Early DraftKings NBA Picks January 21: Get Freaky!

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Early DraftKings NBA Picks January 21: Get Freaky!

DraftKings took a Ginsu to the 10 game DraftKings NBA slate in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. day. The early game between the Thunder and Knicks is only available in showdown mode. We then have a five game early slate, and a four game “main” slate that starts at 6pm Eastern. There is no full day slate, so this is what we get. Let’s make the most of it! This will focus on the five game early slate.

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

De’Aaron Fox ($7,800): Fox has at least 30 DraftKings points in the last seven games, so that gives him a pretty solid floor. This is a really good matchup with Brooklyn. Both of these teams are pretty similar in that they don’t defend the point or interior well and they like to run. The Nets only have one shooter from the outside, and their forwards beat you up if you go inside. Still, this is a really good spot for Fox. He wasn’t great from the floor on Saturday, but he still hit 40 DraftKings points.

Eric Bledsoe ($6,800): Bledsoe was amazing on Saturday, hitting 12 of his 14 shots against one of the best point defenses in the league. He will have games like that. However, Bledsoe still has some instances where he winds up on the bench quite a bit. The rotations are working for the Bucks, but they can be maddening for DFS players. Still, Bledsoe could hit 40 in 30 minutes against Dallas.

Honorable Mention:

Kris Dunn ($6,100): Cleveland has not defended guards well, but with LaVine’s poor shooting now lingering for weeks, the only one I really want a piece of is Dunn. Dunn put up 41 DraftKings points in just 28 minutes against Cleveland the first time around. This is not a given here either though. Dunn has struggled with his shot over the last week, and he didn’t break 22 DraftKings points once in three games over the last week. There is risk, but it’s hard to completely ignore this matchup.

Tomas Satoransky ($6,000): Satoransky continues to put up good numbers in place of Wall, but his price seems pretty inflated. 5x value is pretty much at the height of what he can do. Yeah, he had a triple double against Milwaukee ten days ago, but Satoransky only broke 35 DraftKings points two other times since Wall went down. He is a strong cash play, and should be suitable for GPP against Detroit as well.

Spencer Dinwiddie ($5,700): Dinwiddie’s minutes still aren’t all that high, but he has played well over the last two games. Maybe he is working his way back into DFS relevance. Honestly, I’m more excited about the matchup here with Dinwiddie than anything else. He ins’t going to break you, and the upside is good against the Kings.

Dark Horses:

D.J. Augustin ($5,100): Augustin only sees between 28 and 32 minutes per game, but he has four straight games with more than 20 DraftKings points. His price is getting out of my comfort zone, but this is a smash spot against the Hawks putrid defense. Augustin’s days of dropping 40 DraftKings points are long over, but he should clear 30 with relative ease.

Collin Sexton ($4,700): I’m not crazy about Sexton, but he plays at least 30 minutes and is facing the Bulls. He at least deserves consideration here. There isn’t a ton of upside here. After all, Sexton has not topped 40 DraftKings points since December 8th. This is far from a sure thing, but there is good potential here.

Shabazz Napier ($4,200): I don’t think I would use both Napier and Dinwiddie here. Napier has put up some really good point totals in very little minutes. Napier has 37.25 DraftKings points in just 26 minutes over the last two games. We really don’t know what the Nets will do, but it doesn’t make sense to not run Napier about 20 minutes with the way he is playing.

My pick: Sexton(PG)

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 17: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the NBA London Game 2019 between the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks at The O2 Arena on January 17, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

Bradley Beal ($9,400): Beal put up a solid 35 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Detroit, but that was with Wall in the lineup. The fact is that Beal has not been under 40 DraftKings points since Wall went down. There is really no reason that streak ends here. I could see Beal being the highest scorer on this slate. There is that much upside.

D’Angelo Russell ($8,300): Russell continues to fluctuate a lot, but he has at least 47 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. This is a really good matchup for Russell here, but he has failed in these smash spots as well. Still, Russell is the focal point of this offense, and nothing is going to change that anytime soon. With only four players above $9,000 and one in five figures, it’s really easy to work Russell in if you want to.

Honorable Mention:

Evan Fournier ($5,700): Fournier continues to put up good numbers for the Magic. He even held his own against the Bucks. Atlanta wont put up that much of a fight. I think the only thing that really keeps Fournier under value here would be a blowout. Still, I would rather chase the value with Fournier than spend that much on Hield.

Malcolm Brogdon ($5,500): Brogdon has a low water mark of 21 DraftKings points since December 1st. That was in a blowout of the Heat. Brogdon continues to be one of the best cash players around. I don’t see a ton of upside against Dallas, but SG is kind of weak if you are fading Russell. There is nothing wrong with a rock like Brogdon.

Terrence Ross ($5,500): Ross has at least 22 DraftKings points in eight straight games. There is always some risk when using a volume shooter off the bench, but Atlanta’s defense is terrible. If Ross plays his normal 27-30 minutes, there is no reason he wont clear 30 DraftKings points.

Dark Horses:

Alec Burks ($4,400): All of the Cleveland guards have been cold lately, so that really makes this a crapshoot. I would rather take the chance with Burks over Clarkson due to the price. Clarkson has the better upside. Sexton is the most stable. Burks is somewhere in the middle, but he is still seeing enough minutes to be effective. I just like him against this defense.

Luke Kennard ($3,900): Bullock has tapered off just in time for Kennard to start lighting it up off the bench. Kennard has 86.5 DraftKings points over the last three games. That’s a huge number for this small of a price tag. Jump off of Bullock. There’s plenty of room on the Kennard train.

My pick: Beal(SG), Kennard(G)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 19: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on January 19, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,800): The only one who can even come close to Giannis today is Beal. Giannis is a sure 50 no matter how many minutes he plays. The Bucks have had the luxury of not having to run Giannis a lot. Giannis has only played 35 minutes or more three times since this month. He has at least 48 DraftKings points in all but one of those games. There is virtually no risk here, and plenty of value to play both Giannis and Beal.

Luka Doncic ($7,900): This one does make me nervous because Oladipo locked down Doncic on Saturday. he faces an equally suffocating defense in the Bucks. However, Doncic still put up 28.25 DraftKings points in 24 minutes before he was tossed in the third quarter. Even though his shot wasn’t falling, Doncic did enough to hit value had he stayed in the game. Doncic wont have his usual upside here, but I don’t see him missing value either unless he is forced to leave the game.

Honorable Mention:

Otto Porter ($6,200): We saw Porter go off earlier this season with Wall out. Now that Porter is back into the swing of things, he is putting up some big numbers again. Porter is very underpriced. I know that Detroit is pretty good defensively, but Porter has at least 6x value in four of the last six games. I’m not that concerned with the matchup. Porter is going to get his.

Bogdan Bogdanovic ($5,400): Bogdanovic doesn’t have the huge upside of Hield, but he does provide a strong floor. Bogdanovic is almost always between 24 and 32 DraftKings points with the potential for more on any given night. The main reason that I’m off of Hield is because Brooklyn actually does well defending off guards. Bogdanovic is a much safer play today.

Harrison Barnes ($5,300): Doncic has taken over the team, but Barnes has at least 25 DraftKings points in each of the last six games. He has also come in under 30. Barnes is a great cash game play, but I don’t think he has enough upside, especially against a team like the Bucks, to use in GPP formats.

Dark Horses:

Rodney Hood ($4,600): Hood played his highest minutes total in a month, playing 27 minutes against the Nuggets. He now has at least 27 DraftKings points in three of the last four games. His minutes are going up, and Hood gets the Bulls. There is plenty of upside here.

Chandler Hutchison ($3,600): Hutchison is playing most of the small forward minutes for the Bulls, but that hasn’t always resulted in a lot of points. Miami shut him down on Saturday, which isn’t much of a surprise. Hutchison did have three straight games of 20 or more DraftKings points before that. I think he gets back in that range against Cleveland, which gives Hutchison strong value here.

My pick: Porter(SF)

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DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bets:

Blake Griffin ($9,600): Griffin manhandled the Wizards earlier this year, and that was when their front was at full strength. Blake picked up 49.25 DraftKings points in that first meeting. We have seen Griffin go nuts on the Kings and Heat, which are also undersized up front. This is a huge spot for Griffin here.

John Collins ($7,600): Collins keeps putting up strong numbers against any team he faces. I don’t see a whole lot of upside against a team like Orlando, but if Gordon is out, Collins could put up a pretty big line. The last team to hold Collins under 30 DraftKings points was Milwaukee on January 4th, and that was in a blowout. If this game stays close, which it should, Collins actually has pretty good upside if Gordon is out.

Honorable Mention:

Lauri Markkanen ($6,900): Markkanen racked up 43 DraftKings points in the first game against Cleveland. After a slow week or so in the middle of January, Markkanen has been on fire over the last two games. Markkanen has 82.25 DraftKings points over the last two games. I don’t think I would fade Blake for Markkanen, but I will definitely run with the two of them together.

Aaron Gordon ($6,700): Gordon is always a risk, even if he doesn’t go into a slate with a questionable designation. This is a smash spot against Atlanta, but can we really trust him? Even if Gordon plays, back issues are very tricky, especially from a guy who hasn’t been all that healthy in his career. I will probably roll Gordon in one lineup just in case if he plays, but I’m not real confident about his ability to play most of the game.

Trevor Ariza ($5,900): Ariza put up a solid 31.75 DraftKings points in the first game against Detroit. This is a small slate, but I’m not sure we really need to chase Ariza. There are other value plays on here that don’t have to tangle with Griffin. If you have this left after building the rest of your lineup, I like Ariza. I just don’t think I would make him a priority.

Dark Horses:

Marvin Bagley ($5,200): Bagley has been putting up modest numbers lately, but I think the price could be a little low against the Nets. The Nets are getting healthy up front, but they still aren’t really that good defensively. Bagley is still a bit of a risk here since he isn’t starting. The Kings aren’t going to run him ragged, so the upside is capped. Still, the cap could be pretty high against the Nets.

DeMarre Carroll ($4,900): Carroll is in a big spot here against the Kings. The only problem is that he comes off the bench. With RHJ coming back into the fold, that’s going to take another chunk out of out of Carroll’s time. Now the good news: Carroll is still playing about 30 minutes a game. I think he is still worth a look in this matchup.

Jabari Parker ($4,700): Parker is back in the rotation for the Bulls, but he has yet to crack 20 minutes in a game under Jim Boylen. That makes Parker a pretty hard sell. He has hit value in all but one of the last four games, but with his price this high, we need mid 20’s for DraftKings points. That’s hard to do in under 20 minutes of court time, even against a team like Cleveland.

My pick: Griffin(PF)

DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 23: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 23, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Best Bet:

Nikola Vucevic ($9,500): Vucevic could put up a huge game against the Hawks here if the game stays close. Vucevic has at least 39 DraftKings points in every game since Christmas. That’s a really nice floor, which makes this a low risk proposition. There are quite a few good plays on this slate. Honestly, the only thing we may need to worry about is a blowout.

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Honorable Mention:

Willie Cauley-Stein ($6,600): HE’S PLAYING THE NETS! WCS has high upside anyway. Lock him in here!

Jarrett Allen ($6,200): Allen destroyed Houston in the game after they lost Capela. That came after he roughed up the Celtics too. Honestly, I could see playing Allen over WCS here. The Kings are almost as weak up front as the Nets. There is a lot of DFS goodness here.

Bobby Portis ($5,900): Portis has put up 67.25 DraftKings points in two games since Wendell Carter went down. Lopez is still starting, but we have seen Portis have some big lines off the bench before. The Cavs are missing a giant piece from their middle with Thompson still out. I’m all over Portis today.

Dark Horses:

Ante Zizic ($5,700): Zizic’s price is going up at an alarming rate, but he has at least 30 DraftKings points in all three games with Thompson out. You can’t really say that he isn’t worth the price now. Thompson is already ruled out today, so Zizic is a strong play again today, but you aren’t going to get huge value out of him anymore.

Zaza Pachulia ($4,100): If you want that big time value at center, you have to go from Zizic to Zaza. Pachulia has 49.25 DraftKings points while filling in for the concussed Andre Drummond. Pachulia isn’t going to go bonkers on the undersized Wizards. He simply doesn’t have that offensive upside. However, he is going to be a force on the defensive end here at a very low price.

My pick: Portis(F), Allen(C), Pachulia(UTIL)

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