With two days left before the NBA trade deadline, there will be no shortage of hoops action for fans on February 5. A lot can change before the new-look San Antonio Spurs and the Atlanta Hawks tip off the night’s action at 7 p.m. ET, and there’s already been a former All-Star on the move this morning, as Khris Middleton was dealt to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma.
Pending trades may change lineups closer to tip-off, but for now, DFS players on DraftKings have a nine-game featured slate to enjoy. Here are three must-start players for February 5:
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C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $12,800
Jokić is a must-start regardless of the opponent, even if his salary costs $1,000 more than the next-most expensive player, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800). I don’t think I need to run through his accomplishments, averages, or recent form; by this point, his name speaks for itself. Still, over his last five games, he’s averaged 26.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 2.0 steals (66.3 FPTS) per game — which is worse than his season average. Jokić might not be rampaging to a fourth MVP in five years, because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been exceptional too, but let’s appreciate Jokić while he’s still playing at this historic level.
New Orleans’ season-long struggle has continued, as it’s dropped each of its last six games and is tied with the Utah Jazz for last in the Western Conference, 9.5 games behind the suddenly surging Portland Trail Blazers. Over that six-game skid, the Pelicans have allowed 125.8 points per game, the second-most in the league, as well as the seventh-most rebounds and second-most assists. Their offense has actually been league-average in that span — having a healthy Zion Williamson ($8,400) helps — but their defense has been atrocious. on Monday, they gave up 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists (70.0 FPTS) to Jokić.
PG De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs at Atlanta Hawks, $8,000
Just typing “De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs” felt weird, but I’m excited to see the next chapter of San Antonio basketball after the Spurs decided to accelerate their competitive timeline. Maybe Fox will need some time to adjust to San Antonio’s offense, but it’s not hard to imagine that upgrading from Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan — two tremendous players, but not elite floor-spacers, despite Sabonis’ 46.0% three-point accuracy — to Victor Wembanyama will help Fox. Wembanyama is the best vertical floor-spacer in the league, shooting 82.5% within three feet of the basket, and he’s also shooting 9.0 threes per game at a 35.8% clip.
Fox could hardly ask for a kinder matchup for his first game in a Spurs jersey, thanks to the fact that the Hawks play at the league’s second-fastest pace and the existence of Trae Young, who is about as likely to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award as I am (for the record, I’m five-foot-five and weigh 140 pounds). This season, Atlanta has allowed the third-most points, ninth-most rebounds, and fourth-most assists to opposing players, and the fifth-most fantasy points to point guards. Fox’s salary has decreased in recent weeks because Sabonis had clearly usurped him as Sacramento’s No. 1 option. Wemby is San Antonio’s No. 1, obviously, but Fox is a perfect running mate on paper.
PG/SF Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $9,300
I disrespected Barnes last week, snubbing him from my All-Star snubs list, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player — it just means, especially considering the Raptors’ 16-34 record and his mediocre efficiency, he’s just not deserving of a league-wide honor. Barnes is still averaging 20.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists (44.4 FPTS) per game, one of just four players to achieve those numbers or better. Toronto is starting to click in its last 10 games, going 7-3 with the league’s third-best defense across that span.
On Wednesday, Barnes’ Raptors will face one of the other hottest teams in the league, the Memphis Grizzlies, who have won nine of their last 10 games despite point guard Ja Morant ($9,000) missing several games. However, while Memphis has the seventh-best defensive rating over the course of the season, they have struggled against opposing wings, allowing the most fantasy points to small forwards. Rookie Jaylen Wells ($4,000) routinely draws the toughest defensive assignment, and while he has had his flashes, he has posted a negative-0.9 defensive box plus-minus this season and opponents have shot 0.7 percentage points better than usual when Wells is the primary defender.
