DraftKings NBA Picks for February 24
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for February 24
We are up to ten games for our main DraftKings tournament tonight. Most of the pieces moved at the deadline are on their new teams, and we can begin our push for more money! There are a lot of stars in action tonight, and the only teams in back to backs are the Clippers and Nuggets. Will Chris Paul play tonight?
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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 ($13,000): A quick glance at this salary will chase a lot of people off, but Westbrook has 145.25 DraftKings points in just two games against the Lakers this year. That is 5.5x value! At this price, it is unheard of! If you are paying up for a stud, Westbrook should be on your radar.
Isaiah Thomas ($9,000): Toronto bettered their team, but not on the perimeter. Thomas has 100.25 DraftKings points over two games against the Raptors. John Wall has struggled against the Sixers this year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a miserable game against Utah in the first meeting. Thomas is a much better plan B if you are fading Westbrook.
Kyle Lowry ($8,400): Lowry hasn’t just let Thomas walk all over him. He has done the exact same to him, averaging 49.4 DraftKings points in three games against the Celtics this year. Lowry should have lower ownership than Thomas, and could end up with nearly the same total.
Honorable Mention:
Mike Conley ($7,500): Conley isn’t flashy, but he puts up good numbers in good matchups. Tonight is a very good matchup. The Pacers are sixth worst in the league in points allowed to point guards. Conley has also topped 5x value in two of the last three games. He could be a nice mid-range option tonight.
Goran Dragic ($6,800): Miami is back to full strength with the exception of Justise Winlsow. Will that slow down the production of Dragic, or make him better? That remains to be seen, but he has 76.25 DraftKings points in two games against Atlanta this year, and has topped 5x value in five of the last nine games.
D’Angelo Russell ($6,600): Russell’s inconsistent production has made him hard to use this year, but he racked up 38.25 DraftKings points this year in the one game he played against the Thunder. He should be fully healthy after the week off, and will look to get the second half started off right after a hit-and-miss February so far.
Dark Horses:
Tyler Johnson ($5,000): Johnson has been a 6x value on average against Atlanta this year. The return of Josh Richardson may cut into his minutes some, but probably not enough to keep him under 5x value tonight. Johnson played a healthy minutes load even when Richardson was at full strength.
Jeremy Lin ($5,000): Lin has played just 12 games this year because of a bad hamstring, but he is ready to go again. The Nets have not committed to starting him yet, but considering the options in front of him, I would be surprised if the didn’t play at least 25 minutes. That should give him plenty of chances to hit 5x value. He may even end up being a steal at this price.
Cameron Payne ($3,500): It is not clear if Payne will play tonight or not, but if he does, he is a very intriguing option at this price. The Bulls have a ton of point guards, but none have produced. This team is in full-blown rebuild mode, and they wouldn’t have given up what the did if they didn’t think Payne would start for them. Keep an eye on the situation, and Payne could be a great bargain if he starts.
My picks: Westbrook(PG); Thomas(PG)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
DeMar DeRozan ($7,800): DeRozan has racked up 94 DraftKings points in just two games against the Celtics this year. They don’t seem to have much of an answer for him. Though he has cooled off since a blistering start, DeRozan is still putting up good numbers. He has topped 5x value in five of the last seven games.
Dwyane Wade ($7,200): Wade put up 34 DraftKings points on the Suns in his last game in only 28 minutes. His wrist seems to be fine right now, so this is a good matchup for him. Just be aware of any developments with his wrist.
Honorable Mention:
Dion Waiters ($6,900): I don’t look for the return of Richardson to have an adverse affect on Waiters. He has earned the starting job. He came off the bench in the first meeting against Atlanta, but on February 1st, he started and picked up 40.75 DraftKings points. That would put Waiters over 6x value if he can do it again.
Devin Booker ($6,700): Booker put up 39.75 DraftKings points on the Bulls back on February 10 with a mostly healthy Dwyane Wade defending him. If Wade’s wrist flares up or isn’t 100%, Booker could have an even bigger game. At any rate, he looks good for 5x value.
Marcus Smart ($5,800): It is looking increasingly likely that Avery Bradley will not play over the weekend due to his sore Achilles. Smart has filled in nicely for Bradley, topping 5x value in 11 of the last 12 games. Considering he has 89.75 DraftKings points in three games against Toronto this year, he is a safe bet to hit that mark again.
Dark Horses:
Jordan Clarkson ($4,800): Clarkson will no longer have to compete with Lou Williams for minutes. Nick Young will likely still start, but Clarkson should play 30 minutes per game down the stretch. He has 60.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Thunder this season in 54 minutes. Clarkson will have no issues making 5x value here since he should get more shots as well.
Seth Curry ($4,500): The Mavericks made room for Curry by waiving Deron Williams. Curry more than 5x value in all but one game out of the last 15. Talk about sure things!
Justin Anderson ($3,500): It remains to be seen whether Anderson will start or not, but he could be the answer at SG for the Sixers since entrenching Covington at SF. Nik Stauskas may still start, but I would bet that Anderson plays nearly as many minutes. He is a risk, but he could pay off nicely.
My pick: Curry(SG), Clarkson(G); Booker(SG), Smart(G), Curry(UTIL)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Jimmy Butler ($9,400): Butler only had 35.75 DraftKings points against the Suns on February 10th, but he only played 30 minutes in the blowout loss. In the two games after that, Butler was comfortably over 5x value in both of those games. There is a risk that the Suns could blow them out again, but it’s a rough night as far as matchups for small forwards. Butler has a puncher’s chance against the P.J. Tucker-less Suns.
Gordon Hayward ($7,300): Hayward scorched the Bucks in the first meeting, racking up 47.25 DraftKings points in just 32 minutes. The return of Middleton should help the Bucks’ league-worst defense against small forwards, but how much will he actually play? Hayward still looks like a strong play here.
Honorable Mention:
Wilson Chandler ($6,900): Even with Denver at full strength, Chandler still played 29 minutes and picked up 33.5 DraftKings points. Considering what Chandler did to the Nets in the first meeting (51.25 DraftKings points in 35 minutes), he could be a fruitful contrarian play.
Dario Saric ($6,400): Saric was on quite a roll before the All Star Break. He had four straight games of over 6x value. The trade of Ilyasova could free up even more minutes for Saric. He picked up 47 DraftKings points in 52 minutes in the first two games against Washington. Let’s see what he can do when he starts!
Robert Covington ($6,300): Covington has gone over 6x value in seven of the last eight games. This young bunch is starting to come around, and could be an exciting team to watch down the stretch. Having Otto Porter on Covington could keep him closer to 5x value, but can you really complain?
Dark Horses:
Danilo Gallinari ($5,500): Galliinari put up 5.5x value last night, and faces a much better matchup tonight. The Nets freed Bojan Bogdanovic, which could open up even more good looks for Gallinari tonight. He is a great option at this low of a price. Enjoy it while it lasts!
T.J. Warren ($4,600): Warren racked up 26.25 DraftKings points against the Bulls two weeks ago, and that was with Tucker stealing shots from him. Warren should have a larger role on the team with Tucker gone, but even if he doesn’t, he is still a threat for 6x value.
Khris Middleton ($4,400): Middleton went berserk on the Nets before the break, picking up 40.25 DraftKings points in just 26 minutes. Middleton is working his way back into form, and could make his return to the starting lineup tonight. If he does, he could be a huge bargain at this price point, even against a defense like Utah.
My Pick: Saric(SF), Hayward(F), Middleton(UTIL); Warren(SF), Saric(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Paul Millsap ($7,400): Power forwards are also plagued by poor matchups at the top. On paper, this is one as well. However, Millsap is still averaging 34.7 DraftKings points in three games agianst the Heat, one of which was with Josh McRoberts instead of Luke Babbitt starting at power forward. If you are going to spend here, Millsap is the best bet, and he likely wont be highly owned.
Otto Porter ($6,400): Porter is $600 cheaper than Markieff Morris, and has averaged seven more DraftKings points per game against Philadelphia this year. If I’m rolling the dice with one of them, it’s Porter.
Honorable Mention:
Serge Ibaka ($6,000): The Celtics did nothing to improve the power forward situation, so Ibaka has a solid matchup on paper. However, he only put up 30 DraftKings points on them in two games while with Orlando. He also only played 46 minutes in those two games. He has a better supporting cast around him, and will play a lot more minutes for the Raptors. I like his chances.
Zach Randolph ($5,300): The Pacers are still struggling against opposing starting power forwards. Imagine what Randolph can do coming off the bench! He has been a force in his new role for most of the season. He is rested up and ready to take it to Indiana.
Taj Gibson ($5,000): It is unclear whether Gibson will be ready to go for tonight, but if he is, use him! The Lakers are statistically the worst team against power forwards in the league this year. If for some reason Gibson doesn’t play, fire up Julius Randle. I don’t trust him against Taj, but if he gets to tangle with Domantas Sabonis, advantage Randle.
Dark Horses:
Bobby Portis ($5,000): The future is now for the Bulls. They cleared room for Portis by trading Taj, and while Nikola Mirotic is available, Portis should get as many minutes as he can handle. He is athletic enough to have a nice game against the Suns.
Richaun Holmes ($4,400): Holmes could see plenty of run tonight with Noel on his way to Dallas and Joel Embiid out for the rest of the month. The Sixers tried to no avail to move Okafor. What his role will be remains to be seen, but no matter what, Holmes is going to log a lot of minutes with Ilyasova out of the picture as well.
Thon Maker ($3,300): Maker will continue to start for the Bucks, but he has not consistently seen a lot of minutes. However, Maker put up 29.25 DraftKings points in 24 minutes in the first meeting against Utah. The Jazz are tough up front, but Maker actually matches up well with them, and could be a great value play tonight.
My pick: Holmes(PF); Portis(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Nikola Jokic ($10,800): Jokic was a non-factor last night against the new-look Kings. He struggled from the floor, but still only took seven shots. The Nets are awful up front, but last night was concerning. Jokic could have a huge game, but I don’t think I will take the gamble for this price. I would rather chase down Westbrook.
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,500): Dallas is tough up front, but Towns still put up 99.75 DraftKings points in two games against the Mavs. Even if Noel plays, Towns could still be a huge factor in this game. If Noel doesn’t play, Towns goes way up my list. With Andrew Bogut out of the picture, Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell have no chance against Towns.
Hassan Whiteside ($8,000): Whiteside has averaged 43 DraftKings points per game in three matchups against Atlanta this year. Whiteside is not the most consistent guy when it comes to production, but he has proven time and time again that he can dominate if the matchup is right.
Honorable Mention:
Marc Gasol ($7,700): Gasol’s skilll set makes him a tough matchup for just about anyone. The Pacers have really struggled all year with big men up front. They may struggle with Gasol more than most since he can draw Turner outside.
Rudy Gobert ($7,100): Gobert has topped 5x value in seven of the last ten games. Milwaukee provides a good matchup for him up front. Maker wasn’t much of a detriment to Gobert the first time around. Gobert racked up an impressive 49.5 DraftKings points on the Bucks.
Brook Lopez ($6,900): Try as he might, Lopez still couldn’t fetch the Nets what they wanted, so he has to finish out his sentence in NBA purgatory. Lopez picked up 44 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Denver, but the Nuggets are a bit of a different team now. Is Lopez’s heart still in this with the team feverishly trying to trade him?
Dark Horses:
Steven Adams ($6,400): Adams terrorized the Lakers on the inside over the first two meetings, racking up 76.5 DraftKings points in those two games. While Taj Gibson could take some of the production away from Adams, he could also help him out by drawing some defenders away. At any rate, Adams should be a solid play regardless.
Nerlens Noel ($5,500): Dallas hasn’t had this prominent of a force up front since Tyson Chandler jumped ship. If he plays, Noel is a great bargain at this price. Karl-Anthony Towns is not a great defender as of now. Noel could have a big game if he starts his Dallas career tonight.
Jahlil Okafor ($5,200): Okafor has put up 67 DraftKings points in 55 minutes against the Wizards this season. Tonight he should get as many minutes as he can handle with Noel, Ilyasova, and Embiid out of the picture.
My pick: Okafor(C); Whiteside(C)
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