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DraftKings daily picks: Fantasy basketball lineup – February 7

By Matt Lo Cascio

Jan 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts to his three pointer in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Houston Rockets won123-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts to his three pointer in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Houston Rockets won123-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 20, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts to a foul call in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts to a foul call in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

High Salary PG

James Harden – Houston Rockets ($13,300) : Harden is far and away the most expensive player on the board tonight, and as such will be heavily owned. If you own Harden tonight you’ll have to separate yourself by hitting on your value picks or skipping Harden altogether. The matchup against Orlando looks good on paper. They rank in the bottom half for opposing points allowed per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage. But Harden wasn’t able to take advantage of it earlier this year when he missed all eight of his long-range shots and scored just 14 points. After his near-100 FP effort against the Sixers, Harden fell into a two-game slump but roared back to life 70+ FP efforts against Atlanta and Chicago in his last two games. He’ll have to have a third-straight game like that to hit value with his hefty salary.

Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers ($8,600) : As we mentioned in the intro, Lillard is listed as probable for tonight’s game after tweaking his ankle, so keep an eye on breaking news for his status. Lillard threw up a dud against the Mavs last week, hitting on just 4-20 shots and converting only one of his eight three-point shots. He scored a mere 13 points that night, totaling just 34.5 FP. He bounced back nicely against OKC by registering 49.75 FP, and he’s averaged just over 43 FP per game against the Mavs this season. It seems like it’s been forever since Lillard posted a monster game, but he did have one early in the season against Dallas when he scored 42 points, which still stands as his highest-scoring game of the year. Dallas is also the only team on a back-to-back tonight, and Deron Williams could return to the lineup.

Kemba Walker – Charlotte Hornets ($8,500) :  Walker and the Hornets have a sweet matchup against the Nets, who are by far the worst defensive team on the slate tonight. The porous Brooklyn D has not translated into success for Walker so far this season, averaging just over 33 FP per game. I don’t like the odds of the Nets holding Walker down yet again, and he’s at home tonight where excels. He’ll be up against some combination of Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie, and Kemba simply has to torch Brooklyn at least once this year. For those not wanting to spend up on Harden and those leery about Lillard’s ankle, Kemba is a great alternative. He’s coming off two subpar performances, but look for him to post a big game tonight.

CJ McCollum – Portland Trailblazers ($7,300) :  Like Lillard, McCollum hasn’t dominated against the Mavs overall this season, averaging just 29 FP against them over three games. But he had a huge 28/7/6 line against them last week and he has a high ceiling at a very reasonable price. Dallas is also the worst team in the NBA in defending the three-point shot. You can run McCollum at PG or SG, and he deserves consideration because he is just one of three players priced in the $7K range tonight, and he has the potential to post a 50 FP game against Dallas.

Next: High Value PG