-117 loss to the Pistons, who have a chance to finish with the worst win percentage in NBA history. Brunson had 33 points and eight assists against the Wizards on January 6 and has scored at least 32 points in four of six games with the Knicks against Washington. McClure expects another huge performance from Brunson.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Raptors guard/forward RJ Barrett ($6,600 on DraftKings and $6,800 on FanDuel). Barrett had 26 points and eight rebounds in a 121-97 win over the Heat on Wednesday. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists over nine contests since being acquired from the Knicks.
The Raptors host the Bulls on Thursday for their third straight home game, and Barrett is averaging 25 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the first two games of the homestand. Barrett, a Toronto native, is playing stellar basketball in his hometown, which is no surprise, especially with how little he’s been able to play there thus far. Thursday will be just Barrett’s fourth home game despite his 10th overall contest with the Raptors. Barrett had 44 points against the Bulls with the Knicks last season, and McClure likes his value to NBA DFS lineups on Thursday. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, January 18
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
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