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The newly crowned All-Star, Isaiah Thomas ($7,500), is primed for a big night tonight against the New York Knicks. Thomas has been excellent this season (obviously, he’s an All-Star) and is a pure scoring point guard. A great note from RotoWorld tells that he scored 20+ real points in 12 of 17 games in the month of January. He gets to start February against his old friends in New York. Thomas has shredded the Knicks in two games this season, averaging 46.1 DraftKings points per contest including a 53.25 point outburst just two weeks ago. Also, this is the cheapest Thomas has been in nearly two months.
Dwyane Wade ($7,500) is an absolute machine right now. He’s averaging 46.6 DraftKings points per game over his last four while posting an elite 1.46 DK PPG in that stretch. It’s hard to even explain what he’s doing so well, because it’s everything. He’s scored 20+ real points almost nightly and filling up all five categories. Now, this colossal run has coincided with the absence of Hassan Whiteside from the lineup. At least for tonight, it appears unlikely that Whiteside suits up again giving Wade additional usage in an excellent matchup with the Rockets. Wade dropped a 39 spot on the Rockets in their only meeting this season.
This is an easy transition into another Heat player in Luol Deng ($4,800). I am not a Deng fan at all, but it’s hard to argue with his recent production. In the same 4.5 game Whiteside absence, Deng is averaging 26.4 DraftKings points per game while scoring 29+ on three separate occasions. That 29 point number is well within his range of outcomes and would be 5.5x value tonight at the thin SF position. This matchup with Houston will be the best matchup during this recent stretch and should provide a significant increase in possessions.
He’s feast or famine, but if that’s what you’re looking for, check out Giannis Antetokounmpo ($7,300). Giannis has posted a 40+ DraftKings point game in five of his last ten outings including 50+ in two of those games. One of the longest players in the league, he wrecks havoc on defense, piling up the blocks and steals. He’s shown the upside ability to drop 25+ real points and is going to log plenty of minutes for the Bucks.
Julius Randle ($6,400) is overlooked on a nightly basis. Maybe it’s because he plays on the west coast or for one of the worst teams in the league, but his ownership always surprises me. Randle has been excellent for the Lakers, logging a double-double in five of eight games. In the three games he missed the feat, it was by four points, one rebound and two rebounds. So he’s been extremely close for eight straight games. That stretch of games has resulted in an average of 31.2 DraftKings points per night and gets a friendly matchup with the TWolves tonight who he has dropped 36.4 DK PPG on in their two meetings this season. If you want an extra kicker, Randle averages 4.1 DK PPG more at home this season than on the road.
The center position is relatively chalky tonight and it includes two Timberwolves. These guys are scorching so I won’t spend too much time on them, here we go:
Karl Anthony-Towns ($7,800) L4 games: 50.25, 49.25, 52, 50.75. Now he gets the best matchup in the league against the Lakers who he is averaging 41 DK PPG against in two meetings.
Gorgui Dieng ($5,400) in the four games starting for Kevin Garnett: 26, 37.25, 47.25, 31.5. Again, same excellent matchup and all the minutes he could handle in the last two games.
That’s all folks! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more player analysis as news and injuries break closer to tip-off! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.