DraftKings Early NBA Picks for January 22

The NFL Playoffs take center stage today, but we still have four NBA games on tap. Two of them are in the early DraftKings tournament, and two of them are in the late (main) DraftKings tournament. This will focus on the two early games. We need to find a place to separate our lineups from the pack. Let’s take a look at the best bets to do that.

Don’t forget to follow @fantasycpr on Twitter for lineup updates as we get them leading to the tipoffs of the games! I am not always able to get back in here and fix my picks when someone sits for the night, but we will update it on Twitter.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Stephen Curry ($8,700): Curry has averaged 48.9 DraftKings points per game in January. The Warriors are starting to learn how to best use all of their pieces after quite a bit of turnover from last year’s team. The matchup with Orlando is tough according to the statistics, but you can’t always rely on past stats in regard to the Warriors. They are unlike any other team in the league.

Honorable Mention:

Elfrid Payton ($6,100): Payton’s consistency is still an issue. Over the last two weeks, he has been between 12 and 59 DraftKings points. It is a small slate, but are you willing to risk that much on the inconsistent Payton? In a tournament like this, you may have to make the all or nothing pick.

Deron Williams ($5,900): Williams has averaged 34.5 DraftKings points over the last five game. Today he gets the added bonus of playing a Lakers team without their starting point guard. However, I still wouldn’t expect him to be too much out of that current range. He is mostly a facilitator at this point in his career.

Dark Horses:

C.J. Watson ($3,300): Watson was below average against the Bucks even though he got the starting nod with Evan Fournier and Jodie Meeks out. I love Watson’s chances against the Warriors if Fournier sits again. Most will fade Watson because of the lineups he torpedoed on Friday.

Jose Calderon ($3,000): Calderon will likely start at point guard with Russell out. Even if he doesn’t he will see plenty of minutes. Calderon put up 19.75 DraftKings points in 19 minutes against the Pacers on Friday. Dallas is a tougher matchup for him, but if he plays 25 minutes, he will definitely get at least 5x value.

My pick: Curry(PG), Calderon(G); Williams(PG)

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

Klay Thompson ($6,300): The matchup with Orlando is a solid one anyway, but given the fact that the Magic could have a skeleton crew at SG again, Thompson could find himself with a plethora of open shots. He is the strongest play at SG today.

Lou Williams ($5,600): LouWill hasn’t absorbed any extra minutes with Russell out, but he has absorbed almost all of the extra scoring. Williams in on fire right now, averaging 40.4 DraftKings points per game in that span. Dallas may slow him down some, but not enough to drop him under 6x value at this price.

Honorable Mention:

Wesley Matthews ($5,000): After a poor start to January, Matthews has got back to his early season form. He has only been under 28 DraftKings points once in his last six games. Matthews is playing well right now, and is worth using against the Lakers.

Jordan Clarkson ($4,800): Clarkson has seen a slight uptick in minutes with D’Angelo Russell ailing once again. His role as the sixth man likely wont change, and neither will his 38-32 DraftKings points per game. He is a stable piece in your stable lineup if you opt for that approach.

Dark Horses:

Nick Young ($4,400): The Lakers still play Young more than they likely should. He has played at least 26 minutes in each of the last five games. Young is a shooter and nothing else, who is prone to cold streaks. Which means he could be another long shot that vaults you into the money, or puts you in last.

Seth Curry ($4,300): Curry has three straight games of over 5x value. The Mavs have been going small with Andrew Bogut out, and that will likely continue considering everyone seems to thrive in their new roles, including the slippery Curry.

My pick: Williams(SG); Thompson(SG), Williams(G)

Small Forwards

Best Bets:

Kevin Durant ($10,300): Durant is the star on a tiny slate, so he will be very widely owned. Judging by how he has played lately though, he is tough to fade. KD annihilated Oklahoma City, and did quite a number on Houston as well. Orlando may offer more resistance, but probably not enough to drop him under 50 DraftKings points.

Harrison Barnes ($6,200): If you are building a lineup based on solid options without spending big, Barnes is not a bad option. Barnes has 72.25 DraftKings points in two games against the Lakers so far this year. He seems a bit small for a power forward, but he has continued to put up solid numbers there, though not quite as good as he did at small forward.

Honorable Mention:

Aaron Gordon ($5,700): Gordon has been over 32 DraftKings points in four or the last six games. The bad news? In the other two, he was under 20. It’s all or nothing right now with Gordon, but he does have the best upside in this price range this afternoon.

Brandon Ingram ($4,900): Are we to the point where we can trust the rookie? Ingram has more than 30 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. If the Mavs go small against the Lakers, that should favor Ingram a little more. He has taken 28 shots in the last two games, so Ingram is clearly a larger part of the offense right now with Luol Deng out. This could continue even when Deng returns.

Dark Horses:

Andre Iguodala ($3,700): Well, if you are willing to bet on a blowout, Iguodala is a great piece to your lineup. Iggy has averaged 24.2 DraftKings points over the last three games which have all been blowouts. Don’t be surprised if today’s is as well.

Jeff Green ($3,400): Injuries have forced Green into a larger role, and he has responded very well. Green has put up 55.75 DraftKings points in 50 minutes over the last two games with Fournier out. If Fournier sits again, Green should be safe to use.

My Pick: Durant(SF), Ingram(UTIL); Dyrant(SF), Barnes(F), Gordon(UTIL)

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

Draymond Green ($8,000): Green has 5x value or more in seven of the last ten games. He does so many things on the court that his floor is very high. He has not been under 30 DraftKings points in a game since early December.

Serge Ibaka ($6,000): Ibaka still isn’t the interior force that he was with the Thunder, but he is no longer priced like it either. Ibaka has been very consistent over the last ten games, averaging 29.2 DraftKings points per game in that span. Ibaka should be athletic enough to hang with Draymond, just don’t expect a huge game.

Honorable Mention:

Dirk Nowitzki ($5,500): Yeah, Dirk was a disappointment against Utah. Who isn’t? The 1-13 from the floor is a bit concerning, but Nowitzki seemed to be getting his stroke back before this game. He won’t have many problems with Mozgov, so expect Dirk to get back to 5x value.

Dark Horse:

Dwight Powell ($3,000): Powell averaged 24 DraftKings points per game in the two games against the Lakers earlier this year, but Nowitzki missed both of those games. Dirk has taken a big chunk out of Powell’s playing time, but he did pick up 27 minutes on Friday against Utah. They may need him to bang with Randle and Mozgov tonight, which could increase his minutes to the point where he has some value.

My pick: Green(PF), Nowitzki(F); Ibaka(PF)

Center

Best Bet:

Nikola Vucevic ($6,600): There is a huge void at center today, and again at PF. Otherwise I wouldn’t even consider Vucevic. He matches up pretty well with the Warriors since he has some athleticism, but he has been under 5x value in each of the last five games. It’s hard to see him breaking through against the best in the West.

Honorable Mention:

Bismack Biyombo ($3,900): Nikola Vucevic has been so hit and miss lately, it is very hard to rely on him. Biyombo’s defensive prowess gives him a solid floor since he is cheap, but he will still have his hands full.

Zaza Pachulia ($3,800): Pachulia played well against Houston on Friday, and that is nothing new lately. Zaza is nothing flashy, and wont drop a huge number for you, but he has been over 5x value in each of the last nine games.

Dark Horse:

Timofey Mozgov ($3,100): Mozgov totaled only 13 DraftKings points combined in two games against Dallas earlier this year. However, the Mavs have been abused in the middle lately with Bogut out and them deploying a small lineup. Mozgov will barely be owned, and he could come up with a very good game today.

My pick: Pachulia(C); Pachulia(C)

Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend!