3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/27/20
While building a daily fantasy basketball lineup, it's important to make sure you find the right studs to anchor your team. As the most expensive players in your lineup, they need big-time production to match their high price tag.
You may find it hard to fit some of these guys in while staying under the salary cap, but you can check out our projections to find value players for your rosters. Let's take a look at the top high-priced DraftKings plays of the day.
Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks
DraftKings Price: $11,900
There aren't many truly elite players on this six-game slate. In fact, only Luka Doncic is priced above $10,500, and the next two players by price -- James Harden and Russell Westbrook -- are either out or doubtful for Monday's matchup. That makes Doncic a must-play in tournaments and very near a cash-game lock in this spot.
Playing on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder isn't the most desirable situation, with OKC sitting 12th in defensive rating and 20th in pace, but that didn't slow down Luka in their earlier meeting. Over 40 minutes, he turned 29 shots into 35 points and a total of 62 DraftKings points. And after another great five-game stretch, Luka's averaging 58 DK points per game on the season.
Doncic has been asked to shoulder the load for the time Kristaps Porzingis has missed, however, the big-time numbers are still there when he plays. Per NBA Wowy, Doncic averages 1.68 DK points per minute on a 36.9% usage rate (compared to 1.85 and 39.9%, respectively). That that rate, he needs to log 35-plus minutes to reach value here. Our models conservatively project him for 56.3 DK points over 34.2 minutes.
Andre Drummond, C, Detroit Pistons
DraftKings Price: $9,600
In the next tier, which includes fellow center Karl-Anthony Towns, Andre Drummond is poised for a great game as his Detroit Pistons play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Pistons are favored by 6.5 at home in a game with a 221 over/under. That equates to a 113.75 implied total -- 4.35 above their season average.
That sets up well for all involved, but particularly the big guy. Drummond has straight-up roasted Cleveland this season, averaging 22.7 points, 19.0 rebounds, and 60.8 DK points through three head-to-heads. In two of those, he exceeded 60 fantasy points thanks to a pair of 20-20 showings.
Drummond is fresh off a game in which he saw the floor for 40-plus minutes, so his workload is safe and allows us to a project such a high ceiling. Over 33.6 minutes, our models have him down for 47.7 DK points.
Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG, Utah Jazz
DraftKings Price: $7,900
Both of Houston's stud guards are trending toward out for this one, leaving Donovan Mitchell as the most talented backcourt player on the floor. The Utah Jazz have put together an All-Star caliber season behind career-high averages of 24.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists from Mitchell. His 45.9% shooting also marks a personal best to this point, and for a third straight year, he's managing 2.4 treys a night.
Mitchell's scoring has been even more consistent in recent games. Along with a 46-point outburst 11 days ago, Mitchell's scored at least 22 in six straight contests, all the while averaging 41.0 DK points during that time. He also owns a 32.5% usage rate despite the return of Mike Conley.
The only thing working against Mitchell is a potential blowout. The Rockets played Sunday and might not have the firepower to keep it close on the road in Salt Lake. We can expect a line in the double digits, but if for some reason you want to be contrarian, he's a great tournament option. We project him at 25.3 points and 40.0 DK points at his low price.
Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BrettOswalt__14. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
