Fansided

DraftKings NBA picks January 9: All aboard the Russ bus

By Mike Marteny

HOUSTON, TX - JULY 26: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets pose for a photo during the Houston Rockets Introductory Press Conference on July 26, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JULY 26: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets pose for a photo during the Houston Rockets Introductory Press Conference on July 26, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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DraftKings NBA
Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers speaks to an official (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

Damian Lillard ($8,900): Lillard put up 47.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Minnesota. Culver and Napier aren’t much if any better than Teague defensively, so I expect another strong game from Dame here. Only Toronto and New York have held Lillard under 5x value since Christmas. I really doubt it happens here.

Russell Westbrook ($8,400): Russ is making his return to Oklahoma City. You know he wants to play well here. Even if Harden is on the floor, I expect most of the offense to run through Russ in this game. His numbers have fluctuated some playing second fiddle in Houston, but this still feels cheap, especially when you figure in the narrative. Russ is one of my favorite plays of the entire slate.

Honorable Mention:

Chris Paul ($7,400): CP3 has been the better of the three guards lately, but all of them are strong plays against Houston. I still consider Paul at the top of this list. He has the ball in his hands most of the time and is more well-rounded than the other two, contributing is most categories instead of mainly in one.

Kemba Walker ($6,500): Now, I can think of a few dozen reasons not to play Kemba here. First off, would any of us be shocked if Boston held him out here? I wouldn’t. Still, I’m assuming that’s why they limited Kemba last night so they can use him as much as they want tonight. Walker didn’t have a great game against Philly the first time around, but this price is too low if he plays 30 minutes. Keep an eye out for the status, but Walker could be a sneaky value play.

Dennis Schroder ($6,100): The Rockets ran track against Atlanta last night, so they’re going to be a bit winded. The Thunder should keep this thing close. Schroder’s ceiling is mid 30’s lately which makes me apprehensive to pay this price. Especially considering that CP3 isn’t that much more. Houston still doesn’t defend wings well, so all three of them can have a good game since Gallo is out again. I find myself wanting to limit exposure though. Not sure why.

Dark Horses:

Jeff Teague ($5,200): Teague is the more proven of the three guards, so I guess I trust him a little more. He put up 39.5 DraftKings points on Portland the first time around. Napier wasn’t much of a factor then, but he is now. Still, even if Teague hit close to 30, I’ll be happy. We need some value on the slate and Teague is safer than Napier.

Darius Garland ($4,800): Garland put up 27.5 DraftKings on Detroit on Tuesday despite only hitting four of his 12 shots. He’s doing enough other things to keep his floor relatively high. Garland is also playing as many or more minutes than Sexton at $1,100 less. Sexton has more upside, but Garland’s output has been very close to his since Clarkson was dealt. Take the savings here.

Brandon Knight ($4,600): Remember him? Knight has been largely forgotten since injuries pretty much ruined his career. He has found some minutes here with Clarkson gone and injuries taking their toll on the Cavs. One game isn’t much of a baseline, but when it’s against the same team, we can put a little stock into it. Exum and Porter are still out, so Knight should see the same 25 minutes that he did on Tuesday with similar success.