3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/13/21
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 salaries.
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-salaried DraftKings plays of the day.
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
DraftKings Salary: $9,800
Following a six-game absence as a result of a dislocated wrist, Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves' lineup on Saturday. To the surprise of many, he played 37 minutes in the overtime loss, but what wasn't surprising was his production. The big man went for 25 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, totaling 54.25 DraftKings points. Towns exceeded 50 DraftKings points for the second time in only three games this season.
It's a small sample, but according to NBA.com, KAT's 26.7% usage rate is only a hair below last year's mark. He's just as involved, while his rebound rate and block rate are up. His 3.0 blocks a game are well above his 1.2 last season and 1.6 two years ago. If he's going to remain as active on the defensive end, both his fantasy floor and ceiling are much higher.
The Timberwolves play host to the Memphis Grizzlies, who are eighth-worst against centers, per FantasyPros' defense-versus position data. That, combined with a 220 over/under, gives Towns 60- to 70-point upside on a night like tonight.
C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers
DraftKings Salary: $8,600
The Timberwolves-Grizzlies' game environment is good, but it's nothing like that of the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers. Per NBA Finals odds, the total is already set at 235.5 points, and a 4.5-point spread provides the visiting Blazers with a 120-point implied total.
The question is, do you go with Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum? The Kings are the worst team in the league against fantasy point guards, but they're also the second-worst at defending shooting guards. And it just so happens that McCollum spends time at both positions, acting as the point guard when Lillard heads for a breather. But it's more important to note that McCollum is the hotter of the two Portland standouts.
On the year, McCollum has upped his usage to 28.9% after ending 2019-20 at 25.7%. However, the last two games have seen him top Lillard with a 29.5% usage rate over his 34.2 minutes. He's also tallied an average of 33.5 real-life points on 56.1% shooting on his way to 51.4 DraftKings points a game. He's a lock for either format.
De'Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings
DraftKings Salary: $7,400
The same intriguing game environment will play to the advantage of De'Aaron Fox and the Kings. While Sacramento ranks seventh in the league in pace, Portland is close behind in ninth, while their 111.7 defensive rating leads opponents to average 115.4 points per game.
Portland's been friendly to opposing offenses, but that's no more the case than for point guards. They average a league-high 32.1 points, 3.8 three-point makes, and 54.4 DraftKings points on the season to date. Fox was limited to 25 minutes in a choppy game his last time out against the Blazers, so don't put too much stock in that. He is a game removed from posted 21 points and stuffing the sheet for 43.25 DraftKings points.
The matchup and numbers are solid, yet it's the salary that makes Fox an obvious play. His roster cost is down $500 from Monday's appearance, and that's 12th among all point guards, directly behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a much tougher matchup. It's hard not to like him as a top fantasy play.
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 BRO14THEKID. 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.
