3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 2/22/21
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 salaries.
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-salaried DraftKings plays of the day.
Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks
DraftKings Salary: $11,400
You can't really go wrong with Luka Doncic on any given night, and tonight is no different. The near 22-year-old phenom has been going absolute nuts of late, too, averaging 61.5 DraftKings points on a sky-high 36.3% usage rate (per NBA.com) in this six-game homestand.
Doncic has been an even scarier monster in the last two games, during which he has averaged 45 points on 62% shooting from the floor and 63% from three alone. It looks like Luka is in full comfort mode on his home floor, where he's actually shot nearly 15% better from three with 2.0 more fantasy points, on average, this year.
Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks are on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff race to this point, but they get the chance to boost their position against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are currently one spot ahead of them in the standings. Expect Luka to do his usual thing with the Grizz allowing 49 fantasy points per game to point guards -- according to FantasyPros' defense-versus-position data.
Zach LaVine, SG, Chicago Bulls
DraftKings Salary: $9,500
On Monday, there are quite a few great options between the $8,500 and $10,000 salary range, but Zach LaVine has as much upside as any of them. While his salary is $400 below that of fellow shooting guard Bradley Beal, he is worthy of an all-star reserve spot with his per-game averages of 28.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists -- not to mention his 1.2 steals on the defensive end.
Chicago's lead guy has upped his defensive effort over the last three games to boot, notching at least two steals in each and continuing to pour in buckets on offense. In fact, LaVine has tallied no fewer than 30 points in four straight, which has provided him a floor of 45.75 DraftKings points and a high of 56.25 in that time. Granted, he's had games against two weak defenses in the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons, but the Houston Rockets have been nowhere near the team they were before Christian Wood's injury.
Since Wood went down on February 4th, Houston is 23rd in defensive rating compared to 2nd in the lead-up to it. Combine that with both teams rating in the top-four in pace, and you have yourself what should be a high-scoring game that should remain close throughout. A one-point line should help LaVine to another massive game.
Jimmy Butler, SF, Miami Heat
DraftKings Salary: $9,200
In case you aren't a frequenter of this article, you should know that lately, we have been recommending Jimmy Butler on a nightly basis, and he has yet to disappoint. Since returning to the Miami Heat lineup, he has averaged north of 50 DraftKings points and has acted as the team's primary playmaker, making him a triple-double threat on the regular.
Looking back over Butler's last 10 games, he has two double-doubles and four triple-double performances. In the four he's amassed a triple-double, he's put up an average of 56.6 fantasy points with three of those in the last four contests. Even in a down game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, he turned 20 shots into 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists -- a total of 43 DraftKings points.
Despite his lower performance last time out, Butler's salary is up $300, but don't let that deter you. He is primed for a big night versus an Oklahoma City Thunder squad ranked in the middle of the pack in defensive rating and that gives up 113.1 points per game to opponents. Butler will reap the rewards.
Brett Oswalt is 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 BRO14THEKID. 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.
