NBA Expert Picks Preview: Friday, January 23rd
Glean insight from the best minds in the industry as they list picks they’ll actually be targeting in their tournament games, along with detailed analysis and reasoning.
Author Disclaimer: Please remember, these picks are not necessarily safe for your 50/50-H2H games. They are intended to separate yourself from the herd in an attempt to be contrarian and different. The most logical outcomes don’t always play out on a given NBA slate, so we are looking for the guys that may surprise, that few will roster.
Friday, January 23rd
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook – With Kevin Durant in the lineup, Westbrook doesn’t offer the sort of consistency I would like to see from the most expensive point guard available. There are simply too many scores in the 30s, which makes him a poor investment many nights. However, tonight’s matchup with Atlanta is one of those marquee games where you often see stars post huge stat lines, and Westbrook could be in for one of those types of games tonight. Atlanta plays very tough defense, but Westbrook is matchup-proof. This game could certainly turn into a shootout, and we could see big games from a lot of the players involved tonight.
Jose Calderon – Gone are the good old days in Toronto where Calderon was the easiest play in the world when Kyle Lowry sat with an injury. He’d simply come in and post monster stat lines for a cheap price. As a starter for the Knicks, he’s done anything but that this season, and despite playing 30+ minutes on a nightly basis, he has an extremely low floor, and rarely flashes high upside. Tonight, however, I think he has a better shot at being a boom than a bust. The Magic are one of the worst teams in the league against opposing point guards. Further, Orlando has really been pushing the pace lately. Vegas has taken notice and given this game an O/U 205.5. If these same two teams played early in the season, I think we’d likely see something around 192. The Knicks are one of the slowest-paced teams in the league, so playing way up in pace is going to give all of them a significant boost. With most players likely to roster Langston Galloway, give Calderon a look as a contrarian GPP play that very few players will be on.
Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan – Despite a matchup with the Sixers, don’t expect too many people to be eager to roster DeRozan after back-to-back duds, including an 0/9 shooting performance with zero real points in Milwaukee. However, this is an established NBA talent we’re talking about, and he’s going to bounce back sooner rather than later. A matchup with the woeful Sixers and their inability to stop opposing shooting guards is likely just what he’ll need to get back on track. Also consider Kyle Lowry will likely be playing with a dislocated finger. We may see Lowry deferring to DeRozan more often than usual, as his shot is clearly going to be affected by the injury. Take advantage of recency bias and get DeRozan in some of your GPP lineups.
Eric Bledsoe – Bledsoe has as much upside as any player in the NBA on his good nights, but he can often be too expensive to roster in cash games. Paying $8700 for a low 30s score can really hurt you when there are some very good, cheaper options available. However, tonight’s matchup between the Suns and Rockets has a huge total, and while James Harden is likely going to be an extremely popular play, it’s not crazy to think that Bledsoe’s score might end up very close to Harden’s. He comes at a significant discount that allows you to improve at other positions.
Small Forward
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