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DraftKings NBA: Best Picks And Lineup For Jan. 18

By Aaron Ferguson

Oct 28, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) before the game against the Utah Jazz at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) before the game against the Utah Jazz at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 28, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) before the game against the Utah Jazz at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) before the game against the Utah Jazz at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

There are nine games on DraftKings’ slate for NBA contests and DraftKings players have a great pool of players to draft from.

DraftKings is using nine of the NBA’s 10 games to use for their daily fantasy sports contests on Monday. It’s a Martin Luther King edition of basketball with games beginning at 2:00 ET and will end late at night on the West coast.

Five of the games feature intra-conference battles on Monday. Four of the 10 games on the NBA slate will be featured on national television across three different networks. It’s a great opportunity for fans to get exposure to some teams they may not have seen this season.

The afternoon game to watch is the third meeting of the season between the Chicago Bulls (23-16) and the Detroit Pistons (22-18). Both times the Central Division foes have met, the games have gone to overtime. The most memorable of the two was the four-overtime thriller on Dec. 18.

The Bulls and Pistons are 12th and 13th, respectively, in points per game. They combine for 203.3 points per game. Great guard play can be expected in the third meeting this season.

Jimmy Butler had a 53-point performance last week to lead the Bulls. The Pistons are coming off an 18-point win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors. This is going to be another intense divisional matchup. The Bulls will be playing their first game since the news broke that Joakim Noah will miss 4-to-6 months after needing surgery on his dislocated left shoulder.

Another game to watch is the second meeting between the defending champion Golden State Warriors (37-4) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (28-10). The Warriors won the previous rematch 89-83 on Christmas Day. However, it was the Cavaliers who dominated in terms of fantasy having game-highs from LeBron James scoring 25 points and Kevin Love adding 18 rebounds.

The two teams combine for 215.3 points per game. The Warriors were limited to 95 points in their 18-point loss to the Pistons on Saturday and Cleveland is coming off of a six-game road trip where they only broke 100 three times. Both teams are healthy, so it has the potential to be a high-scoring game.

For the best success in picking players, use their usage percentage to determine who will have the most opportunities on offense. That is the good strategy to use when it comes to possible defensive matchups.

The third matchup to watch is a Western Conference battle between the Houston Rockets (21-20) and the Los Angeles Clippers (26-14). The two teams rank sixth and fourth, respectively in points per game. They combine for 207.3 points per game.

This matchup has the possibility of being the highest-scoring game, assuming all games are played in regulation. It should be a tightly contested battle between two teams that are very good offensively. With the great play of Chris Paul and a top 10 scorer in James Harden, this game could turn into a shootout.

Here’s the breakdown of the top picks at each position.

Next: Top Four PGs