RADIO
The NBA started last night, and we saw some of the great players, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Stephen Curry. We also saw some of the young talent break out a bit, such as Nikola Mirotic.
In this article, I will be providing you with Daily NBA picks for DraftKings. The picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays.
Without wasting anymore time, let's get down to it!
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DraftKings Point Guards
Kyle Lowry (vs IND, $7,800)
Kyle Lowry put an emphasis on getting in shape last offseason, and that looks like it paid off during the preseason. He finished third in the preseason in scoring behind only Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis. Lowry is coming off a season in which he averaged 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals (36.8 fantasy points) per game. He looks primed for a breakout season, which would move him into elite company. Lowry gets a good matchup against the Pacers tonight, who are looking to play at a much faster pace this season. That extra pace will only help his fantasy outlook, and Lowry averaged 41.8 fantasy points per game against them last season. He’s a great option in all leagues tonight.
C.J. McCollum (vs NO, $4,800)
McCollum flashed greatness at the end of last season, scoring 25 or more fantasy points in 6 of his last 10 games. He’s likely going to start at shooting guard for the Blazers, as they lost Nicholas Batum and Wesley Matthews in the offseason. McCollum has great upside, as he averaged 7.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 0.7 steals in only 17 minutes per game last season. He also shot a promising 40.7% from the three-point line, and McCollum is extremely cheap to start the season. It is highly unlikely that his price stays this low after a couple of games, so get McCollum cheap while you can.
DraftKings Shooting Guards
Eric Bledsoe (vs DAL, $7,800)
Harden is clearly the top option at shooting guard option, but that game should be out of hand fairly quickly, which is why I’m opting to use Bledsoe over him. Bledsoe is significantly cheaper, but he also has great upside. Bledsoe will have the highest usage of anyone on the Suns roster, and for good reason. He’s a great scorer with the ball in his hands, but he can also make plays for everyone around him. Last season, he averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. He will get a good matchup against the Mavs, who have a few players on minute’s restrictions, and Bledsoe won’t have to face any elite defenders. Still, Bledsoe is best suited for GPPs.
Avery Bradley (vs PHI, $4,900)
The Phillies are a team I loved picking on last season, and I will be doing it again this year. They are one of the worst teams in the NBA at covering the three-point line, and Bradley is one of the Celtics best shooters. There have been reports that Bradley is shooting between 200 and 300 three-point shots after practice every day in an attempt shoot above 40% from the arc this season. This will be a great matchup to test his shooting, as Bradley averaged over 25 fantasy points per game against the Sixers last season. He’s extremely cheap, and he should easily hit value if his shooting has improved at all.
DraftKings Small Forwards
Carmelo Anthony (at MIL, $8,600)
Melo was off to a fast start last year before suffering an injury that cost him a lot of the season. In 40 games, he averaged 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.0 steal. He gets a great matchup against the Bucks, who will be without the suspended Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight. Melo also scored over 1 fantasy point per minute last season, and he’ll likely play 40+ minutes if this game stays close. The Knicks were somewhat of a joke last season, and Melo, along with the other players, will want to make a statement early on. The other top small forwards get much tougher matchups, and Melo can be used in all leagues.
Tobias Harris (vs WAS, $6,500)
Harris’ price is a bit low for how well he has been playing this preseason. He averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks in only 26 minutes per game during the preseason. He’ll mainly be playing power forward for the Magic, while getting a few extra minutes at small forward. That will give him a good matchup tonight, and Harris should have an extremely high usage rate. He frequently was playing 40+ minutes last season, and he’s one of the best options at small forward for this big slate.
DraftKings Power Forwards
Anthony Davis (at POR, $10,400)
This play is extremely simple. Anytime Anthony Davis is on the slate, he’s the best power forward, and the best overall option. Last season, he had great averages of 24.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.9 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. That was good for 49.9 fantasy points, which was one of the higher of anyone in the NBA. The Pelicans will be playing at a much faster pace this season, which gives Davis an even higher ceiling. He’ll also get a matchup against the Blazers, who lost their best player and have become an extremely young rebuilding team. Davis can, and should, be used in all leagues.
Nikola Mirotic (at BKN, $6,400)
Mirotic made quick work of the Cavs last night, scoring 10 points in the first few minutes of the game. He went on to play extremely well, and if that’s a sign of what’s to come this season, he should be in every fantasy lineup. Mirotic played extremely well last season in limited minutes, but he should see around 30 minutes per game this season with a new coach in Chicago. The Bulls will also be playing much faster, as you could see from last night, which will help Mirotic’s fantasy outlook. He’s one of the safest options on the slate, and he can be used in all leagues.
DraftKings Centers
Rudy Gobert (at DET, $7,300)
If you already read my NBA articles, you know how much I love Gobert. He’s my favorite player in the NBA, but don’t let that lead you away from him tonight. He gets a great matchup against Drummond, who was one of the worst defensive centers in the NBA last season. He was unstoppable last season after gaining the starting job, as his minutes went up into the mid-30s. He isn’t a great scorer, but he makes up for that with rebounds and blocks, and Gobert can be used in all leagues tonight.
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