Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Studs and Duds for Jan. 21
The potential points available in the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets matchup on Wednesday night should have the mouths of DraftKings players watering. With three of the league's top 15 scorers (No. 1 James Harden, T-6 Stephen Curry and No. 12 Klay Thompson) in action in the same game, you'd think at least one of them would go off for a huge performance.
It's possible all three could score big, but there's no way you'll be able to afford all of them on your roster.
That said, we should focus on grabbing the one most apt to explode.
The smart selection is Curry. He has averaged 27 points in three meetings with the Rockets so far this season. That includes a 27-point, seven-rebound, 11-assist outing against Houston on Jan. 17 in H-Town. Too bad this sick pass captured by CJ Zero and tweeted by the Warriors' Twitter account didn't count for style points.
If the midseason MVP award was a real thing, and it was judged based on head-to-head meetings, Curry would have the edge over the Rockets star shooting guard.
Harden has scored 22.6 per game against Golden State, but he tallied just 12 in the last meeting—and Houston lost 131-106. He also has to spend some time checking Thompson, which could affect his offensive numbers, and vice versa.
Because of that, Curry is the star in this game who will render the best results. The $10,200 price tag for his services would be virtual money well spent.
Steph isn't the only stud DK players should have their radar on Wednesday.
Ryan Anderson - $5,600
Mired in a 6-of-20 shooting slump from behind the arc in his last three games, I believe the medicine for Anderson's long-range blues will arrive on Wednesday.
The defensively challenged Los Angeles Lakers come into the Smoothie King Center to take on Anderson and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers play poor defense all over the floor, but per TeamRankings.com, only the New York Knicks allow more points per game to their opponents from three-point range.
Here's an example of how poorly the Lakers have defended the Pelicans' pick-and-pop game with Anderson in the past, courtesy of Kareem Abdul-Xapar's Twitter account.
Even though Anderson has struggled of late, he's a pure shooter who won't stop looking for his shot. I'm betting Anderson gets the requisite looks to find his rhythm against the Lakers. With Pelicans star Anthony Davis nursing an injured toe, Anderson should get an opportunity to play big minutes.
For less than 6K, he's worth the gamble.
Mason Plumlee - $6,500
The Brooklyn Nets are facing DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. It's easy to look Cousins' way in this matchup, but his price tag is a mammoth $11,100. You'd have to have Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks bench players to fill out the rest of your roster.
In Cousins' last meeting with the Nets, he had 24 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Don't be surprised if he goes for a similar game this time.
However, if you're looking for a reasonable replacement in the same game, Plumlee might be your man. In that same matchup from earlier in the season, Plumlee had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. His energy and length were difficult for the Nets to match.
That could very well be the case again on Wednesday. He's an excellent option if you need a moderately priced big man.
Duds
Kemba Walker - $9,300
Walker is expected to return to the Charlotte Hornets lineup on Wednesday against the Miami Heat, per Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Most nights, Walker is one of the safest bets at point guard, but on Wednesday you'd be best served going in another direction.
The 24-year-old point guard had missed the team's last two games. While Walker looks to be returning to the lineup, I'm not sure I'd trust him so quickly. That's especially the case considering his price tag is close to 10K.
Along with dealing with the remnants of the injury, Walker will also have to contend with a solid defense. The Heat allow just 97.1 points per game. That's sixth in the NBA.
This game just looks to be a bad matchup for Walker. At his current price tag, drafting him would be a poor decision.
Roy Hibbert - $6,200
Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers take on the Atlanta Hawks, and that's a matchup that hasn't produced stellar numbers for Indy's big man. He did have a 14-point, 12-rebound performance against Atlanta in the third game of the season, but he was held to eight points and five boards by the Hawks on Dec. 8.
If you look back to last postseason, you'll find Hibbert struggled with the Hawks' smaller and quicker frontcourt then as well. In five games, he averaged just 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.
With Atlanta clicking on all cylinders and allowing the fewest points per game in the league, I'd stay away from Hibbert and any other Pacer.
DraftKings stats and details per official site.
NBA team stats per TeamRankings.com.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. Basketball is awesome.
