DraftKings daily picks: Fantasy basketball lineup-January 4
High Salary PG
Russell Westbrook-Oklahoma City Thunder (12,600): With all the injured PG in the NBA right now, take a quick chance to marvel at Westbrook’s durability with the heavy usage he has gotten all season. He continues to be available on a nightly basis for the Thunder and will lead them into Charlotte tonight to face Kemba Walker and the Hornets. Westbrook had 30-7-6 (points-rebounds-assists) in a relatively down game for him on Monday with 52.25 fantasy points. He has been held under 65 fantasy points in three of his last four games which depending on your perspective coulee mean he’s overdue for a huge game or regressing to the norm after a unsustainable start. To me, the matchup makes him risky at this price on the road against a team that’s pretty solid defensively against PG. He always has the potential to go huge, but he’ll have to do just that to be worth his hefty salary tonight.∗∗
Giannis Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee Bucks (10,400): The Greek Freak is taking his show to the Big Apple tonight as he faces the Knicks. New York is allowing the third-most fantasy points per game in the NBA to opposing SG and was totally annihilated by James Harden last week. While Antetokounmpo’s game is different than Harden’s, they both control the ball from their non-traditional PG spot. “The Alphabet” is coming off a solid 26-10-5 game where he had 51.5 fantasy points while helping the Bucks get past Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Milwaukee is now one game over .500 and at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo has helped them get there with over 43 fantasy points in 14 straight games including eight games over 53 fantasy points and a massive 73.25 fantasy points on 35-9-7 with seven blocks on New Year’s Eve against the Bulls. If you’re going to spend big at PG, I think rolling with Antetokounmpo at MSG is a better option than Westbrook on a points-per-dollar basis.∗∗∗
Kemba Walker-Charlotte Hornets (8,200): Kemba Walker has been heating up lately with at least 30 fantasy points in nine straight, at least 40 fantasy points in three straight, and over 50 fantasy points in his last two. He had one of his best games of the season on Monday against the Bulls totaling 61.75 fantasy points on 34-11-4 with a block and a steal. Walker should be fired up to host Westbrook tonight, and since he comes in hot facing the eight-worst team in the NBA at limiting opposing PG I expect Kemba to go big tonight. ∗∗∗
Dennis Schroder-Atlanta Hawks (6,600): Schroder had a nice double-double to start the year with 16-2-10 for 35.5 fantasy points against the Spurs on New Year’s Day. He has over 31 fantasy points in seven of his last ten games thanks to good points and assists totals with rebounds and steals mixed in from time-to-time as well. Schroder is in a good matchup tonight as the Hawks visit Orlando who he had 19-1-3 for 44.75 fantasy points against when the two teams met on December 13.∗∗∗∗
Derrick Rose-New York Knicks (6,400): Rose just faced Orlando and posted just 26.25 fantasy points on 18-3-4 in 28 minutes while the Magic blew the Knicks out. Rose had been playing well before that letdown and has at least 34 fantasy points in four of his last seven. He has had over 42 fantasy points in two of his last four games, and he has a lot of upside to consider tonight as the Knicks take on the Bucks who are a team that could end up battling them for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.∗∗
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