RADIO
A short, five-game slate on Thursday night is loaded with high-profile point guard matchups. There’s not a lot to love at the top in the frontcourt spots, but, as always, there is solid value to be found lower down on the list.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/9/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
C.J. McCollum - PG/SG, vs. BOS ($7,800)
If you’re not paying up for one of the bigger names, McCollum is a relatively safe option. He has arguably been Portland’s best player since Damian Lillard returned from injury in early January. Since the start of the new year, the fourth-year guard out of Lehigh is averaging 25.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists as the Trailblazers have played .500 ball. The 25-year-old has seen his price has tick up to $7,800, but he should still be able to produce against a Celtics team that, despite playing well of late, have yielded over 100 points in 10 of their last 11 contests— plus they are still without shooting guard Avery Bradley. Last time these two teams met, McCollum outscored Lillard 35-to-28, hitting 11 of his 21 field goals (3-for-6 from deep) with three assists, three steals and no turnovers. Additionally, Bradley Beal outscored John Wall when the Wizards met the Celtics in late January.
George Hill - PG, @ DAL ($6,100)
For the most part, Hill has been a reliable fantasy contributor, with at least 30 Draftkings points in six of his last 11 games— he has eclipsed 40 DK points twice in that span. The 30-year-old has hit 10 threes in his last three contests, and will match up on Thursday night with a Dallas team that remains dead last in the league in defending the three-point arc and will likely be without starting point guard Deron Williams for the eighth straight game. Coming off a mediocre performance vs. the Pelicans on Wednesday in which he played just 25 minutes, Hill is a sold bet to bounce back with a strong showing against the Mavericks.
Eric Gordon - SG, @ CHA ($5,100)
Gordon hasn’t left the $5k range in a long time, and continues to be a reliable source of production at that price, with at least 27 DK points in three of his last four games. He also possesses tournament-play upside in the sense that he attempts the third-most three-point shots in basketball (behind just Stephen Curry and James Harden) and makes them at a respectable 38.7% clip, meaning he could go off on any given night and hit seven or eight triples. In the last two weeks, Courtney Lee, Allen Crabbe, Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic have all collected at least 30 Draftkings points (technically, Bogdanovic had 29.8) against the Hornets, providing Gordon with a solid matchup.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
LeBron James - SF, @ OKC ($10,200)
On a night that is heavily dominated by top-tier guards, James is the guy I’m paying up for here. The four-time MVP is a safe choice, with at least 48 Draftkings points in 11 consecutive games, and also has the upside to hit six or even seven times value on his $10.2k price tag. The Thunder haven’t done much to stop small forwards lately— in the last two weeks, James, Harrison Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Paul George have all had success against OKC. Additionally, with the game being played in Oklahoma City, there is little chance of a blowout— James played 37 minutes and fell two assists shy of a triple-double against the Thunder on Jan. 29 despite taking a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter.
If Tryonn Lue does, in fact, decide to give his Big 3 some rest Thursday night, it may be best to go cheap at the forward spots and pay up for one of the top guards. Kyle Korver becomes an appealing value play in this scenario.
Jae Crowder - SF, @ POR ($6,200)
Hovering in the low-$6k price range, Crowder has posted at least 30 Draftkings points in seven of his last nine games played. Even with a no-show on Wednesday against the Kings, the 26-year-old is averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists to date, managing career highs in both field goal percentage (47.6%) and three-point percentage (41.5%). On Thursday night, he is likely to draw defense from Maurice Harkless and Aaron Crabbe, neither of whom offer particularly formidable matchups. Crowder has been as safe an option as you can find around the league, and that shouldn’t change in a favorable meeting with Portland.
Dario Saric - SF/PF, @ ORL ($4,100)
In his last 10 games — nine of which have been without Joel Embiid — Saric has scored in double-digits and eclipsed 20 Draftkings points eight times. His minutes have increased over that span, and he has become a key player in Philadelphia’s rotation. The 22-year-old rookie is back down to $4,100 on Draftkings, has dual-position eligibility, and should continue to produce solid value on Thursday night against a Magic team that just yielded 20 points to Trevor Ariza. Saric is one of the more appealing cheap plays on this slate.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Vucevic - C, vs. PHI ($7,700)
Vucevic has taken a step backwards in terms of scoring this year —averaging 14.0 as compared to 18.2 last season — but is still more than capable of constructing a monster performance. The 26-year-old has 23 double-doubles in 51 games, including seven showings of at least 14 points and 14 boards. He will have a chance for one of those nights against the Sixers— the team that considered him less valuable than Andrew Bynum back in 2012 — who are still without star center Joel Embiid. Without Embiid, the Sixers have allowed 13 points and 15 rebounds to Dwight Howard, 10 and 20 to DeAndre Jordan, 46 and 15 to DeMarcus Cousins, 30 and 20 to Hassan Whiteside, and 16 and 17 to Andre Drummond. But it’s not just big names— Greg Monroe put up 28 and nine, Salah Mejri managed 16 and 17, Dewayne Dedmon recorded 13 and 10. Vucevic should join that list with an impressive stat line of his own on Thursday night.
Fellow Magic big man Serge Ibaka, who is $6,800 and possesses center eligibility, is a viable play in the event that Vucevic falls just out of your price range.
Joffrey Lauvergne - C, vs. CLE ($3,200)
Stepping into the role left vacant by Enes Kanter, Lauvergne has surpassed 20 Draftkings points in three of his last six games. This includes 20 DK points (13 points, six rebounds) against the Cavaliers on Jan. 29. The 25-year-old has double-double potential (averaging 10.0 points and 7.7 rebounds over his last three games), and is currently sitting seventh in the league among centers in three-point percentage (min. 50 attempts). For those looking to clear up some salary space, Lauvergne is a cheap option who has the upside to return enormous value.
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