Sean Barnard makes his DraftKings Pick6 selections for the October 28th slate of NBA games.
The Monday Night slate of NBA games will mark the final day of the first week of the season. There is an impressive 11-game slate of games which leaves plenty of intriguing matchups.
Most notably, the Indiana Pacers will face the Orlando Magic to kick off the night. The Milwaukee Bucks will be playing the Boston Celtics in a potential playoff preview, the New York Knicks will face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will highlight the late slate of games,
This significant number of games provides many options for what to watch and even more options for how to get involved in the action. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for Oct. 28 as we simply choose if a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for the first Friday night of action.
Nikola Jokic More Than 26.5 Points
There seems to be nothing on a basketball court that three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is not capable of doing. However, this may be put to the test this season considering the lack of bench production and overall supporting case.
Denver is still searching for its first win on the season and enters this matchup with a 0-2 record. They have a great chance to get their first victory as they face off with the Toronto Raptors. Jokic played his typical brand of well-rounded basketball in the opening game finishing with 16 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. After pointing out to the media that the roster does not have much shooting, Jokic was in attack mode in the second game and scored 41 points on 26 shot attempts and 12 three-point attempts.
Expect this to be more of the blueprint moving forward as Denver rediscovers its identity. There is no player on the Raptors capable of matching Jokic’s level of skill. The Nuggets faced off with the Raptors twice last season with Jokic recording 35 and 31 points in these games. Expect an even more scoring-oriented mindset from Jokic in this matchup and for Jokic to pour in as many points as it takes for Denver to pick up their first win.
Lauri Markkanen More Than 2.5 Three-Pointers Made
The Utah Jazz are also off to a 0-2 start and will be searching for their first victory against the Dallas Mavericks. While Utah is still rebuilding, they committed to Lauri Markkanen this summer with a contract extension and will continue to build with the All-Star as a foundational piece.
Markkanen has averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds through the opening two games. However, he has not been as active from beyond the perimeter to start the season as is typically the case. The Finland native knocked down four of his seven three-point attempts in the opening game, but just one of his five long-range shots against the Warriors. Markkanen has averaged three or more made three-pointers over each of the past two seasons and attempted 7.7 or more three-point attempts in both seasons. Even stranger, Markkanen has attempted 10.0 shots from inside the arc over the first two games which would be a career-high for the 27-year-old if this is sustained.
Expect an uptick in the volume of perimeter attempts from Markkanen in the coming games. Look for this to start with Markkanen having a strong performance against the Mavericks. He is a career 37.5% three-point shooter and one of the best big-man shooters in the league. The three-point shots will be coming soon and expect this to start with Markkanen knocking down at least three-pointers tonight.
Karl-Anthony Towns More Than 21.5 Points
The New York Knicks are still settling in with their new-look roster. However, this is the exact type of matchup that Karl-Anthony Towns should thrive in. New York is set to face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers who are off to a 3-0 in which they have won by a combined margin of 61 points.
Looking at the matchups, Clevland starts both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Both Cavaliers are impressive basketball players but can struggle when they are switched out on the perimeter at times. This is especially the case with Allen. This also may be a matchup where Jalen Brunson struggles to have his usual level of impact as Allen and Mobley make up one of the best interior defenses in the league. Brunson is at his best when attacking the paint, but this will be a difficult matchup for him to make this occur.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the self-proclaimed ‘best big man shooter of all time’ and has a great chance to maximize his abilities in this matchup. So far Towns has attempted just four three-point attempts and has made three of these. The former first-overall pick was held to just 12 points in his debut and tallied 21 against the Pacers. Expect this matchup to be Towns’ full breakout as he spreads the defense more than the Cavaliers are comfortable. Look for him to fill up the stat sheet and tally more than 21.5 points in this game.
Klay Thompson Less Than 1.5 Assists
One of the more notable offseason moves was the Dallas Mavericks adding Klay Thompson. The defending Western Conference champs added the four-time champion in the hopes this will push them over the edge. While Thompson’s impact will be felt on the team, don’t expect this to come in the assist category.
Looking at his career overall, Thompson has averaged 2.3 assists per game. However, he has tallied just one assist in each of the first two games. Expect this to be the new normal for the five-time All-Star as he adjusts to Mavericks offense. The Golden State system has much more motion and ball movement while Dallas leans on Luke Doncic’s heliocentric and ball-dominant nature. In some ways, Thompson’s role is more clear on this Mavericks team. He will benefit from the catch-and-shoot looks he receives and be expected to knock down shots. However, he will rarely (if ever) be asked to create for others.
Thompson has produced 22 and 19 points in his first two games and knocked down 11 three-pointers already. If you want to target Thompson’s number look toward the scoring or three-point shooting but avoid the assist numbers tonight and moving forward.
Trae Young More Than 26.5 Points
One of the early takeaways from the start of the NBA has been the strong play of Trae Young. He has scored 30+ points in two of the first three games and holds an average of 30.7 points per game. Young is at the epicenter of everything the Hawks do on offense and this game plan was reinforced this offseason when Atlanta decided to split up Young with Dejounte Murray.
So far this season Young is attempting 18 shots per game which is 5.7 more shots than any other member of the team. The Hawks are set to face off with the Wizards in this game who are 0-2 to start the year. Washington is expected to finish the season as one of the true bottom-feeders and Young will be the clear-cut most talented player on the floor in this game.
Expect the three-time All-Star to be active early and often in this game. The 26.5 total is too low based on how much is on his plate. The Hawks superstar has also averaged as many as 29.1 points per game over a season in his career. Expect Young to continue putting up plenty of shots and to eclipse 26.5 points for the fourth time this season.
Alperen Şengün Less Than 17.5 Points
The Houston Rockets made a long-term commitment to Alperen Şengün shortly before the season reaching a five-year agreement. Şengün has shown why the organization was right to have belief starting off the season with a 25-point, 18-rebound, and five-assist performance. However, Şengün was held to just 16 points in the second game against the Grizzlies and then just six points in the most recent game.
This six-point performance also came against the same team Şengün and the Rockets will face tonight. In the second matchup against the Spurs, expect some similar results from Şengün. This is a tough matchup from the post-oriented center as Victor Wembanyama’s freakish frame will continue to tower over him. Wembanyama is one of the premier shot-blockers and the runaway favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. While Şengün will carve out a few points with his craftiness, this is simply a bad matchup for the 22-year-old.
Expect better days to be ahead for the Rockets’ center, but for him to continue to struggle with Wembanyama and the Spurs. Count on him to record fewer than 17.5 points in the matchup and for him to bounce back moving forward.
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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