The NBA world is abuzz with trade reports, rumors, and speculation with the official deadline on Thursday looming. There have already been two huge blockbuster deals shaking up the NBA outlook for years to come and speculation more could still occur.
Regardless, the action will continue on the court with a full 10-game slate taking place tonight. Most notably, the New York Knicks will host the Houston Rockets. The Milwaukee Bucks will also face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder while the Sacramento Kings will suit up for their first game following the De’Aaron Fox trade. In addition, the Memphis Grizzlies will face the San Antonio Spurs after they catapulted into the contender conversation.
In the late slate, the Denver Nuggets will host the New Orleans Pelicans. There will be two games tipping off at 10:00 p.m. ET as the Orlando Magic take on the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers will host the Phoenix Suns.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action this evening. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for February 3. We simply choose whether a player will record more or less of the set statistic. Here are my six favorite plays for Monday night’s action.
Mikal Bridges More Than 16.5 Points
The Houston Rockets and New York Knicks sit third place in their respective conferences and are set for an exciting matchup tonight. New York continues to lean on their main guys at a heavier rate than any other team in the league with Mikal Bridges at the forefront of this. This workload may only increase following the injury to O.G. Anunoby in the previous game against the Lakers. Anunoby has been ruled out for tonight’s game and his status will be one to monitor moving forward.
After a bit of an uneasy start to the season for Mikal Bridges, the 28-year-old has settled in with this Knicks team. The Villanova product is averaging 18.1 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds across his league-leading 38.1 minutes per game. Bridges has recorded more than 16.5 points in 29 of the 49 games he has played as a Knick (59.2%).
Houston is a high-level defensive team that ranks fifth in opponent points allowed and they hold opponents to the second-worst three-point percentage in the league. This will be the second matchup between these two rosters, with Bridges being held to 15 points in the first game. However, he shot 6-for-14 from the field and it was only his sixth game in a Knicks uniform. With Bridges now fully settled into the offense and Anunoby out, expect an increased offensive role. There will be enough shot volume for Bridges to make his impact felt in this game and record more than 16.5 points. Expect the Ironman to continue logging a massive amount of minutes and play in attack mode tonight.
Damian Lillard Less Than 22.5 Points
UPDATE: Damian Lillard has been ruled OUT for tonight’s game against the Thunder with a groin injury.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Milwaukee Bucks in a matchup tonight and continue to rely on their high-level defense. So far this season, the Thunder are allowing the fewest points per game and rank first in both opponent field goal and three-point percentage allowed. The Thunder have a variety of youthful and athletic perimeter defenders who will be bothersome to Damian Lillard’s offensive output.
Lillard has looked better this season compared to his first year with the Bucks. The 34-year-old is averaging 25.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. Lillard is also shooting 44.6% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the three-point line with each number above his career averages. It should be noted that Lillard was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with groin soreness, but has not missed a game since December 26th.
On the season overall, Lillard has been held to less than 22.5 points in just 13 of the 40 games he has played. However, he has been held under this number in three consecutive games and will be taking on the toughest defense in the league tonight. Expect Lillard to struggle to create separation with the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort spending some time guarding him. The Thunder’s depth puts them in a unique position to suffocate opposing guards and Lillard is the archetype of a player against whom they have had success against. Lillard was held to just 12 points against the Thunder in the lone matchup last season, and Oklahoma City has only improved defensively since this point. Lillard will still make his impact felt in stretches, but don’t expect this to be one of his more memorable games. Count on Lillard to be held to less than 22.5 points for the 14th time this season and for the Thunder defense to be the biggest story of this game.
Domantas Sabonis More Than 42.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists
Tonight will mark the first day of a new era for Kings basketball after De’Aaron Fox was officially traded away last night. Zach LaVine headlines the return for Sacramento with plenty of draft capital to look forward to in the future. Domantas Sabonis will continue holding up his end of the bargain and his production will be more necessary than ever.
So far this season Sabonis is averaging 20.8 points, 6.5 assists, and a league-leading 14.4 rebounds per game. The 28-year-old is also shooting an increased volume of three-pointers and connecting at an impressive 47.3% rate. Without Fox, look for Sabonis to take another step forward in his importance in running the offense. The three-time All-Star is one of the best playmaking big men in the league and will likely operate in this role more frequently without his former running mate.
Overall, Sabonis has recorded more than 42.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists in 19 games already this season. Minnesota is a tough defense that held Sabonis to 24 points, eight rebounds, and just one assist in the first matchup this year. However, Julius Randle is now out, with Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards both questionable for the game. Expect an improved performance from Sabonis with more offensive responsibility on his plate and a strong output from the big man as the post-Fox era begins.
Malik Monk More Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
Malik Monk may be the Kings player whose role is impacted the most by the Fox trade. Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is in the midst of a career-best season and proving capable of being a significant part of this Sacramento offense… with this role set to grow moving forward, too. Monk is averaging 18.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds across his 31.9 minutes per game. He has struggled a bit from beyond the three-point arc, shooting just 33.1% from the perimeter this season, but is launching a career-high 7.0 long-range shots per game.
Overall, Monk is averaging 2.3 made three-pointers per game and has made more than 2.5 made three-pointers in 18 of the 40 games this season. He has played just three games without Fox this year and has recorded more than 2.5 made three-pointers in two of these. He shot 1-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc in the game he did not reach this total, and attempted at least eight three-pointers in all three matchups. Monk also connected on three three-pointers in the first matchup with the Timberwolves this year.
Sacramento will have some work to do getting all of their offensive talents on the same page and playing in a functioning offense. But expect Monk to be among the biggest beneficiaries of the loss of Fox and be ready to increase his offensive output. Count on the Kentucky product to be active from the perimeter tonight and connect on at least three three-pointers for the second time this season against Minnesota.
Buddy Hield Less Than 8.5 Points
One of the final matchups of tonight’s slate will take place between the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic. Golden State continues to desperately attempt to get into the trade market and inject some life into this roster for another playoff run behind Steph Curry. While this is the larger story surrounding the organization, the action will continue on the floor and the Warriors must do their best to climb out of the 11th-place hole they created for themselves.
Buddy Hield provided a nice spark to this Warriors team to start the season but has cooled off in a major way. On the season overall, he is averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in his 23.1 minutes of play. However, he is averaging just 8.6 points per game across his past 20 games and has been held to less than 8.5 points in 19 games this season. This includes six of his last 10 contests.
Orlando enters with a defensive-minded approach ranking second in points allowed and conceding the fewest three-point attempts of any team in the league. They also play at the slowest pace in the league, while the Warriors rank 23rd in this category across the past 10 games. Don’t expect an abundance of offensive opportunities as the Magic defense makes their impact felt against Hield and the Warriors. With his role in the offense reducing and Orlando’s defense set to make a significant impact, count on Hield being held to less than 8.5 points tonight.
Yves Missi More Than 6.5 Points
Injuries have been the story of the New Orleans Pelicans’ season and this does not seem like it will change for the remainder of the year. While this has completely derailed the team’s hopes and goals for the season, it has opened up some additional opportunities for their young talent. Yves Missi has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this. The rookie big man has made the most of his opportunity after being selected with the 21st pick in the 2024 draft.
So far this season, Missi is averaging 8.7 points and 8.1 rebounds across his 27.0 minutes of play. The Cameroon native has recorded more than 6.5 points in 30 of his 46 games, including as many as 23 points in a contest. Missi’s primary offensive role is as a lob threat and finisher around the rim, but he has revealed some other layers to his game as he has earned more freedom on the court.
This is a great matchup for the rookie as the Pelicans take on the Denver Nuggets tonight. Denver plays at the fifth-fastest pace in the league while New Orleans ranks second in this category over the past 10 games. Missi is effective at flying up and down the court on the fast break and his athleticism will cause some major issues for Nikola Jokic. Missi recorded 21 points against the Nuggets in a previous matchup this season with his athleticism proving to make an impact against the superstar center. Expect this to be the story again tonight and for Missi to find plenty of chances for easy buckets in this matchup and tally more than 6.5 points.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
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.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
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.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
