Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Studs and Duds for Feb. 4
The Chicago Bulls travel to H-Town to battle the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. This also figures to be the site for awesome and disappointing fantasy performances. There's no shortage of star power in this one, and it kicks off today's DraftKings studs and duds report.
Studs
Pau Gasol ($9,300) at Houston Rockets
There's three reasons to believe Pau Gasol has a huge night on Wednesday against the Rockets. Allow me to break them down for you.
First off, at 34 years old, he's having perhaps his best season. In addition to his 18.2 points per game, Gasol is averaging career highs in rebounds (12), blocks (2.2) and three-point percentage (.364). NBA TV puts Gasol's year in further perspective:
Secondly, he and the Bulls haven't played since Friday, Jan. 30. It was a much-needed break for a team that needs time to heal, rest and come together. Gasol should be fresh for this one.
Lastly, Dwight Howard is out at least a month, so the Rockets' interior defense will be without its primary shot-blocker and low-post defender. Your lineup has to have Gasol on Wednesday night.
James Harden ($10,800) vs. Chicago Bulls
Harden is nursing a knee injury, but per Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets All-Star is probable.
Here's what Harden said on Tuesday night after practicing with his team:
Yes, Harden will draw the defensive-minded Jimmy Butler as an assignment, but Harden and Houston haven't played since Jan. 31. That was likely ample time for the seemingly minor injury to heal.
He had an off game against the Bulls back on Jan. 5. Harden made just seven of 22 shots, but he still wound up with 20 points, two rebounds, four assists, two blocks, a steal and three connections from long range.
The league's leading scorer should be good for his normal stat sheet-stuffing performance.
Russell Westbrook ($10,600) at New Orleans Pelicans
Few players in the NBA have been delivering the DraftKings statistics that Westbrook has the last 10 days. In that span, Westbrook is averaging 49.1 fantasy points per game. In fact, only Harden (49.7) and the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis (49.4) have produced more.
Serge Ibaka's defensive prowess makes me shy away from calling Davis a stud for Wednesday, and the Pels don't have a player capable of slowing Westbrook down. The Oklahoma City Thunder star is coming off his second triple-double in the last 10 games. In the words of the WWE's Mark Henry and as evidenced by the ESPN Stats and Info tweet, "that's what Russ do."
He's been a beast, and that should continue against New Orleans.
Duds
Derrick Rose ($7,700) at Houston Rockets
Rose is capable of exploding for huge games, but he's just been too inconsistent and turnover-prone to risk adding him—especially if you don't plan on picking several lineups.
In his last five games, Rose is shooting just 36 percent from the field, with 5.6 turnovers and just 3.4 assists. For all the points he could bring you with scoring and his minimal assists, he's subtracting too many of them with turnovers.
Steer clear of Rose until he regulates his shot selection and stops trying to do too much off the dribble.
Greg Monroe ($8,400) at Indiana
Against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA in the Indiana Pacers, the Detroit Pistons' Greg Monroe isn't exactly in an ideal position to score big for your DK team.
The last time Monroe and the Pistons were in Indy to take on the Pacers, he didn't have a game fantasy owners could be proud of. On Jan. 16, Monroe had a pedestrian 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.
To add to that recent history, Monroe and the Pistons are also in the second half of back-to-backs. There are far better options on the frontcourt than Monroe on Wednesday.
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