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FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Wednesday, 1/6/21
Tuesday's slate was pretty ugly with five games on the docket but this one is full of goodies. We have 11 games in total which make the player pool monstrous. One thing that we need to keep an eye on are the back-to-backs, with the Bulls, Clippers and Jazz all playing in the second half of a back-to-back set. We also have the Cavaliers and Sixers playing the frontend and that always causes chaos for DFS purposes. With that in mind, let's get into our Wednesday picks!
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Point Guard
De'Aaron Fox FD - $7800 DK - $8200
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 43.63 DK - 43.42
It's hard to get excited about anyone on the Kings right now but Fox has definitely established himself as their primary ball-handler. Where that's really evident is in his usage, leading the club with a 28 percent usage rate. That has led to him scoring at least 36 DraftKings points in all but one game this season, which happened to be a blowout loss to the Suns. We definitely don't anticipate a blowout here, with the Kings entering this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite. Part of that is because Chicago has really been struggling with opposing point guards, surrendering the second-most fantasy points to them this season.
Elfrid Payton FD - $5300 DK - $6000
Opponent - UTA
Proj Pts FD - 38.1 DK - 39.47
Payton has quietly been a stat-stuffing machine throughout his career and he's found himself a nice role with the Knicks this season. Not only is he their starting point guard, Payton is also averaging 31 fantasy points per game across 30 minutes of action in his last five fixtures. That's stellar news with Payton providing rebounds and assists at ease, particularly when you factor that he's averaging 16 shots a game in that span too. We're certainly not worried about the matchup either, with the Jazz allowing Kyrie Irving to drop 50 DK points on them Tuesday night, despite barely playing in the second half.
Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most underrated players in the NBA and is a great option against a putrid Rockets defense.
Shooting Guard
Fred Vanvleet FD - $8000 DK - $7900
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 41.8 DK - 42.97
While Toronto has been absolutely dreadful this season, FVV continues to be a fantasy asset. In fact, VanVleet has at least 47 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, doing that damage on a 24 percent usage rate. That's a relatively low number from someone producing such elite numbers and one would have to believe that it will only increase with the Raptors struggling so badly. The only real concern here is the matchup against this stingy Phoenix defense but we believe Kyle Lowry is the one who will have to match up with Chris Paul.
Terrence Ross FD - $5500 DK - $5900
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 36.86 DK - 37.65
Ross is always in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year and it's possible that he's the frontrunner for that award this season. We say that because he's averaging 20.8 points per game, dropping at least 27 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That's a pretty solid floor from a player below $6,000 and it's becoming clear that Ross is the focal point of this offense when he comes off the bench. What adds to his intrigue here is the fact that Cleveland has no healthy backcourt players, with Darius Garland and Dante Exum both missing this game. That means their depth is also terrible which adds even more value to all of the Orlando bench players as well.
With Cleveland running out of guards, Collin Sexton could be forced into 20 shots and 40 minutes, making him an intriguing option.
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes FD - $6100 DK - $6100
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 32.73 DK - 33.31
Ok, no one ever gets excited about putting Harrison Barnes into their lineup but he's been a great value all year long. What's really impressive about him this season is his floor, scoring at least 30 DK points in six of his seven games. That's something we've never seen from this guy before and a 30-point floor from a $6K player is hard to overlook. The best part about using him today is the matchup though, with Chicago owning the worst defense in the NBA based on points allowed. So, while Barnes is not a sexy name, there might be no better bet on the slate for 5X value.
Kelly Oubre Jr. FD - $5300 DK - $5500
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 30.6 DK - 29.41
Oubre's jumper was beyond broken the first week of the season but it appears he's turned things around over the last few games. In fact, Oubre has at least 28 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, shooting 48 percent from the field in that span. That's the dude we've been waiting for because he can add serious value through his rebounding, hustle and defense. The thing that really makes him attractive is this price though, as Oubre was a $7,000 player throughout most of last season. Many people might be worried about the matchup but it's very possible that the Clippers will be missing Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the second half of a B2B set.
Otto Porter is averaging over 30 fantasy points per game in his starts for Lauri Markkanen and we like him again here.
Power Forward
Domantas Sabonis FD - $8800 DK - $9200
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 45.74 DK - 49.24
Think about this, Oklahoma City has had James Harden, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and this guy over the past decade and are probably the worst team in the west right now and never won a ring. That's nuts! Anyway, they're surely missing Sabonis a ton, with the big southpaw averaging 20.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. That doesn't even include the 1.5 combined steals and blocks, giving him a 48.4 DK average for the year. That's obviously one of the best marks in the NBA and we haven't even discussed the best part of this play. That happens to be the matchup, with Houston ranked 22nd in points allowed and 23rd in defensive efficiency.
Tristan Thompson FD - $4400 DK - $4500
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 22.68 DK - 22.8
Thompson is a lot like Barnes because people never get excited about using him. The simple fact is, these guys produce and are way too cheap. TT is actually one of the best values out there, averaging 8.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game en route to a 22-point DK average. Those 22 points don't sound like a whole lot but it equates to 5X value when you look at this price tag. Squeezing in a $4,400 player who's close to averaging a double-double is quite the find and it really opens up the door to get more expensive players into your build. Miami isn't too bad of a matchup either, surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing PFs this season.
Christian Wood has been a monster for the Rockets and is way too cheap on DraftKings at $7,700.
Center
Nikola Vucevic FD - $8700 DK - $8700
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 51.16 DK - 53.22
No one ever talks about Vooch as one of the best centers in the NBA but he's just that. Not only has he scored at least 36 DraftKings points in every game this season, Vucevic is also averaging 46 fantasy points per game. That's a rare sight from a player south of $9,000 and it's strange that these sites continue to keep him in this price range. In any case, we're going to take advantage of it and Vooch will likely take advantage of this matchup. Cleveland currently owns a 17th OPRK against opposing centers this season and Vooch will be needed to play big minutes against Andre Drummond.
Clint Capela FD - $6500 DK - $6700
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 37.25 DK - 37.9
Capela had to deal with a minutes restriction in the opening week of the season but has gone on to play at least 30 minutes in three-straight games since then. That has led to three-straight double-doubles, with Cap averaging 37 DK points per game in that span. That makes it really surprising that he remains below $7,000, especially when you consider that Atlanta loves to run up and down the court. This matchup against the Hornets is the icing on the cake though, with Charlotte surrendering the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season while ranked 25th in rebounds allowed.
We also like Wendell Carter Jr below $5,000 on FanDuel.
