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 plenty of less headline-worthy trades also having taken place. It is more important than ever to keep an eye on the injury report with phantom injuries or straight-up “trade pending” labels popping up more than any other day all season.
Even still, the action is set to continue on the court with 11 games taking place across the night. The Detroit Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. ET to headline the three games tipping off in this window. A half-hour later, the Miami Heat will face the Philadelphia 76ers with Jimmy Butler being one of the headline names in discussion at the deadline. In addition, the Denver Nuggets will host the New Orleans Pelicans and the Golden State Warriors will play the Utah Jazz tonight. Phoenix will continue to evaluate its future with Kevin Durant becoming a prevalent name in trade rumors as it takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. The final matchup will be between the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic. Keep an eye on the injury reports and roster movement throughout the day.
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 Feb. 5. 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.
Tyler Herro More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
Jimmy Butler remains suspended and awaiting his trade fate as one of the biggest variables across the entire trade deadline. While his internal rift has been a distraction and frustrating to the team overall, it has paved the way for Tyler Herro to have a career year and qualify for his first-ever All-Star game. Herro is averaging 23.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, which each mark career-highs for the Kentucky product. Herro is also shooting a career-high 9.7 three-point attempts per game and connecting at a 39.1% rate.
This is a favorable matchup for Herro to attack from the perimeter as the Heat take on the Sixers. Nick Nurse has done his best to implement his switch-heavy scheme but frequent injury issues and overall roster limitations have limited its effectiveness. Overhelping and missed rotations have led to open three-pointers far too often for Sixers’ opponents. Philadelphia ranks 24th in the NBA in three-point percentage allowed and is 17th in opponent made three-pointers.
Herro is averaging 3.8 made three-pointers per game and has made more than 3.5 three-pointers in 24 of the 47 games he has played. In the previous matchup with the Sixers, he was held to 2-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc. While he failed to reach his desired total, the amount of volume for the All-Star guard is still encouraging. Expect Herro to be more effective in knocking down shots from the perimeter tonight and for Herro to record more than 3.5 made three-pointers in this Eastern Conference battle.
Naz Reid More Than 24.5 Points & Rebounds
The Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Chicago Bulls tonight freshly off the news of Zach LaVine being traded from the Bulls. After a slow start to the season, the Timberwolves have begun to rediscover their defensive identity and are showing some encouraging signs. Naz Reid has been a key part of this and will continue to see an expanded role on the team following the news of Julius Randle being shut down for at least two weeks with an adductor strain.
Reid is averaging 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists across his 25.6 minutes per game this season. He is also coming off his first two starts of the season in the previous two games and will continue this role with Randle remaining out. Reid has tallied as many as 37 combined points and rebounds in a game and recorded more than 24.5 combined points and rebounds in 13 games this season. This includes dropping a season-high 30 points and five rebounds in his season-high 40:17 of game action Monday.
Minnesota will need to make up for the 18.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game that Randle is averaging, with Reid set to be the most likely player expected to take on this responsibility. This is also an extremely favorable matchup against the Bulls, who rank 29th in opponent points and rebounds per game allowed. Expect Reid to put his fingerprints all over this matchup and record more than 24.5 combined points and rebounds in the absence of Randle.
Tyrese Maxey More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
While it has been a frustrating overall season for the Philadelphia 76ers, the level of play from Tyrese Maxey of late has been incredibly impressive. The 24-year-old missed out on his second All-Star appearance this season despite playing every bit to that level in recent games. Across his past 14 games, Maxey is averaging 32.6 points, 7.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Maxey is also shooting 10.0 three-point attempts per game and connecting at a 35.0% rate.
Looking at the wider scale of the season, Maxey has averaged 27.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season. He has shot 34.8% from beyond the arc with this number on the rise. Maxey was held to below 30% from beyond the arc for a good portion of the start of the season, which is well below the 38.5% he has shot over his career.
The Miami Heat are a hard-nosed defensive team that ranks seventh in opponent points per game but 19th in opponent three-point attempts allowed and 16th in opponent three-point percentage. Joel Embiid made his return to the floor last night but has been ruled out of the second night of a back-to-back and Paul George is listed as doubtful with his finger injury. Maxey will headline the Sixers’ offensive attack and have a green light to let it fly throughout. He has made more than 3.5 three-pointers in six of his past nine games. Expect Maxey to be in attack mode from the opening whistle and for him to connect on more than 3.5 made three-pointers against the Heat tonight.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Less Than 1.5 Made Three-Pointers
The final matchup of tonight will take place between the Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings. Orlando seemed to be turning a corner as an organization looking to be in the contending mix, with the signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason a part of this plan. However, the Magic have dropped to 24-27 on the season after losing nine of their past 10 games to slide down the Eastern Conference. This is especially surprising considering it comes after Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner made their return to the floor from their oblique tears after the organization did a nice job treading water without them.
Looking at Caldwell-Pope’s production, the veteran is averaging 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists across his 30.7 minutes per game. He has struggled as a shooter, connecting on just 41.6% of his shots from the field and 31.1% of his three-point attempts. He has been held to less than 1.5 made three-pointers in 26 of the 48 games he has played, including 14 games in which he failed to connect on a long-range shot attempt.
Expect the volume of opportunity for Caldwell-Pope to shrink with Banchero and Wagner back on the court, with his shooting splits not helping his case. He has been held to less than 1.5 made three-pointers in four of the past five games and failed to score a point in the second half of the previous game after getting off to a nine-point start. Count on the two-time champion to be held to less than 1.5 made three-pointers again tonight as the Magic continue to attempt to address their internal concerns.
Yves Missi More Than 7.5 Points
The Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans are set to face off for the second consecutive game and the fourth time already this season. Yves Missi is fresh off an eight-point performance in Monday’s game and should be in line to repeat this.
These two teams are trending in opposite directions on the season with injuries having derailed the outlook for the Pelicans. While this is a huge issue from the overall perspective, it has paved the way for Missi to play himself into a far larger role than expected. The rookie big man has been catapulted into the starting lineup and is averaging 8.7 points and 8.1 rebounds across his 27.1 minutes per game.
Look for Missi to make use of his high-level athleticism and impressive work rate, which especially stand out in contrast to Nikola Jokic. While there is no doubt about the talent and production of the three-time MVP, Jokic cannot match the verticality that Missi relies on, with catching lobs and securing offensive rebounds a key part of his game. The rookie tallied eight points on Monday and also scored 21 points in a previous matchup this season. He is averaging an impressive 3.6 offensive rebounds per game and has recorded more than 7.5 points in 28 of the 47 games this season. Expect the work rate and athleticism to stand out and for Missi to record more than 7.5 points for the second straight night against the Nuggets.
Keon Ellis More Than 1.5 Made Three-Pointers
There was plenty of attention paid to De’Aaron Fox’s future when the Kings elected to fire Mike Brown as head coach. But the star guard was shipped off to the San Antonio Spurs shortly after and Keon Ellis may have been the most positively impacted by the coaching change. Across the 18 games since Doug Christie took over, Ellis is playing 24.7 minutes per game and averaging 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is taking 4.9 three-point attempts and connecting at a 45.5% rate, which comes out to an average of 2.2 made three-pointers per game.
This is a difficult matchup for the Kings as they face the Orlando Magic’s stingy defense. They rank second in the NBA in opponent points per game and give up the fewest three-point attempts overall. However, they rank 25th in opponent three-point percentage and Ellis will not be at the top of their list of priorities for preventing shots.
Ellis enters this game having connected on more than 1.5 made three-pointers in eight of his last 11 games. He is being allowed more freedom on the court and is making the most of his opportunity. As Sacramento sorts through its best lineup options following the massive trade, count on Ellis to continue making his case on why he deserves significant minutes and for him to connect on more than 1.5 made three-pointers tonight.
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!
