DraftKings is dipping its toes into the NBA All-Star weekend with a Pick6 for the 3-point contest and I'm looking to maximize value.
Bucks superstar Damian Lillard has easily the highest projected score for Round 1, so let's take him to play more than 1.5 rounds instead.
Likewise, Detroit's Cade Cunningham has the lowest projected score in Rd 1 easily, so I'm looking at his "Moneyball makes" instead since it's set at the same number as five other competitors.
Here are my NBA picks for DraftKings’ Pick6 on Saturday, February 15.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 Picks for the 3-Point Contest
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.
🔼 Damian Lillard more than 1.5 Rounds Played
🔼 Jalen Brunson more than 22.5 Round 1 Score
🔼Darius Garland more than 23.5 Round 1 Score
🔽 Cade Cunningham less than 5.5 R1 Moneyball Makes
🔼 Buddy Hield more than 23.5 Round 1 Score
🔽 Tyler Herro less than 23.5 Round 1 Score
Click on each pick to read full analysis.
DraftKings NBA Pick6 fantasy basketball lineup for February 15
Damian Lillard 1.5 Rounds Played: MORE
Damian Lillard is favored to win the 3-point contest for the third straight year. Dame's ability to hit daggers from deep and his experience in this event gives him a leg up on the competition — especially since he could benefit from home-court advantage due to growing up in the Bay Area.
Lillard has the highest stat projection for Round 1 score (25.5 is at least two points higher than everybody else) so I'd rather pick him to advance to the Final Round instead.
Jalen Brunson 22.5 Round 1 Score: MORE
Jalen Brunson made his debut in the 3-point contest last year. Despite a disappointing sixth-place finish due to struggling on corner shots, he still finished with 24 points.
I'm expecting a better performance from a highly motivated Brunson in his second go-around, which makes the Over 22.5 points for him a gimme. Especially since his dad (and Knicks assistant coach) Rick Brunson won't be on the sidelines to rattle him with trash talk like he did last season.
Darius Garland 23.5 Round 1 Score: MORE
This is Darius Garland's first year taking part in this event, but he has all the traits of a guy who should excel here. Not only does he have the highest 3-point percentage (43.1%) of anybody in the contest this year, but he also shoots 43% from above the break and 43.4% on deep threes.
Having the range to knock down those deep "starry ball" shots for three points gives Garland a high ceiling for his projected score.
Cade Cunningham 5.5 R1 Moneyball Makes: LESS
Cade Cunningham has the lowest 3-point percentage (35.1%) of anybody in this contest and also has the lowest projected score with a more/less number of 21.5.
His unfamiliarity with this contest will also make it tough for him to select the best location for his money ball rack. I'd be shocked if he makes more than five of nine moneyball shots.
Buddy Hield 23.5 Round 1 Score: MORE
Like Lillard, Buddy Hield is also a previous winner of this competition after taking home the award in 2020. He also competed in 2019 and 2023 and made it to the Final Round in each of those years as well.
Don't be thrown off by Hield's relatively low 36.3 3PT% this season since he's drained 39.7% of his shots from deep across his nine-year career. Keep in mind that when Hield previously won the 3-point contest, he scored 27 points in each round, a number that Lillard has never reached.
Tyler Herro 23.5 Round 1 Score: LESS
Tyler Herro took part in the 3-point contest two years ago and was eliminated in the first round after putting up just 18 points. While Brunson seems highly motivated by his previous early exit, Herro doesn't appear to care. He's admitted that he hasn't really practiced for this event, saying, "All you have to do is shoot the ball; I know how to do that."
Herro also claims that he doesn't even remember the first time, which suggests that he won't put much effort into coming up with an effective strategy. When you also consider that he's shooting just 28.7% from the arc over the last month, don't expect the Heat guard to eclipse his points projection.
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