Need a jump start on your lineups before Awesemo’s NBA DFS rankings or projections? No worries, Damien Mathews has you covered his Pick 5! favorite NBA DFS Picks for DraftKings and FanDuel for Wednesday, Jan. 22. With 12 games on tap we have a myriad of options to choose from. Damien has some takes on Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson and more!
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NBA DFS Point Guard: Russell Westbrook $9,900 FanDuel $9,800 DraftKings
Russell Westbrook comes into this game having posted three 60-plus fantasy point games in a row. The downside: Houston hasn’t won any of them. As a result, Westbrook is in midseason form individually yet still underpriced. He has averaged 1.41 fantasy points per minute this year with a 33.0 usage percentage and 34.1 assist percentage. With his team desperately in need of a win, Westbrook should be in full attack mode.
*Honorable Mention: Derrick Rose $7,000 FanDuel $7,000 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Kendrick Nunn $5,400 FanDuel $6,100 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Trae Young $10,200 FanDuel $9,500 DraftKings (Kemba Walker if Young sits)
NBA DFS Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday $7,500 FanDuel $8,100 DraftKings
Jrue Holiday missed seven games before coming back and exploding for 48 FanDuel points in 36 minutes against Memphis. Holiday has averaged 35.5 minutes per game, attempting 17 shots and hitting 44.4 percent of those for a 20.1-point average per game. Also, he is sporting a 26.3 usage percentage while averaging 1.15 fantasy points per minute. Now, with the anticipation of Zion Williamson‘s debut, Holiday should shine alongside the young core nucleus in New Orleans.
*Honorable Mention: James Harden $11,400 FanDuel $11,200 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Lou Williams $6,300 FanDuel $7,300 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Donovan Mitchell $6,200 FanDuel $7,800 DraftKings
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NBA DFS Small Forward: Danilo Gallinari $5,900 FanDuel $6,900 DraftKings
Danilo Gallinari is averaging 1.08 fantasy points per minute over 30.1 minutes on average. He has a 24.4 usage percentage and shooting 41.2 percent from downtown on 7.5 attempts per game. Overall, he has been extremely efficient when on the floor with a 75% consistency rating. For his price, Gallinari grades out great in a game with a one-point spread.
*Honorable Mention: Jaylen Brown $5,900 FanDuel $6,700 DraftKings (questionable, pivot to Gordon Hayward or Marcus Smart if out)
**Honorable Mention: Will Barton $6,500 FanDuel $7,400 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Alec Burks $5,100 FanDuel $6,400 DraftKings
NBA DFS Picks Power Forward: Zion Williamson $4,500 FanDuel $5,000 DraftKings
The time has finally arrived; Zion Williamson will make his season debut for a red-hot New Orleans Pelicans team who have won 11 of their last 16 games. We have no statistical data other than preseason where he averaged 27.2 minutes and 23.3 points on 12.3 attempts with a 25.2 usage percentage for 36.9 fantasy points per game. However, that was just a four-game sample size. I think Williamson will get 20-ish minutes and if that’s the case, for his skill set and his price, he should crush value.
*Honorable Mention: Michael Porter Jr. $5,300 FanDuel $6,600 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Nemanja Bjelica $5,400 FanDuel, $6,700 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Eric Paschall $4,500 FanDuel $6,000 DraftKings (viable if Draymond Green is out. If Draymond is in, then pivot to Jerami Grant)
NBA DFS Center: Montrezl Harrell $5,900 FanDuel $6,800 DraftKings
Montrezl Harrell becomes a core play for me with the anticipation of Kawhi Leonard sitting out for load management. With a lot of top options on this NBA DFS slate at the center position, Harrell could maybe get lost and ownership could reflect that. That said, with both Leonard and Paul George off the court, Harrell is sporting a 32.3 usage percentage and 1.35 fantasy points per minute. With Leonard off and George on, Harrell’s usage is 31.0 with 1.28 fantasy points per minute. So either way, he’s a great play and should be in line for big minutes in a game against Atlanta that should be fast paced with a lot of scoring. The Hawks’ 113 defensive rating is third worst in the league, after all.
*Honorable Mention: Ian Mahinmi $4,700 FanDuel $5,300 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Deandre Ayton $8,200 FanDuel $8,600 DraftKings
***Honorable Mention: Jonas Valanciunas $6,800 FanDuel $6,700 DraftKings
