DraftKings Early NBA Picks for February 26
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings Early NBA Picks for February 26
There are only two NBA games in the afternoon on this Sunday. You know what? That’s still enough to make a DraftKings tournament out of it! Where do we can separation from the pack? Let’s crunch some numbers!
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Unlike yesterday, there is one stud in the afternoon slate. How many people will be using him? Should we?
Yesterday’s afternoon lineup placed in the money in the big tournament. It has been a good week! Let’s keep it going!
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 Bet:
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,800): Giannis picked up 61.5 DraftKings points against the Suns earlier this year. He will likely play more up front this time around, where the Suns no longer have the defensive-minded P.J. Tucker. Honestly, it will be hard to justify fading Giannis today, especially against a team like the Suns. We can find separation elsewhere. The same can’t be said for a guy who can drop 60 DraftKings points.
Honorable Mention:
Eric Bledsoe ($8,200): Bledsoe wasn’t a factor in the first meeting, but Giannis was also playing out front. Bledsoe has 162.25 DraftKings points over his last three games. He is on a tear right now, but can he do it against a team that held him to just 26.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting?
D’Angelo Russell ($6,700): Russell struggled earlier this year against the Spurs, but he looked fresh in the first game after the break Russell has have a mostly poor February until hanging 50.5 DraftKings points on the Thunder Friday night. I would temper expectations against a decent Spurs team, but 6x value is within reach.
Dark Horses:
Jordan Clarkson ($5,200): Clarkson has 52 DraftKings points in 54 minutes against the Spurs this year. As many predicted, Clarkson flourished with Lou Williams gone. He picked up 35.25 DraftKings points in 29 minutes against a solid Oklahoma City perimeter in the first game without Williams. Clarkson still looks underpriced right now.
Tony Parker ($4,500): Parker has 54 DraftKings points in 48 minutes against the Lakers this year. Parker rarely plays more than 28 minutes anymore, but he still produces well when he is in there. He has still hit 5x value in five of the last eight games. Expect a solid game from Parker here as well.
My picks: Clarkson(PG), Antetokounmpo(F), Parker(G)
Shooting Guards
Best Bet:
Devin Booker ($6,800): Booker picked up 40.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting against Milwaukee. His days of being mostly a shooter are fading. Booker is starting to do more things, which raises his floor and makes him much less of a risk than he used to be. He is a key part in the Suns offense, and is rarely below 4x value.
Honorable Mention:
Malcolm Brogdon ($4,300): Brogdon torched the Suns to the tune of 39.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting. Brogson started that game though, and is no longer starting, so don’t expect that kind of outburst. He is still playing as many or more minutes than Matthew Dellavedova and Tony Snell, and is the bigger offensive threat of the three.
Dark Horse:
Danny Green ($3,900): Green has been far from consistent this year, but he has done pretty well against the Lakers this year. He has 45 DraftKings points in 50 minutes. That would put Green near 6x value if he can do it again, which is a huge deal on a small slate.
My pick: Booker(SG)
Small Forwards
Best Bet:
Kawhi Leonard ($9,200): Leonard struggled with foul trouble against the Clippers on Friday, and was held to his worst DraftKings points total since January 7th. Leonard has racked up 95.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Lakers this year in just 64 minutes. Expect a similar output this afternoon. We know he is capable of it.
Honorable Mention:
T.J. Warren ($5,300): Warren picked up 25.5 DraftKings points on the Bucks in the first meeting. It could be a little different facing off with Middleton, but we saw Warren’s usage rate go up with P.J. Tucker now in Toronto. Warren could be a solid pick if you spend your cash elsewhere.
Khris Middleton ($4,700): It still seems as though the Bucks are only going to play Middleton for around half the game. Still, with only 23.5 DraftKings points needed for 5x value, that could be easily had against the Suns. He has been a little rusty in his return, but we have seen flashes of the old Middleton. He is a risk, but he could set you apart.
Dark Horse:
Brandon Ingram ($4,200): Tony Snell played 28 minutes against the Jazz on Friday, yet he failed to notch one single DraftKings point. Not one! Ingram has a terrible matchup with Kawhi, but the Lakers are giving him more and more freedoms while is on the court. This young team is starting to grow together. If I am taking a chance on anyone cheap at SF, it will be Ingram.
My Pick: Leonard(SF)
Power Forwards
Best Bet:
LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,900): Aldridge doesn’t take games over the way he used to, but he is still a solid producer of 30 DraftKings points. He has been in the 30’s in all but two games since the middle of January. He lacks upside, but he is a solid cash game anchor, even with Gasol back.
Michael Beasley ($5,600): Beasley only played six minutes in the first tilt with Cleveland. My how things have changed! Beastley has played at least 25 minutes in six straight games, and has been over 5x value in four of those. He matches up well with the small and fast Suns. Beasley could have another very good game.
Honorable Mention:
Julius Randle ($5,500): On paper, this looks like a horrible matchup. First off, the Spurs are eighth in the league in points allowed to power forwards. Second, Randle isn’t the most consistent guy around. However, Randle has 72.5 DraftKings points in 64 minutes against the Spurs. The Lakers are young and prone to awful stretches, but Randle has as much upside as anyone this afternoon.
Dark Horse:
Marquese Chriss ($4,500): Chriss dominated the Bucks in the first meeting, racking up 40 DraftKings points in just 24 minutes. The Suns seem committed to Chriss, especially since they waived Jared Sullinger. He has responded with 67.75 DraftKings points over the last two games. He is young with loads of potential. There is a lot of upside here.
My pick: Chriss(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Greg Monroe ($6,000): Monroe was taken out of the game by Utah on Friday, but most struggle against Utah, especially up front. Monroe had been playing most of the minutes at center despite not starting, and though Jason Kidd has been known to tweak his rotation, Monroe had three straight games of more than 40 DraftKings points leading up to the break. Don’t be surprised if he gets back on track here.
Pau Gasol ($5,700): Gasol racked up 38.25 DraftKings points in his first game in more than a month against the Clippers on Friday. The Lakers aren’t nearly as good up front, so we should see at least that good of a game from Gasol today.
Honorable Mention:
Tyson Chandler ($4,400): Chandler has been losing minutes to Alex Len more and more lately, but he is still a threat at 5x value for this low of a price. Since he is no longer starting, there is considerable risk attached, but Len hasn’t been able to hold him off for more than a few games at a time so far.
Dark Horse:
Thon Maker ($3,200): Maker is still very raw, and though he is starting, he rarely sees more than 20 minutes per game. That may be enough against the Suns for him to make a pretty good impact, but there is substantial risk involved.
My pick: Gasol(C), Maker(UTIL)
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!