3 NBA DraftKings Value Plays to Target on 1/14/19

Nikola Mirotic, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans

DraftKings Price: $5,700

New Orleans Pelicans forward Nikola Mirotic got off to a ridiculously hot start to the season. He averaged 23.1 points, 9.9 boards, and 41.7 DraftKings points in October and then followed that up with averaged of 16.9, 10.3, and 36.3, respectively, in November.

December, however, brought injuries, and Mirotic became nothing more than a fantasy afterthought. After a 12-game absence, however, he returned last week against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played just 22 minutes in that game, but was able to show flashes of dominance, putting up 17 points and 4 boards.

After receiving 27 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he could be in line to flirt with 30 minutes tonight, despite coming off the bench. He and the Pelicans will take on the Los Angeles Clippers in a game with a monstrous 240.0 total. Only three other games this season have seen a total set at least that high, two of which also included the Pelicans.

Mirotic has faced LA three times since joining the Pelicans last year. He's scored a minimum of 31.75 DraftKings points in those games and has put up averages of 18.3 points, 11.7 boards, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 2.3 triples, and 40.4 DraftKings points in 29.4 minutes per game.

Our models like him to have success against them again this evening, projecting him for 32.8 DraftKings points. The resulting 5.8 DraftKings points per $1,000 is the third-highest projected value of the slate.