DraftKings NBA Picks February 13: Durant could be huge

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 10: Avery Bradley #11 of the Los Angeles Clippers drives against Malik Beasley #25 of the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center on January 10, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. 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) /

DraftKings NBA Picks February 13: Durant could be huge

We have a monster 11 game slate for our Wednesday DraftKings NBA tournaments. As you may expect, there are a lot of options on this slate. What exactly should we do with it? I’m not usually one that excludes an entire game, so there will be a lot of hybrid picks for me. This is a night where a stack may not be the way to go.

Last night I made a couple of lineups. The first stayed pretty true to the published one except I moved on to Delon Wright (good move), but moved off of Fournier instead of Ross (bad move) to switch to Rozier (also a bad move). The money line was still a strong 289.5 DraftKings points. I came up a little short with one and a lot short with the other.

ramseydellinger took it down with 375.5 DraftKings points, which was an amazing 10.5 DraftKings points better than anyone else. He built with LeBron, Trae Young, and LMA and got huge value out of Jonathan Isaac, Horford, Gordon, and Avery Bradley.

I get asked a lot why I chose one player over another in a certain tier, so I am switching things up a little. Instead of just putting the plays I like from each price tier, I’m going to put in more of my thought process in here instead of just telling you what to do. If you don’t think my logic is sound, then you can make your own choice.

Tonight is a night to attack the 20 max entry fee of your choice. There are so many ways to go on this slate that I don’t think I can pick just one.

If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for $10 in free DraftKings entry tickets with your first deposit of $5 or more.

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 15: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. 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) /

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

Stephen Curry is on a back to back, but he has 102.5 DraftKings points in two games against Portland this year. This is a game where Curry and Durant should both be able to come up big. If you don’t trust this situation, don’t just go running to Lillard either. He has struggled against the Warriors this year. If you fade Curry, the best option is to roll with Luka Doncic.

Ben Simmons has rolled the Knicks for 147 DraftKings points in the three games this year. So far, Simmons has been the odd man out of the new Sixers starting five, so there is legitimate risk here. Still, if he can punish the Knicks at this price, we are way ahead of the curve.

Honorable Mention:

Chris Paul looks very tempting against a Minnesota backcourt that is still a bit hobbled. However, his price is starting to creep up into the territory where he’s not a big time value play. Paul’s ceiling is always a little capped with Harden around. I think I would rather play Kyle Lowry and his 43.3 DraftKings point average in three games against the Wizards this year.

If the Celtics elect to sit Kyrie through the break (which they should), I’m all over Terry Rozier tonight against the Pistons. Yes, that means I’m off of Dennis Smith against the Sixers. I love what Smith is doing in New York, but there are a couple of teams that you just don’t play point guards against. One of them is the Sixers.

This is a smash spot for Jamal Murray. However, the pending return of Isaiah Thomas, against his former team no less, could muddle this situation. Still, Thomas will likely be on a strict minutes limit, which in theory hurts Monte Morris far more than Murray. Murray should be good to go here.

Jeff Teague returned with a bang, playing 35 minutes and putting up 42.5 DraftKings points on the Clippers on Monday. Don’t expect a repeat against Chris Paul defense. That said, Teague’s price is low enough that he should still hit value even though most will avoid him against Paul.

Dark Horses:

Jordan Clarkson has 65.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Nets this year. I would rather roll with Clarkson again than take a shot on LeVert. The minutes are going to go up for LeVert soon enough. It doesn’t feel like a good idea to chase him with only 25 minutes. He’s no Boogie.

Collin Sexton has four straight games of at least 6x value, and has cleared 7x value twice. It seems as though he may be figuring this thing out. I like Sexton as a value play here.

There’s actually some strong value at the point tonight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the more inconsistent plays out there, but he has averaged 29.3 DraftKings points in three games against the Suns this year. If you don’t trust that, there is always the Knicks’ lottery. Kadeem Allen is the winner lately, but how long will that last? Delon Wright is the strongest of all of them if Conley is out again.

My pick: Curry(PG), Murray(G); Lowry(PG), Clarkson(UTIL)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 23: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets celebrates after teammate Gerald Green dunked in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 2019 in New York City.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 Elsa/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

James Harden has 30 straight games of 30 or more points. That essentially means that he only needs 30 DraftKings points from other things to hit value. On a full slate like this, I think we can get away with fading Harden, but you better be sure you hit on the players you fade him for.

A good way to do that is with Bradley Beal. Beal has an impressive 60.9 DraftKings point per game average in three games against the Raptors this year. Beal could score almost what Harden does for $3,100 less. D’Angelo Russell is also a constant threat to drop a 60 like he did on the Raptors Monday night. He has another great matchup in the Cavs tonight.

You could argue for Devin Booker here, but he has actually been worse without a solid point guard on the floor beside him. I don’t trust this situation right now. I would rather roll with a hot Zach LaVine or pay the extra few hundred for Russell or Beal.

Honorable Mention:

Buddy Hield extended his streak of games with 30 or more DraftKings points to nine. He didn’t fare well against Denver earlier in the season, but Hield also wasn’t playing at a consistently high level then either. For me though, Klay Thompson is the mid tier play here. Thompson has averaged 42.1 DraftKings points in three games against the Blazers this year.

Before Andrew Wiggins sat out the last game with an illness, he has 98.75 DraftKings points in the previous two games. Can he maintain that high level against Houston? It will be harder with Teague and Rose both back in the fold.

The thing about Tim Hardaway Jr is that he is still getting shots in this Dallas offense. His inconsistency is shining through in Big D though. I think I would rather go with the Celitcs value guards if Irving sits again. If Kyrie is in, Patrick Beverley is very tempting against the Suns.

Dark Horses:

It seems as though Mikal Bridges has surpassed Kelly Oubre in the Suns’ pecking order. I get it. Bridges is younger, but was still a really strong player when given minutes. Bridges is the way to go now. To be honest, I’m going to avoid that whole situation and go with the always strong Joe Harris. His floor is the low 20’s and the ceiling is high 30’s. I’ll take that from a value play.

For those of you that were locked into Cory Joseph for value, we have to switch our focus to Wesley Matthews. Matthews played 30 minutes against Charlotte. His shot was off, so he didn’t have the great of a day, but the peripheral numbers are good. Even if Matthews hits around 40% of his shots, he’ll hit value. He seems far more reliable than Evans right now. Dion Waiters is locked into big minutes now as well, so I really like him for the price.

Landry Shamet is still criminally underpriced at $4,000. LOCK HIM IN! I see no reason to play roulette with David Nwaba and Iman Shumpert for around the same price. I’m also ignoring Chasson Randle, even if Satoransky is out again.

My pick: Shamet(SG), Waiters(UTIL); Beal(SG), Shamet(G)

SAN ANTONIO, TX – JANUARY 3: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors after missing a foul shot against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 3, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

The metrics say to avoid this at all costs, but Kawhi Leonard has absolutely abused Washington this year. Leonard has 121.75 DraftKings points in 75 minutes over two games. The Wizards remain one of the worst defenses on the planet. Kawhi could be sneaky. Well, as sneaky as $9,400 can ever be.

As much of a priority as Kawhi is, Kevin Durant should be his equal tonight. That whole small forwards vs. Portland thing is really a thing. Don’t fight it. Just play Durant too. He has averaged 53.8 DraftKings points in three meetings with the Blazers.

Honorable Mention:

All of the mouths to feed for the Sixers make all of them pretty risky. Even Embiid was on the short side of value last night. Butler has had a couple of big games even with the new pieces in town. He has also dropped a 25 against the Lakers. Still, Butler is reasonably priced against a bad Knicks team. There is potential here. Now the bad news: Danilo Gallinari has a 44.5 DraftKings point average in three games against the Suns this year, and that was with Tobias Harris in town…..and he’s $300 cheaper.

The whole Washington forwards situation has gotten a little out of control. Jabari Parker seems a touch overpriced, especially when you consider that Trevor Ariza is only $300 more and he starts. I also like former Wizard Otto Porter in this spot. Much fanfare has been made about the former Bulls in Washington, but Porter is faring just as well in Chicago.

I could argue for Kevin Knox here since he is a heavy part of the Knicks rotation again for the time. Knox has played at least 30 minutes in six straight. Detroit was the only team to hold him under value. Knox has 94 DraftKings points in three games against the Sixers this year. That comes out to almost 6x value for the price

Dark Horses:

Luol Deng is seeing big minutes with Robert Covington out. If Wiggins is limited at all tonight, I would play Deng, even at this price. However, if Wiggins is in, I prefer one of the SG’s that is also eligible here like Waiters or Shamet. Dorian Finney-Smith still looks like a strong pick too.

If you need to go even cheaper, Allen Crabbe looks like a great option. The Nets are notorious for running a dozen players 30 minutes a game. Crabbe is one of those. However, it’s hard to argue with his at least 7x value in four of the last five games. Cleveland is a great spot to use him for value again.

My pick: Durant(SF); Crabbe(SF)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 11: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls dunks over George Hill #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on February 11, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bucks defeated the Bulls 112-99. 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 Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bets:

I’m not one of those people that’s going to come out here and tell you not to play Giannis. However, the odds are stacked against him a little tonight. Giannis only has 91.75 DraftKings points in two games against the Pacers this year. Of course, he has only played 63 minutes combined in those two games. There are safer places to go with your money tonight.

When you get further down, the matchups aren’t really any better. In three games against Boston this year, Blake Griffin is only averaging 37.3 DraftKings points. Lauri Markkanen is the only higher priced player at this position that I could play and really feel good about, even though the Memphis front has been pretty tough.

Honorable Mention:

Tobias Harris is still a strong pick. The Sixers have made a conscious effort to include him in the offense, and he has responded with solid games in a Philly uniform. Kenneth Faried is the cash game answer to Harris. Faried put up yet another game within the 30’s for DraftKings points on Monday night. There is no reason to think that he will fall outside that threshold tonight.

Washington has more bodies up front, but they still aren’t really good at stopping opponents. Pascal Siakam has lost a little bit of production with the arrival of Marc Gasol, but not as much as you might expect. If you are playing someone from this Toronto frontcourt, and you should, I think Ibaka is probably still the top choice, but Siakam is a very close second.

There is no way I trust Jayson Tatum against Detroit for the price. I would much rather take my chances with Thad against Milwaukee. Josh Jackson has at least 30 DraftKings points in every game with T.J. Warren out. Jackson is the safe Phoenix value. There’s a lot of risk on this team, but Jackson isn’t it.

I doubt that Denver puts Paul Millsap back in the starting lineup with one game left before the break. This should mean another start for Mason Plumlee, and he’s in a great spot against the Kings. Plumlee has at least 30 DraftKings points in four straight with Millsap out or on the bench.

Dark Horses:

I really like that Dario Saric is starting for Minnesota. It’s been a long time coming. Houston is tough against power forwards, but the price on Saric is so low compared to the expected output that I have no issues about using him here.

I understand people chasing after Jake Layman with the way he has been playing. I just don’t like doing it against Draymond and the Warriors. I would rather save a little coin and use Marquese Chriss. Kevin Love is going to be on a strict minutes limit. There is still going to be plenty of run for Chriss here.

Yes, there is even more value at power forward tonight. Kevon Looney is back in the picture with Boogie sitting out the second night of a back to back. JaMychal Green put up 22.75 DraftKings points for just $3,700 against Minnesota on Monday, and his price went down! You can even take a shot with Daniel Theis, but he’s not a priority. I would take either of the other two before Theis.

My pick: Jaren Jackson(PF); Chriss(PF)

basketball parlay: PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JANUARY 22: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 22, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Centers:

Best Bets:

Joel Embiid played 37 minutes against Boston last night, so yeah, I’m a bit nervous that the Sixers may rest him tonight, especially with him being an All Star. Embiid has 150 DraftKings points in just 88 minutes against the Knicks this year. If he’s in there with no restrictions, it’s tough to fade Embiid here.

Karl-Anthony Towns against Houston is almost unfair without Capela in there. KAT put up more than 50 with Capela in there. What’s he going to do without him? What could possibly be better than that? Nikola Jokic against the Kings. Jokic has a modest 96.25 DraftKings points in two games against the Kings, but he has only played 55 minutes in those two games thanks to blowouts.