DraftKings NBA Picks for February 13
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for February 13
There are 11 games tonight, which leaves most of the players in the NBA eligible for our main DraftKings tournament. There are a lot of bargains and a lot of expensive players. What is the right balance? Let’s try to keep the win streak going. Both lineups placed last night! Even the crazy $1 lineup on Twitter placed in the money!
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.
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Most of my picks end up being a little on the conservative side, so these lineups may be better suited for cash games, though I usually play both types.
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Point Guards
Best Bets:
Russell Westbrook ($12,700): Westbrook continues to be one of the best players in the league. He showed up Durant in his return to the Heartland in a losing effort on Saturday. Westbrook also put up 75.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting against the Wizards. He is working on a streak of three straight 70+ DraftKings points games. He has a great shot at a fourth.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,100): In two games without Jabari Parker, Giannis has 119.5 DraftKings points. However, in two games against Detroit so far this year, he only has 89.75 DraftKings points. He has picked up his production with Parker out, but it is still a small sample size. That said, I trust him a lot more than I trust Wall on a slightly sprained ankle for $400 more.
Honorable Mention:
Jrue Holiday ($8,800): Holiday has put up 94.5 DraftKings points in two games against Phoenix so far this year. This is a great matchup for Holiday, who has gone over 50 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. Expect him to be well above 5x value again tonight in an up-tempo game.
Damian Lillard ($8,600): Lillard has three straight games of 6x value, which means he is getting back to the level he was at before the injury. Atlanta has improved against the point some, but they are still in the bottom third of the league. He is an acceptable pivot to Holiday if you can’t afford the top tier and want to go for lower ownership.
Mike Conley ($7,700): Conley has a great matchup against Brooklyn tonight. He had been struggling to hit value for most of the last two weeks until he did against the Warriors on Friday, but a lot of that has had to do with matchups. I trust him more than an inconsistent Eric Bledsoe, a struggling Kemba Walker, or Goran Dragic against Orlando.
Dark Horses:
Dennis Schroder ($6,600): The Trailblazers have the worst point guard defense in the league, and Schroder is usually money in a good matchup. We all know how inconsistent Schroder is, but he can really vault your lineup up the list in games like this. He is a medium risk, but high upside play tonight.
Tyler Johnson ($5,500): Orlando has done a number on Dragic this year, but for some reason, Johnson has torched them off the bench. Johnson has 80.75 DraftKings points in two games against the Magic. He is a great bargain play this evening.
Jameer Nelson ($5,400): Nelson has 80.5 DraftKings points over the last two games starting for Emmanuel Mudiay. If his balky back keeps Mudiay out again, Nelson could be in for another nice game against the Warriors. Westbrook and Conley put up nice numbers on the defending Western Conference champs over the weekend. Nelson could do it again.
My picks: Antetokounmpo(PG), Schroder(G); Holiday(PG)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
C.J. McCollum ($7,800): The trade of Jusuf Nurkic to Portland wont shift the offense to the frontcourt, at least not initially. The Portland backcourt will still carry this team. McCollum’s numbers have taken a bit of a hit with Lillard on a roll lately, but he still has hit 5x value in three of the last five games. He has a pretty easy matchup with Atlanta, especially if Thabo Sefalosha sits out again.
Nicolas Batum ($7,900): Batum has been below average in two games against Philadelphia this year, but he has averaged 43.7 DraftKings points in the last three games. Batum is playing very well right now, so there may be something to playing him tonight where he likely wont be highly owned.
Honorable Mention:
Devin Booker ($6,900): Here is another matchup that doesn’t look great on paper. The Pelicans are seventh in the league in points allowed to off guards, but Booker has 103.75 DraftKings points in three games against them this year. Booker has cooled off some, but he still has more than 30 DraftKings points in eight of the last 11 games.
Evan Fournier ($6,000): Miami has done very well against shooting guards this year, but Fournier has put up 74.75 DraftKings points in two games against them this season. If Dion Waiters is out again because of his ankle strain, Fournier could get an even bigger boost in value. Keep an eye on this situation.
Wesley Matthews ($6,000): Matthews has at least 5x value in seven of the last eight games. Deron Williams hasn’t been much of a factor yet in his return, but Matthews only played 25 minutes on Saturday. However, it was in a blowout. Matthews doesn’t appear to be facing a reduction in minutes, and could be even better than the 32.25 DraftKings points he put up in the first game agianst Boston if Avery Bradley sits again.
Dark Horses:
Tony Allen ($4,600): Allen has at least 5x value in five of the last six games. He gets a Nets team that has struggled against any guards this year. Allen’s rebounding ability makes him a solid base player, but he has also been seeing many more shots in the offense lately. He could be a nice bargain again tonight.
Wayne Ellington ($4,200): This pick is contingent on Waiters sitting again. Ellington has started the last three games with Waiters out, and has picked up an average of 23.4 DraftKings points in those games. That leaves him a solid 5x value, but he still hasn’t shown a ton of upside.
Jeremy Lamb ($3,300): Lamb has had trouble carving out minutes lately, but he produces when he is in there. He has hit at least 5x value in seven of the last ten games, and was higher than 7x in four of those. He carries risk, but he could come up big for you.
My pick: N/A, Matthews(SG), Allen(G)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Kawhi Leonard ($8,900): Indiana is solid against power forwards, but Leonard has more than 5x value in eight of the last 12 games without going under 40 DraftKings points. He is about as consistent as you can find if you step out of the top tier. Just temper your expectations against the Pacers after last night’s outburst against the Knicks.
Gordon Hayward ($7,700): Hayward has hit more than 5x value in five of the last six games, going over 6x in four of those. I trust him a lot more against the Clippers than I do Kevin Durant against Denver. Durant has averaged just over 32 DraftKings points in two games against Denver.
Honorable Mention:
Wilson Chandler ($6,700): This is not a great matchup for Chandler, and he is battling an illness, but both Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari are still out. Look for Chandler and Will Barton to get more run tonight. Chandler probably has the better upside, but he did struggle against Cleveland and LeBron James on Saturday. He could face a similar fate tonight, though he did pick up 35 DraftKings points in the first meeting.
Will Barton ($6,400): Barton or Chandler, Barton or Chandler? Both have multi-position eligibility. Both will be tangling with athletic defenders. However, Barton averaged 45.4 DraftKings points in three games with Faried out before running into the Cavs on Saturday. Barton is the lesser risk of the two.
Robert Covington ($6,200): Covington didn’t fare well against Charlotte in the first two meetings, posting only 39.75 DraftKings points combined over those two games. He has gone over that mark in three of the past six games! Statistically, this is a solid matchup for Covington. Can he keep his hot streak going?
Dark Horses:
Tobias Harris ($5,200): Harris has done very well against the Bucks this year, putting up 72.25 DraftKings points on them in two games. At this price, Harris could be a huge bargain again like he was on Saturday against Toronto. It’s no secret how much the Bucks have struggled at SF, and with Middleton still on a minutes limit, Harris could have another big game.
Dario Saric ($5,200): Saric is really trending upward right now. He has assaulted opponents from outside off the bench recently, putting up over 5x value in eight of the last ten games. In fact, he has put up 81.5 DraftKings points in the last two games. Saric will continue getting good run with Joel Embiid out, and as long as he shoots like this, will be a source of great value.
Allen Crabbe ($4,200): Crabbe has had mixed success in three starts with Evan Turner out. We have seen him have some good games here and there, but he is far too inconsistent to rely on. This could be a good place to use him against Atlanta, who is average on the wing. There is considerable risk involved though.
My Pick: Barton(SG), Saric(SF); Harris(SF), Barton(UTIL)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Draymond Green ($7,800): Green is spearheading the points are so passe movement in the NBA. He put up a triple-double on Friday with only four points! That’s right. His defense was so great against Memphis, he racked up 67.5 DraftKings points while scoring just four points from the field. Green has 88.25 DraftKings points against Denver so far this year, and it should be a slightly easier run without the athletic Faried in there.
Paul Millsap ($7,600): Portland is the worst! Against power forwards, that is. He has fared pretty well against Denver and Sacramento over the last couple of games. However, we saw what he did to the Knicks a couple of weeks ago. He has that ceiling tonight against Portland.
Honorable Mention:
Blake Griffin ($9,000): I know Utah is brutal in the middle, but I would be foolish not to mention what Griffin has done with Chris Paul out. He has averaged 51.3 DraftKings points in the last six games! Temper your expectations for tonight, but he might get 5x value and wont be highly owned.
Markieff Morris ($6,800): Morris took the Pacers for all they were worth on Friday, going off for 48 DraftKings points. His calf is fine, thank you. Morris put up 33.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting against the Thunder, but that was when they still had Enes Kanter in the lineup. Morris should have a much easier time up front without Kanter in the way.
LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,700): Aldridge doesn’t have nearly the upside that he used to have, but he has not been below 4.5x value with Pau Gasol out. Even if the opponent is tougher, LMA gets his 33-38 DraftKings points. He is a nice cash game anchor.
Dark Horses:
James Johnson ($6,200): I would much rather go with the consistent Johnson, who has more than 5x value in six of the last eight games than the inconsistent Serge Ibaka at the same price. Even though Johnson doesn’t start, he still plays a lot more minutes than starter Luke Babbitt. Johnson has amassed 122 DraftKings points in the last three games. He could hit 6x value again tonight.
Frank Kaminsky ($5,700): Frank the Tank will start at center again with Cody Zeller sitting again. He had one of his best games as a pro on Saturday, racking up 45 DraftKings points against a pretty good Clippers front. He could face similar success against a beat up Philadelphia front tonight.
JaMychal Green ($4,700): Green has a nice value boost against the terrible Nets up front, but he is very inconsistent. He has a lot more upside than backup Zach Randolph, but Randolph is the much more consistent option for you cash game players.
My pick: Morris(PF), Kaminsky(F); Johnson(PF), Kaminsky(F)
Center
Best Bets:
Anthony Davis ($11,000): The Suns have held Davis to 149.25 DraftKings points over three games, but 60.25 of those were put up on the Suns just a week ago. Tyson Chandler is battling an ankle sprain, which helps Davis’s upside even more. Playing centers against Phoenix is usually risky, but the odds favor the Brow right now.
Hassan Whiteside ($8,100): Whiteside has abused the Magic on the interior this year. He has 109.75 DraftKings points in only two games against them. However, Whiteside has not been the model of consistency this year. He struggled against Brooklyn and Philadelphia over the weekend, two teams that Whiteside should have been able to dominate. Orlando could be just what he needs to get back on track.
Honorable Mention:
Andre Drummond ($7,900): His awful free throw shooting will always cap his value, but Drummond is unparalleled as a rebounder. He has 90.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Bucks this year, but they could combat him with veteran shot blocker Roy Hibbert this time around. Still, Drummond has been over 5x value in nine of the last 11 games. I’m not too worried about the Bucks.
Marc Gasol ($7,600): Gasol rested on Saturday, so he will be bright eyed and bushy tailed for a weak Nets frontcourt. Gasol is one of the more diverse centers out there, and should have no issues reaching 5x value tonight.
Nikola Vucevic ($7,100): Well, Whiteside is more like a matador on defense these days. He is an elite shot blocker, but does little else to stop opponents. Vucevic racked up 93.75 DraftKings points in two games against the Heat this year. If you don’t trust Whiteside’s inconsistency but still want exposure to this game, Vucevic is a great option.
Dark Horses:
Marcin Gortat ($6,100): Gortat has quietly been on a roll lately, putting up at least 6x value in eight straight games. He put up 32.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting against the Thunder, so 5x value seems likely, though 6x is certainly possible.
Nerlens Noel ($5,300): There is enormous potential here for Noel tonight with both Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor out tonight. Oh, and Cody Zeller is out again for Charlotte. His production has been very inconsistent, but the starts are aligning for tonight.
Thon Maker ($3,500): Maker has tallied more playing time, including one start, with Jabari Parker out so far. He has put up 39.25 DraftKings points in those two games, which makes him a nice value play right now with really good upside.
My pick: Noel(C), Maker(UTIL); Vucevic(G)
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, and our picks for NHL and the PGA tour! We even have some EPL picks coming your way! Once again, make sure to follow our Twitter feed leading up to tipoff!