DraftKings NBA picks January 11: Giannis is upon us

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks slam dunks the ball (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks slam dunks the ball (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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DraftKings NBA
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

LeBron James ($10,000): UPDATE: LeBron is OUT with an illness. I’m as surprised as you are.

Ben Simmons ($8,500): The only reason that we pay this price for Simmons is the upside. We know how big it is. Unless most players priced in this range, Simmons’ floor is 30 and that has nothing to do with blowouts. He was good against Boston, but still didn’t hit value. He only hit 35 DraftKings points against Dallas in the first meeting as well. We know the usage on Simmons is up with Embiid out, but I would only use him in GPP’s and still limit my exposure.

Honorable Mention:

Tobias Harris ($6,500): Sure, the output against Boston was lower than we would like. Harris still wasn’t that far removed from 5x value. Harris was a total dud against Dallas in that first meeting, but I still feel like the price is right to take a shot with Harris. The upside is still quite high with Embiid off the floor.

Gordon Hayward ($6,500): We can forgive Hayward’s dud on Thursday. The whole team was pretty much a dud. This is exactly what Boston needs to get back on track: a date with the Pelicans. It’s a sharpshooter’s paradise on the wings against this team. Hayward should be back in the 30’s in no time.

JJ Redick ($5,700): Hart does most of the dirty work while Redick mostly snipes. It has worked for the Pelicans so far with Holiday out and should here again. The minutes that NAW is stealing are a little concerning, but there doesn’t seem to be any plans to remove Redick from the starting lineup. If he starts, use him. UPDATE: Redick is doubtful after a hamstring injury last night. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is looking really nice right now!

Dark Horses:

Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,700): The ceiling is high, but the floor is equally low. Any night that I win on a scratch off ticket and walk out of the casino $100 richer is a night to play Hardaway. That’s not very often. However, he did put up 38.5 DraftKings points on Philly earlier this year. I prefer the safety of Wright, but THJ does have better upside.

Dorian Finney-Smith ($4,500): DFS just keeps putting up solid line after solid line. He has only been under 20 DraftKings points twice in the last dozen games. Considering he put up 27.5 in the first meeting with the 76ers, I don’t think he’ll miss the mark tonight either. There isn’t much for upside here, but DFS is a strong value play in any format. You probably want more for GPP usage though.