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 star duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to show out as their Milwaukee Bucks clash with the New Orleans Pelicans.
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
🔼🔽 Giannis Antetokounmpo More Than 30.5 Points
🔼🔽 Cade Cunningham Less Than 9.5 Assists
🔼🔽 Damian Lillard More Than 23.5 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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo 30.5 Points: MORE
The Greek Freak is doing his thing this season, averaging 31.5 points so far. While that number has dipped down to 28.7 in January, Giannis Antetokounmpo has registered more than 30.5 points in three of his last five outings. He scored 35 on January 17 and dropped another 34 two days later.
Antetokounmpo faced the New Orleans Pelicans twice last season and torched them, averaging 32.5 points. New Orleans is of course one of the worst teams in the Association and struggle defensively. I don’t see them slowing down the dominant Giannis.
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.
Damian Lillard 23.5 Points: MORE
Damian Lillard continues to play well alongside Giannis as the Bucks work their way up the Eastern Conference standings. He’s putting up 25 ppg on an efficient 39% clip from 3-point land. Lillard has dropped more than 23.5 points in four consecutive games, most recently scoring 25 on January 19.
He’s averaging 24.6 points in January and had 23 points against the Pelicans in one appearance last season. Dame is feeling it right now offensively, and I expect him to put together another impressive performance on the road, where he’s scoring 24.5 points per contest.
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
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