NBA

3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 2/11/20

Lately, Russell Westbrook has seemingly taken over as the catalyst of the Houston offense. Is he worth the high cost against a tough Celtics defense?

While building a daily fantasy basketball lineup, it's important to make sure you find the right studs to anchor your team. As the most expensive players in your lineup, they need big-time production to match their high price tag.

You may find it hard to fit some of these guys in while staying under the salary cap, but you can check out our projections to find value players for your rosters. Let's take a look at the top high-priced DraftKings plays of the day.

Russell Westbrook, PG, Houston Rockets

DraftKings Price: $9,900

For most of the year, it's been the same ole, same ole for the Houston Rockets. James Harden has been leading the way with his 35.2 points and 60.2 DK points per game. However, in recent games, Russell Westbrook seems to have found his fit as the primary driver of Mike D'Antoni's offense. According to NBA.com, Brodie's usage rate of 35.6% over the last 10 is a whole 2.9% above his season average, while he's also increased his fantasy output from 51.3 to 59.1 in that time frame.

During this stretch, Westbrook has played six games at Toyota Center, where's he's averaged 59.3 DK points in that subset, bringing his average to 52.6 for the season -- 2.9 above his average on the road. And this is a better overall matchup for the floor general, as he's likely to draw more of Kemba Walker than physical wings Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Harden is in line for that treatment.

Despite an overall tough matchup against the Celtics' third-ranked defense, our models project Westbrook for 50.3 DK points in 36.0 minutes.

Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

DraftKings Price: $9,100

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a primary talking point early on this February -- and it's not for the right reasons. Philly started things off with three straight losses on the road (to good teams, for what it's worth), but they have since bounced back with a pair of wins on their home floor. Joel Embiid was the focal point of their most recent win, having gone for a double-double with four blocks and 64.5 DK points against the Chicago Bulls.

It seems like Embiid is turning the corner mentally, as he's willing to embrace his villain-type role as an on-court instigator. Expect him to carry that edge into tonight's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, who enter town as one-point road 'dogs to Embiid and company. A 225 over/under grants the home squad a healthy 113 implied total even against a tough Clips defense.

One of the few things the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers have failed to do defensively is limiting opposing big men. Per Fantasy Pros, centers have averaged the seventh-most fantasy points per game, averaging 16.3 rebounds and 1.2 three-point makes a game. With his mind focused, Embiid should reap the rewards.

Zach LaVine, SG, Chicago Bulls

DraftKings Price: $8,200

On Monday, Zach LaVine was initially listed as questionable with some neck spasms as well as a knee issue. But the super-talented shooting guard has been upgraded to probable, so he can be treated as a full-go versus a Washington Wizards team he's absolutely torched this season.

In his two previous games, LaVine has tallied 42.75 and 52.75 DK points, averaging 27.0 points on 44 combined shots. Surprisingly, LaVine found success despite shooting just 40.9% from the floor. He contributed elsewhere, but the law of averages tells us that he should improve on his numbers on the scoreboard. Shooting 44.3% across all games, he has actually been better away from Chicago, knocking down shot attempts at a 45.2% clip en route to an additional 5.6 fantasy points a game.

It would be downright wrong not to mention the favorable game environment, too. Oddsmakers are looking at 230 points between the two teams, and that presents the Bulls with an opportunity despite them being 2.5-point underdogs. Behind a 114.25 implied total, LaVine is projected to score 24.1 points en route to 40.2 DK points.



Brett Oswalt i
s not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BrettOswalt__14. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.