Bryan Armetta makes his DraftKings NBA Pick6 selections before Saturday night’s games.
There are only four NBA games on Saturday night, which means finding value is easier said than done. Still, even with a smaller player pool to choose from, there’s plenty of ways to get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook, including DraftKings NBA Pick6 selections ahead of tonight’s matchups.
The Cavaliers are the NBA’s best team right now, currently riding a ten-game win streak to start the year. However, their recent success isn’t due to an offensive explosion from Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland’s star has actually seen his minutes brought down under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. As a result, the overall statistics are respectable (22.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.1 APG) but not eye-popping.
With that being said, this is still one of the association’s premier guards; he should thrive tonight against a weakened Nets defense. Although Brooklyn has been solid on that end of the court, they’ll be playing without Ben Simmons just one night after a grueling 108-104 overtime loss in Boston. A tired team going up against one of the game’s best scorers? Spida Man has the ability to clear this number on points alone.
Speaking of the Nets, their solid two-way play has been a nice early-season surprise. Nic Claxton hasn’t done much on offense, but he’s still been his usual rim-protecting self. Despite coming off the bench more often than not due to a minutes restriction, the center has been the glue keeping Brooklyn’s defense together. He’s currently averaging 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on just over 23 minutes per game.
Claxton is bound to see more work with Simmons slated for a night off. Head coach Jordi Fernandez doesn’t have many dependable options down low, so the big man should be in line for 30+ minutes against Cleveland. The Cavs employ a daunting frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but the opportunity for a productive day on the glass will be there.
Not much has gone right for the 2-7 Raptors, but Gradey Dick has shown major improvement this season. The second-year pro is putting up 20.0 points on 46.1% shooting from the field, a major jump from his rookie averages of 8.5 PPG and 42.5 FG%. While it’s only been nine games, Dick has already carved out a role as a scorer on a team in need of consistent shooting.
Unfortunately for Dick, his run as a starter might be coming to a close. Immanuel Quickley, who has yet to play a game this year, could be on the verge of returning to action this Saturday. Should the dynamic guard play, he’ll immediately serve as one of Toronto’s top options on offense. Even without IQ, Dick is no safe bet, as he scored just seven points against the Kings on Wednesday.
Trae Young is one of the NBA’s safest scoring picks, as he’s the perfect blend of talent and role as the undisputed 1A on Atlanta. The three-time All Star has been his normal self so far, averaging 24.9 points and 11.1 assists. While Young isn’t immune from the occasional letdown game, tonight’s matchup with the Bulls is promising.
So far this season, Chicago has done well defending long-range shots. However, nine games is a small sample size. Last year, they allowed 14.5 three-pointers a night, the second-highest total in basketball. Young is taking nearly 10 shots from deep this year, but only connecting on 33%. The Hawks’ star is underperforming compared to his career shooting numbers, while his upcoming opposition is over-performing. I’m willing to bet both of those trends change on Saturday night.
For almost a decade, Ivica Zubac has been one of the game’s most underrated big men. The Croatian isn’t a gifted scorer, but he’s a capable two-way player that can always be counted on to suit up for 60+ games a year. Now, with Kawhi Leonard out of action, the center has gotten more work on the offensive end, posting 16.7 points per game to go along with 12.8 rebounds.
As much as I value Zubac the player, his numbers are simply too inflated right now. During his seven seasons with the Clippers, the veteran has only averaged 10.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. For tonight’s matchup, the Raptors and center Jakob Poetl have excelled at preventing rebounds, giving up the twelfth-fewest boards in the NBA (51.7 RPG). In short, another double-double will be hard to come by for Zubac.
Figuring out the Hawks’ center rotation has been a headache ever since the team drafted Onyeka Okongwu back in 2020. While Clint Capela is still the starter, Atlanta has favored a near 50/50 split at the position for years. Even though the minutes are somewhat sparse, the Swiss big man’s rebounding and shot-blocking abilities have made him a reliable fantasy basketball asset.
In the past, Capela has thrived against Chicago. Over 14 career games vs. the Bulls, he’s averaged 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds in less than 30 minutes per game. The workload might not be robust, but Atlanta will need their best interior defender whenever the talented Nikola Vucevic is on the floor. Capela has cleared this P+A+R total over his last two games, and context suggests that trend will continue.
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not 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 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 can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
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.
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.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) 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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