DraftKings NBA picks February 9: Blazing that trail

PORTLAND, OR - JANUARY 20: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers after the game on January 20, 2020 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. 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 2020 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA centers:

Best Bets:

Andre Drummond ($9,400): This was a low-risk proposition for the Cavs. They gave up nothing for one of the best rebounders in the game. This is going to carve a lot out of Thompson’s value. The Cavs didn’t bring in Drummond to sit. They want to see what he and Love can do with these young guards. I think Drummond debuts strong for Cleveland here.

Joel Embiid ($8,200): If Embiid is playing, I’ll have him in a few lines. Imagine the worst defensive front you can remember. Now imagine that all of those starters are hurt. The Bulls are worse than that. Even if Embiid only plays about half the game, he’ll have a legit shot at 50.

Honorable Mention:

Hassan Whiteside ($7,600): Whiteside ravaged his former team the first time around, putting up 48.5 DraftKings points. Whiteside has at least 50 DraftKings points in three of the last four and seven of the past 11 games. This price is way too cheap so long as Whiteside isn’t limited by his sore leg.

Jonas Valanciunas ($7,100): Jonas has at least 5x value in five of the last six games. He only plays about 28 minutes per game, but that seems to be about the magic mark for Jonas. He stays fresh and puts up some big numbers when in there. This Washington front doesn’t scare me at all. Valanciunas is still a solid play.

Dark Horses:

Ivica Zubac ($4,800): Zubac is one of the few pieces of the Clippers that has put up consistent numbers lately. Harrell is in a massive slump. Zubac is a model of efficiency, but only plays around 20 minutes per game. This is more of a risk with Drummond around, but Zubac put up big numbers for the price on the Clippers the first time around. He could do more of the same tonight.

Mitch Robinson ($4,300): We all know the Knicks are morons. Nowhere is this more apparent than Robinson’s usage. He only plays 20 minutes despite racking up nearly a fantasy point per minute tally every game. Robinson put up 42.25 DraftKings points in 29 minutes against the Hawks the first time around. If he can get some playing time, Robinson can put up big numbers.