DFS NBA Lineups for February 9, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
Each day that there’s a nice slate of DFS NBA games, we’ll give you the game totals, spreads, and pertinent injury news to follow for NBA daily fantasy, as well as some players that we’re considering for our lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Just a five-game DFS NBA slate on 2/9/17, but it features the top two scorers in all of daily fantasy basketball in James Harden and Russell Westbrook. We’ve got a juicy matchup betweent the Rockets and Hornets where each team has an implied total over 110 points! We’ll also have all the value we need as it appears the Cavs will be resting all three of their stars tonight.
As always, be sure and monitor any of the injury news that breaks throughout the day, as value plays and player upgrades can arise in a moments notice.
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Avery Bradley (Achilles)
Joel Embiid (knee)
Evan Turner (hand)
Enes Kanter (arm)
Iman Shumpert (ankle)
Rodney Hood (knee)
Aaron Gordon (foot)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
LeBron James (rest)
Kevin Love (rest)
Kyrie Irving (rest)
Deron Williams (toe) – UPDATE: OUT
Cody Zeller (quad) – UPDATE: will play
Richaun Holmes (illness) – UPDATE: OUT
NBA GAME SPREADS, TOTALS & START TIME FOR TODAY’S GAMES
76ers @ Magic -6 (7:00p): 210
Rockets -4 @ Hornets (7:00p): 225.5
Cavs @ Thunder -9 (8:00p): 207.5
Jazz -4 @ Mavericks (8:30p): 192.5
Celtics @ Blazers -1.5 (10:30p): 220
Best NBA Picks for February 9, 2017
Russell Westbrook ($12.7k DraftKings, $12.5k FanDuel)
On a short slate, you’re almost certainly going to be targeting the player who does everything for the Thunder and is quite literally a triple-double threat every single time he suits up. Westbrook continues to lead the NBA in Usage Rate (41.8%), Assist Rate (56.9%) and PPG (30.9) this season and he’s somehow 12th in RPG (10.5) after snatching 18 boards in a narrow loss at Indiana on Monday. He should be well rested ahead of this home game, while the Cavs are playing their fourth game in six nights and might rest their stars as a result. Westbrook produced a triple-double in Cleveland with the Cavs rested and desperate for a win and he’s likely to exceed that production at home against a team that coughs up the seventh-most FPPG (44.57) to opposing PGs this season. The only concern here would be a blowout for the Thunder and Russ not getting his full minutes, so if you’re choosing between Westbrook and Harden, keep that in mind.
Cleveland Cavs
We have the Cavs as a whole up here because this is where you’d usually look and find either LeBron James, Kevin Love, or Kyrie Irving. However, coach Ty Lue has said that he’s likely to rest all three of his big guns tonight against the Thunder. JR Smith has been out for a while, and Iman Shumpert is going to sit out with an ankle sprain. If all three do end up sitting, the biggest beneficiaries would likely be Channing Frye, Kay Felder, and Jordan McCrae. Of those guys, only Frye is above minimum salary ($3400) with each also possessing 25+ minute upside. You’ll hear word about the Cavs signing Derrick Williams, but he’s not in the player pool, so he won’t be helping or hurting your lineups. Be sure and monitor this situation throughout the day as this is going to be the game that decides DFS tournaments tonight.
Mid Tier DFS NBA Picks
Rudy Gobert ($6.7k DraftKings, $8k FanDuel)
Gobert is quite expensive on FanDuel but is somehow a mid-tier option on DK as one of the better bets for a double-double bonus on that site this evening. He’s facing a Mavericks team that ranks dead last in total rebounding rate and happened to torch Dallas for 27 points and 25 rebounds when these teams met a couple of weeks ago. Gobert’s numbers have tailed off a bit due to some recent blowout wins, but he’s still one of the most important players on the floor for defense-based Utah and will almost certainly log heavy minutes in a prime matchup tonight.
Frank Kaminsky ($5.6k DraftKings, $4.9k FanDuel)
The Hornets keep finding ways to match firepower with some of the best offensive teams in the NBA and they’ll have to dig deep to match scoring with James Harden and the fast-paced Rockets tonight. Kaminsky has really stepped up lately with averages of 17 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 34.1 DK PPG over his last 3 appearances and it’s no coincidence that Charlotte traded Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert to make more room for the former Wisconsin star. Frank the Tank played 33 minutes on Tuesday despite shooting 4-of-17 from the field, which indicates how important he is to the Hornets on both ends of the floor while Cody Zeller (quad) was inactive. He draws a good matchup tonight against a Rockets team that allows the seventh-most FPPG (44.35) to opposing PFs this season. If Zeller does return tonight, the $5.6k pricetag on DraftKings might be a bit too high on a night with so much incredible value.
Bargain Tier DFS NBA Picks
Dario Saric ($4.1k DraftKings, $4.3k FanDuel)
The Sixers will still be missing budding superstar Joel Embiid (knee) tonight while Jahlil Okafor’s middling play continues amidst trade rumors. That leaves overpriced options in Ersan Ilyasova and Nerlens Noel to soak up minutes against Orlando’s weak frontcourt, whereas Saric has the potential to meet value with ease or perhaps exceed it, after posting a very efficient line last night. The rookie went 8-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-5 from downtown in a losing effort against the Spurs and it’s possible he will earn more playing time as a result of his hot shooting. The Magic are ranked 24th in opponents FG shooting (.464%) and 23rd in 3PT defense, so Saric will almost certainly have more opportunities to knock down good looks this evening.
Maurice Harkless ($4k DraftKings, $3.8k FanDuel)
Mo has been working his way back from an ankle injury, but he’ll suddenly be asked to log a lot more playing time with Evan Turner (hand) looking at a multi-month absence. Harkless is only a steady player with averages of 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals/blocks per 36 minutes this year, yet those numbers would do just fine at his current modest price tag. The Blazers top offensive options (specifically C.J. McCollum and Mason Plumlee) are also worth a look against a Celtics team that somehow lost in blowout fashion to a Kings team without DeMarcus Cousins last night, while Harkless could serve as a cheap addition to that stack. He’s already been named the starter for tonight.
If, Then Player
With Aaron Gordon (foot) out tonight, if Jeff Green remains away from the team for personal reasons, Evan Fournier could become a very reliable play against the Sixers, while Mario Hezonja could enter the discussion as a punt play with sneaky upside.
Yogi Ferrell cooled off against the Blazers on Tuesday, but will still be worth a look at a diminished price tag if Deron Williams (toe) remains out. Devin Harris also played 27 minutes in that contest and is a dark horse value play against Utah’s elite defense.
