DraftKings NBA Lineup Advice: Saturday (1/18)

The schedule for Saturday contains 11 total games, nine of which are slated to tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST for the main slate and two more during the day that will be included in the all-day slate (3:30 p.m. EST and 6:00 p.m. EST). The Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and Portland Trail Blazers are all operating on a back-to-back.

Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings

Guards

Derrick Rose (PG – DET): $6,900 @ ATL
Now operating as the starting point guard for the Detroit Pistons (Bruce Brown out), Rose has a chance to really erupt, even more than he already has in his past six games. Rose is a great playmaking option that possesses the ability to score quickly and often. The matchup against the Atlanta Hawks is a great one, with the Hawks ranked 25^th in defensive rating and 6^th in pace. As it currently stands, this contest leads the main-slate games in implied total.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG – OKC): $7,200 vs. POR
A budding superstar, SGA has turned a corner and has blossomed into something special this season, particularly in his last four contests. I wouldn’t expect the stud two-guard to slow down tonight as the matchup against the Trail Blazers is a good one, with the Blazers ranking 24^th in defensive rating and 12^th in pace. SGA is a sure-bet to log 35+ minutes of playing time in addition to a very good matchup.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $8,200 @ OKC
The other side of this contest is Dame, though he’s currently battling an illness and was a question mark to play last night. Lillard ultimately suited up, and well, put together a monster 55.3-point performance in 39.5 minutes of playing time. Starting SG C.J. McCollum left the game with an ankle injury, leaving more of the onus on Lillard’s shoulders. Ensure you’re keeping up with the Blazers’ injury report tonight to make sure Lillard is good to go, as well as the status of McCollum as his absence would give Lillard a higher ceiling.

Kevin Huerter (SG – ATL): $6,500 vs. DET
Huerter is one of the steadier DFS contributors, specifically in recent times. The shooting guard’s price has slowly increased, and deservedly so. Huerter has been productive, generally hovering around value with the odd explosion sprinkled in every few games. The matchup against the Pistons tonight is a good one as they rank 21^st in defensive rating, though they only rank 25^th in pace. Regardless, the Hawks are one of the pacier teams in the league, creating a major pace-up spot for the Pistons, ensuring the game will have more than enough possessions.

Forwards

Terrence Ross (SF – ORL): $5,300 @ GS
Ross isn’t a name you typically see on these lists, and for good reason. He’s a backup on the Orlando Magic. Yet, he’s found a way to consistently remain productive, simply because of his bucket-getting mentality. Ross’ price has hovered around the $4-5k mark, which is a solid amount for a guy who’s played an average of 29 minutes in his past four contests. The absence of SF Johnathon Isaac has allowed Ross to place his imprint on the game coming off the bench, and the matchup against the Golden State Warriors is a good one as they rank 23^rd in defensive rating and 13^th in pace.

Mikal Bridges (SF – PHO): $4,500 @ BOS
Starting SF Kelly Oubre Jr. has been ruled out of this contest with a concussion, leaving Bridges as the logical replacement in the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns. Bridges doesn’t really offer much of a ceiling on a relatively healthy Suns team, but he does afford you the opportunity to pay-down at the three-spot for a guy who’s got a pretty good shot to reach value. Bridges won’t rely on pure scoring, upping his intrigue as a guy that can produce statistically across the board.

Al Horford (PF – PHI): $7,200 @ NY
The absence of C Joel Embiid has done wonders for Horford’s production, so don’t quit riding this play until Horford gives us a reason to. In his past five games, Horford has scored 33+ DraftKings points in each contest, while also breaking the 40+ point mark once. Horford is playing a lot of minutes, fills up the stat sheet offensively and defensively, and gets a weak New York Knicks defense tonight that ranks 28^th in defensive rating.

Centers

Nikola Vucevic (C – ORL): $8,300 @ GS
One of the most intriguing plays of the night is Vuce versus the weak Warriors defense. The Warriors have been awful at defending big-men all year, and PF Draymond Green has already been ruled out for the contest, further weakening their defense. Vuce is generally a very productive player, reaching value in seven of his last eight games. Look for the Magic to feed Vuce early and often, and look for the big man to take full advantage of this matchup.

Nerlens Noel (C – OKC): $5,000 vs. POR
Noel is either going to be a great option tonight or someone you completely disregard, and it all depends on the status of starting C Steven Adams. If Adams is ultimately ruled out again due to a knee injury, fire up Noel. If Adams suits up, just leave Noel out of your lineups. The one thing to note – outside of the injury status of Adams – is that Noel himself is battling back from an absence, playing in only 21 minutes last night, though he still managed to hit value.

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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.