3 DraftKings NBA Player Futures To Consider Betting On Right Now

Dennis Schroder: 6th Man Of The Year (+200)

Per DraftKings, Los Angeles Clippers teammates Lou Williams (+150) and Montrezl Harrell (+175) are the favorites to win this award. Both have been sensational once again. Williams averages 19.5 points and 5.9 assists in 30.0 minutes while Harrell has put up 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28.4 minutes. However, don’t the two eliminate each other from contention? By definition, a “sixth man” is the first guy off the bench, and the most reliable guy a coach can turn to. Is that Williams or Harrell in LA? It depends largely on the flow of the game. That’s not discounting what either of them bring to the table; it’s merely pointing out that either could also be regarded as the team’s “seventh man”. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder has been an absolute weapon off the bench for Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The guard is averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and even leads his entire team with a 27.3% usage rate. Schroder has been leaned on heavily off the pine and is one of the main reasons for Oklahoma City’s hot start. If the Thunder continue to overachieve, Schroder will slowly but surely receive more attention down the stretch.

Devonte’ Graham: Most Improved Player (+400)

At the All-Star break, Brandon Ingram (+150) and Luka Doncic (+175) are listed as the two clear favorites to win this award, and rightfully so. Ingram was just selected to his first All-Star game and is averaging 24.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 34.1 minutes for the New Orleans Pelicans after putting up 18.3 points, 5.1 boards and 3.0 dimes over 33.8 minutes with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Doncic is an MVP contender, averaging 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists over 32.8 minutes this season after an incredible rookie campaign in which he put up 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists over 32.2 minutes. 

However, the development of Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham has been a sight to behold. After logging 46 appearances and averaging 4.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 14.7 minutes last year, Graham put up All-Star caliber numbers in the first half of the season. The 34th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is averaging 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists per contest and has already made 190 three-pointers (190-508, 37.4%). His 3.5 made threes per game rank ahead of All-Stars like Kemba Walker, Kyle Lowry and Doncic and are tied with Trae Young. Looking solely at numbers, Graham’s performance this season places him a tick beneath All-Star guards like Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul, for comparison. If the Hornets were relevant in the Eastern Conference standings, Graham would likely have better odds to win this award, but he’s a solid bet if you think voters will reward the player who’s shown the most drastic improvement year-over-year.

Isaiah Stewart: #1 Pick In The NBA Draft (+5000)

The 2020 NBA Draft is going to be absolutely fascinating. With the rise of international prospects and American prospects who either went abroad for a year or decided to drop out of school, it remains to be seen how it’ll all play out, especially since a number of star collegiate athletes put themselves on the map. DraftKings lists freshman University of Georgia guard Anthony Edwards (+125) as the player with the highest odds to hear his name called first in the draft, while Israeli-Serbian 19-year-old Deni Avdija (+200) and LaMelo Ball (+200) round out the top three. However, mirroring this season’s college basketball landscape from a team perspective, there isn’t one specific player that stands out in this year’s class. That leads to some incredible betting opportunities, even if we won’t know which pro team will benefit from the ping pong balls in the lottery. 

I’m incredibly high on Isaiah Stewart out of the University of Washington. While he’s no Zion Williamson in terms of overall girth, Stewart’s build is a sight to behold. At 6’9 and a very muscular and dense 250 pounds, the forward’s athleticism is off the charts and he’s put it on full display. He’s currently averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over 32.4 minutes per contest and has consistently delivered double-doubles in Pac-12 play. While he doesn’t yet have an three-point shot, he’s converted a solid 75.6% of his free throws and has shot 56.5% from the field on 10.9 attempts per game. He's not solely a banger down low, either; he has a refined mid-range game and noticeable touch around the basket that should carry over to the next level. As you can see in the film above, Stewart looks like a man among boys when he steps on the floor and due to the clear limitation in his current offensive skill set (outside shooting), his upside might be enough to convince a rebuilding team to call his name if they’re within a multi-year rebuild, like most teams who pick No. 1 are. At +5000, you have to love the upside for an athletic forward who should be able to defend multiple positions and make an immediate offensive impact as a pro.