With question marks around Russell Westbrook's health, Paul George could be in for a big opening night. Who else should find their way into your lineups? If you're new to daily fantasy basketball -- maybe you started your DFS journey during the MLB or NFL seasons, or maybe basketball is your sport and this will be your first year giving it a shot -- you're in for a treat. The NBA scene changes hugely on a week-to-week, day-to-day, and -- depending on injury news -- even a minute-to-minute basis, making every slate a unique one that requires an ever-changing approach. With so much changing so quickly, we're here with plenty of tools to help you out. We have daily projections, a matchup heat map, a lineup optimizer, and a ton of other great resources to help give you an edge. We'll also be coming at you with this primer every day, breaking down a few of the day's top plays at each price point. Let's take a look at who you should target on today's main slate. *Editor's Note: Russell Westbrook has since been ruled out for tonight's game against the Warriors. Best of the Best Stephen Curry ($9,600): With Russell Westbrook's price tag through the roof ($12,500), and the fact that he may not suit up tonight, Curry stands out as the clear top option at point guard. He averaged 43.8 FanDuel points per game last year, which is the fourth-highest mark among players in action tonight (third if you take out Westbrook), and he also draws what might be the best matchup of the night. The Oklahoma City Thunder finished with the third-worst defensive rating among tonight's four teams last season, which is already appealing for Golden State Warriors, but they're also still playing without Andre Roberson. In games after Roberson went down last year, the Thunder saw a big dip in defensive rating, with a 108.5 mark that ranks worst among today's teams. It's no surprise that the Warriors have the day's highest implied total (117.25). OKC also allowed top-10 numbers in three-point percentage and made threes per game, which is obviously appealing for Curry, who averaged 9.8 three-point attempts last year. If Westbrook is out, this matchup gets even better, as Curry would be defended by Dennis Schroder, who has generally been a defensive liability. With the Warriors' hefty implied total and plus matchup, you can also consider Kevin Durant ($10,600).<doc-sep>The NBA is back and we are dealing with an 11-game slate to really get things going today. Since we are at the start of the year, I'll be looking back at some of the player's stats from last season, until we get a better picture of how they are used in their offenses. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 10/17/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. As always, don't set your lineups to early and check player statuses prior to opening tip. Give me a follow on Twitter @DFS_Tom with questions or comments. Good luck everyone. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight are hooking you up. Get a 100% instant deposit match up to $50 with promo codewith your first deposit. Claim your 100% instant deposit match now, and use our prop picks to get off on a winning foot! Sign Up Now! FanDuel DFS Guards Trae Young - PG, ATL @ NY (FD - $6,100) It has already been confirmed that Young will start the season opener for the Hawks, so if you want to buy in early on the rookie hype, now is the time. If you remember him from college, he can be very electric, but he can be streaky with his shooting. His price is reasonable today, but I would lean to him in GPPs only since you should be going for consistency in your cash games. Donovan Mitchell - SG, UTA @ SAC (FD - $8,000) Spida is back for his second season and oh boy, we should all be excited for what he could be bringing this season. He had a usage rate sitting around 30% last season, so we should be in for much more of the same this season. He will be playing up in pace and against a weaker Kings team, so we should be looking for him to have a large role in the offense, despite this not being the highest scoring game on the slate. FanDuel DFS Forwards Cedi Osman - SF, CLE @ TOR (FD - $4,500) Osman will be starting at small forward for the Cavaliers tonight and you should be looking at him as a solid savings play, along with bringing good point per dollar value. Last season, when he saw the floor for extended periods of time, he was actually very effective and was able to reach value on FanDuel. If he busts tonight, that should be an issue since FanDuel is now dropping the lowest score in your lineup this season. Tobias Harris PF, LAC vs DEN (FD - $7,600) This game has an over-under set at 227, which is second highest on the slate, so you should be looking here for plenty of offense. There is a massive difference in the NBA when it comes to higher and lower scoring games, which translates right to DFS. More opportunities on the ball and more possessions mean more potential upside. Harris is a great pick in this game since he consistently scored near or over 20 points last season while adding plenty in the other categories. FanDuel DFS Centers Nikola Jokic - C, DEN @ LAC (FD - $9,900) The Joker is an absolute stud in the NBA and even better in NBA DFS. Love paying all the way for him at center, since you can be looking at a triple-double quickly with what he has shown he can do. This game has an over-under set at 227, so plenty of scoring to go around and if you simply look back at his game log from last season, you can see he is almost a lock for at least a double-double every night. Willy Hernangomez - C, CHA vs MIL (FD - $4,000 Hernangomez is a bit of a punt play, but he had been very efficient at times last season. The matchup is very strong for him tonight since he will be going up against the Bucks who have been in the bottom 10 of guarding centers over the past two seasons. NBA News and Player Updates<doc-sep>Welcome back, friends. For the second straight year, FanSided has allowed me to bring you daily fantasy picks for the NBA. Almost everything has stayed the same from last season, but you will find a couple of differences from last year on the upcoming slides. Throughout the season, I may continue to fine-tune things until I find the perfect blend of information without overthinking. Let’s look at today’s slate. 8 p.m. ET: Philadelphia at Boston 10:30 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City at Golden State My favorite plays of the day can be found on the following slides in FanSided’s FanDuel daily picks. Each day in order to offer a variety of price points at each position, you can find two slides for each position–one for high-salary options and one for high-value options. GET DRAFT HELP: Fantasy Pros Draft Wizard and Fantasy Football Tools Important note, every day the goal of this post is not to give you a copy-and-paste lineup. Instead, each selection is given while highlighting the factors you need to consider when building a customized lineup for yourself. If you want to see an example lineup, you can find it on the final slide of the post, but I suggest you adjust your lineup to fit your personal taste. To keep up with all of FanSided’s DFS NBA coverage head over to the fantasy basketball hub where each day you can find a post like this tailored for DraftKings as well as one specifically designed for usage on FanDuel. In this post, all salary and “fantasy points” references are to DraftKings scoring system and salaries. If you have any additional questions or thoughts or are looking for updates as we approach tipoff, follow @FanSidedFantasy on Twitter or you can follow my account @jeremylambert88. Let’s take a look at your best options for both studs and value players at each position.<doc-sep>
Welcome back to the NBA season! We only have two games tonight, but these are two fantastic games. The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Boston Celtics in a game that could potentially be featured in the Eastern Conference Finals. On the Western side, Oklahoma City will take on the Golden State Warriors, although these teams are dealing with some injuries. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/16/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to find me in the Hoops Chat Room, on Xbox or hating the fact I'm on Twitter @BalesSJustin. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight are hooking you up. Get a 100% instant deposit match up to $50 with promo codewith your first deposit. Claim your 100% instant deposit match now, and use our prop picks to get off on a winning foot! Sign Up Now! DraftKings DFS Guards Kyrie Irving - PG, vs PHI ($7,600) Irving has been practicing for Boston, suggesting he'll be healthy to start the season. He looked outstanding in 60 games last season, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. He performed well against the Sixers last season, as well, and Irving could have something to prove early this season. He's an elite player, who comes with a relatively low price tag for his upside. Dennis Schroder - PG/SG, at GS ($6,300) Schroder is in an odd position, but we'll know more leading up to the game. Russell Westbrook is questionable for Opening Night, and it looks like he may be closer to doubtful. If Westbrook is out, Schroder will draw the start. If that's the case, he's entirely too cheap in a fast-paced game. If Westbrook is able to suit up, Schroder will see less playing time, but should lead the offense off the bench. He'll make a solid tournament option in that situation. DraftKings DFS Forwards Paul George - SF/PF, at GS ($8,000) The pricing is a bit loose on Opening Night, and I love where PG13 is priced at. He found plenty of success against the Golden State Warriors last season, as he averaged 20.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 3.0 steals in 36.2 minutes per game against them. George will also see a boost in usage if Westbrook is ruled out, adding to his value. If Westbrook is starting, Kevin Durant may be a better per dollar option, but George can still be considered in that situation. Robert Covington - SF/PF, at BOS ($4,700) Covington isn't the "star" of Philadelphia, and he's generally the player that goes overlooked on the team. His minutes to start the season will be a bit unknown, as they ranged anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes per game last year. He's the starter, though, and has flashed tremendous upside because of his scoring potential. Covington could also play upwards of 35+ minutes tonight with Wilson Chandler expected to be out. If Chandler is formally ruled out, Covington can slide into all leagues, as he comes with a surprisingly low price tag. DraftKings DFS Centers Damian Jones - C, vs OKC ($3,000) Jones is the minimum price tonight, and he's expected to draw the start tonight. He likely won't see more than 20 minutes, but that could be enough time for him to hit value. He scored eight points with two rebounds and one block (12.0 fantasy points) in 13.4 minutes against the Thunder last season. Jones also has a full offseason of workouts with an elite Golden State coaching staff. He does come with some risk, but he's an elite option in a "stars and scrubs" type of lineup. NBA News and Player Updates