3 NBA DraftKings Value Plays to Target on 1/17/18
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
DraftKings Salary: $5,500
There may end up being a lot of potential punt plays available once we get more injury news tonight, so going stars-and-scrubs could be a very popular approach. Another way to attack lineup construction is to pair just one stud with some of these underpriced mid-range guys, such as Kent Bazemore, who is in an awesome spot against the New Orleans Pelicans and is simply too cheap.
The Atlanta Hawks are arguably in the best spot on the slate, as they have a home game against a New Orleans team that has played two overtime games in the past three days, including last night's thriller against Boston, in which Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jrue Holiday all played 40-plus minutes. E'Twaun Moore joins them as the fourth player to have over 80 minutes of playing time in the past three days tacked onto his tired legs. So, the two most-likely dudes to defend Bazemore (Holiday and Moore), and the rim protectors all could be dealing with significant fatigue in this one. That's exactly what you want to see for someone like Bazemore -- an energy player who likes to attack the rim.
This game has the second-highest over/under on the slate as well, while the Hawks are expected to outscore their season average by nearly six points. It should be played at a very quick pace, as both teams rank in the top-12 in pace of play. Considering the potential fatigue and the already sloppy brand of basketball played by New Orleans, the potential is there for Bazemore to pick up the peripheral stats as well. Opponents have averaged 8.8 steals per game against New Orleans, which is the second-most in the NBA. Bazemore's 1.9 steals ranks ninth in the league and could be a factor if fatigue does set in for New Orleans.
Bazemore has enough volatility to his game that it's tough to ever trust him in cash game formats, even in such a great spot. He needs just 27.5 DraftKings points at this salary though, which seems like a near lock in this spot. He's worth a look in either format, assuming you are willing to take on a little additional risk in your cash games.
