Nine games are scheduled across the NBA on Wednesday, January 22. Two of my entries focus on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Walker Kessler as the OKC Thunder face the Utah Jazz.
I’m also eyeing Jayson Tatum to have a quiet night against the L.A. Clippers, while LaMelo Ball will be contained by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Continue reading for my best NBA picks for DraftKings’ Pick6.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 Picks for today
The first three picks are our favorite plays for a 3-player lineup. If you want to play a 6-player lineup, use all six stat projections below.
🔼🔽 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Less Than 32.5 Points
🔼🔽 LaMelo Ball Less Than 29.5 Points
🔼🔽 Cade Cunningham Less Than 9.5 Assists
🔼🔽 Jayson Tatum Less Than 26.5 Points
🔼🔽 Walker Kessler More Than 10.5 Rebounds
🔼🔽 Dejounte Murray Less Than 7.5 Assists
Click on each pick to read full analysis.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 fantasy basketball lineup for January 22
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 32.5 Points: LESS
I’ve often gone for the opposite entries when it comes to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because he is truly that spectacular. However, his total is set very high tonight at 32.5 points, and he’s only scored more than that in two of his last five appearances.
SGA is averaging 31.5 ppg in 2024-25 and will face the Utah Jazz tonight, whom he averaged 30 points per night against in four games last season. Of course, he’s still going to make a big impact, I just don’t believe Gilgeous-Alexander will hit 33 points or more.
LaMelo Ball Less Than 29.5 Points: LESS
The Hornets face the defensively sound Grizzlies tonight, and will be relying on LaMelo Ball to carry the offense as usual. But, his total is far too high at 29.5. The guard has only scored more than that once in his last five. He’s registered less than 29.5 points in four straight appearances.
Ball has barely faced Memphis in his career but he’s not even averaging 20 ppg against them. I don’t see him reaching 30 points here.
Cade Cunningham 9.5 Assists: LESS
Don’t get me wrong. Cade Cunningham is having a career year for the Detroit Pistons and is a huge reason they’ve already surpassed last season’s win total. And while he’s averaging 9.3 assists per night, his total tonight is too high for me.
Cunningham has only dished out more than 9.5 dimes in two of his last five appearances and has averaged 8.3 assists in January so far. Even though he dropped 13 assists on the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the season, the trends point to him staying below 10 dimes tonight.
Jayson Tatum 26.5 Points: LESS
Jayson Tatum is usually a consistent offensive piece for the defending champions, but he’s scored more than 26.5 points just twice in his previous five appearances. Tatum was held to just 22 points two nights ago and he’s averaging 25.2 ppg in January so far.
The Celtics take on the Clippers, who are a solid defensive club. They limited the Duke product to 20 points in their last meeting and 25.2 ppg in two matchups in 2023-24. While Tatum can still make a notable impact, I don’t think you’ll see his absolute best tonight.
Walker Kessler 10.5 Rebounds: MORE
Walker Kessler is a huge man and has become most well-known for his ability to dominate the glass. He’s averaging a career-high 11.4 rebounds in Year 3 for the Jazz and has been doing his thing on the boards as of late.
The Auburn product has collected more than 10.5 rebounds in three of his last five outings. Although Utah does take on the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, their biggest weakness is opponent rebounds, ranking towards the bottom of the league in that category. This is an opportunity for Kessler to have another big night inside.
Dejounte Murray 7.5 Assists: LESS
Dejounte Murray hasn’t played a ton for the Pels this season due to injuries, but when he’s been available, the guard has served as their best playmaker. He’s averaging 7.7 assists per night. However, Murray has only dished out more than 7.5 dimes in only two of his previous five games.
He faced the Bucks three times last season and averaged just 6.7 assists. Milwaukee is also Top 10 in the league in fewest opponent assists allowed. They will keep Murray’s facilitating at bay here.
Jon Metler's DraftKings NBA Pick6 lineup for today
We were two Bub Carrington assists away from sweeping the board yesterday, but for today’s @Pick6 lineup, we’re putting a lot on the Warriors
— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) January 22, 2025
⬆️ Anthony Edwards
⬆️ Stephen Curry
⬆️ Andrew Wiggins
⬆️ Dennis Schroder
⬆️ Jarrett Allen
⬆️ Jalen Green https://t.co/7XxxxGXJ66 pic.twitter.com/I38PBqtJQ7
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