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Thursday night NBA action will be the first post trade deadline DFS slate of the season. The slate will feature five games and begin 30 minutes later than usual with a start time of 7:30 p.m. ET.
At the time of this writing, the deadline is rapidly approaching the cut-off time of 3:00 p.m. ET. Monitoring NBA news is already of the utmost importance due to injuries and "load management," and the deadline adds yet another element. Be prepared to take advantage of situations where teams are left with thin rosters due to player movement and inactive players.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/6/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Rajon Rondo - PG, vs HOU ($4,100)
This Rockets-Lakers game should garner plenty of attention as the last game on the Thursday-night slate, and one of my favorite value plays on the slate is veteran G Rajon Rondo. Players priced in the lower tier usually means limited minutes and upside. However, Rondo has a much higher ceiling than most priced this low simply due to his ability to score fantasy points in so many ways. While most players priced this low usually carry significant risk, his versatility and the fact he is not scoring dependent qualifies him for my player pool on Thursday. Additionally, Rondo spends plenty of time on-ball and has a healthy usage rate of 18.9%. Remember to monitor news because value plays with more secure minutes could open up, which would lower my interest.
Coby White - PG, vs NO ($3,800)
Another value guard that I like on this slate is rookie G Coby White. Targetting players from games that feature the Pelicans is one of my go-to-moves in DFS thanks to the third-ranked pace of play belonging to the Pelicans. The Bulls have consistently given their young investment 20-28 minutes all season, and the injury of Kris Dunn means one less body in the rotation. With that being said, White most likely will remain in his role of coming off the bench based on the prior game. Keep expectations realistic when rostering White, but he makes for a solid option for those of you looking to go with a stars and scrubs approach on Thursday night.
Patty Mills - PG, @ POR ($3,900)
Continuing with the pattern of listing value options leads me to G Patty Mills. Have the Spurs ever had a team without Mills? While I'm exaggerating a bit, it really does seem like he has been pulling up for a 3-pointer for more than a decade. His San Antonio stint began in 2012 so the decade call was close! Career longevity aside, Mills is a Coach Pop favorite that rarely makes mistakes and knows his role. Mills may not play the heaviest minutes, but there are instances of him exceeding 25 minutes depending on match-ups and game flow. Minutes aside, Mills is more than capable of reaching 25 DK points at this cheap price tag, which he has done in thee of the last five contests. All three of these guys are just options as I trust you to understand what the expensive stars can do without me.
Michael Carter-Williams should be a heavier owned value pick that offers more safety, and Mills should be used in large-field tournaments instead of cash games.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
LeMarcus Aldridge - PF/C, @ POR ($6,500)
I am a sucker for making a play based on a narrative - especially when a player is underpriced. LeMarcus Aldridge definitely qualifies as this type on Thursday as he returns to Portland for a game against his former team. The 34-year-old veteran's best days may be behind him, but so much of DFS is selecting plays based on projected fantasy production relative to price. This price tag is a bit baffling considering the capabilities of Aldridge and Portland ranking 30th against the position. The support for the price decrease is related to Aldridge having poor fantasy outings in three of the last four games. However, I am willing to overlook this with a veteran such as Aldridge, who I highly doubt will be impacted by a few poor games.
Aaron Gordon - SF/PF, @ NYK ($6,300)
One mid-range priced player that it is appealing on this slate is versatile F, Aaron Gordon. Gordon has only seen a minor increase in price despite his recent uptick in production. Over the past four games, Gordon's usage rate has had a usage rate of 25.7% versus his season average of 20.7%. Look for Gordon to continue to be aggressive against a Knicks team that ranks 25th against SF/PF's. The other key contributors of the Magic also make for solid plays if you plan to enter multiple lineups.
Danny Green - SF, vs HOU ($3,800)
Danny Green is yet another potential value option that will make my initial player pool before news alterations. While Green is not the most exciting play, I like his chances to see plenty of opportunities to knock down some 3's against the Rockets. In addition to Green having Anthony Davis and LeBron James to draw the attention of the defense, Houston gives up the second-most attempts in the league from corner-3-range. Also, the Rockets trading of C Clint Capela and commitment to the full-time small ball approach should make Green's wing defense and versatility even more important.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Al Horford- PF/C, @ MIL ($5,800)
Both the 76ers and the price of Al Horford have been free-falling with this squad being a complete mess losing the last three games. The poor play of the 76ers combined with the tough interior defense of the Bucks can create concern, but this sub 6k price-tag has me interested on this five-game slate. The 9-18 away record is hard to understand when looking at this roster and considering the veteran presence of Horford. At some point, a team of this caliber has to turn the corner and quiet the haters. Maybe what it takes is a key Eastern Conference match-up on TNT to do so. If not and they continue to struggle, feel free to yell at me on Twitter for the Horford play. The 76ers very much need all the shooting they can get to open up driving lanes for Ben Simmons, and Horford is capable of stretching the defense.
