The 2020-21 NBA season tips off tonight with a very interesting two-game NBA DFS slate. First, Kevin Durant will make his anticipated return to the court and debut for the Brooklyn Nets, facing off against Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Then, the Lakers will raise their 17th banner and go against their hometown rivals, the Clippers. Both DraftKings and FanDuel are running some huge contests to open the regular season, most notably DraftKings’ Tip Off Millionaire, which is a $15 entry that pays out $1 million to first place. Below, we’ve broken down some of the best NBA daily fantasy picks based on Awesemo’s expert grades and ownership projections for Tuesday December 22.
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NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: Awesemo Grades, Value & Ownership
PF/C: Anthony Davis Grades: DraftKings: A, Values: A FanDuel Grades: A, Values: A
This past Friday, Davis closed out the preseason with 59.5 DraftKings points against the Suns in only 30 minutes of work. He produced 51.6 DraftKings points per game last season and 53.4 DraftKings points per game when competing on his home floor.
The Clippers ranked fifth in defensive efficiency a year ago, but this ranking is mostly due to their strong group of perimeter defenders, not their interior defense. Davis has a clear advantage against the likes of Patrick Patterson, Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac, and the Lakers currently possess an implied team total of 111.25 points. When Davis was at home and the Lakers were slated for 110 points or more last season, the superstar generated 53.5 DraftKings points per game.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings: 31.3%, FanDuel: 52.2%
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SF/PF: Kelly Oubre Grades: DraftKings: C, Values: B | FanDuel Grades: C, Values: A
Oubre will start his campaign with the Warriors against the new-look Nets. Right out of the gate, the 25-year-old will handle a large role with Klay Thompson (Achilles) and Draymond Green (foot) both out. After Curry, Oubre and Andrew Wiggins are the top scoring options left on this Warriors’ roster. Oubre should garner a usage rate of at least 20% this evening and log over 30 minutes as Golden State’s starting shooting-guard.
When he was with the Suns last year, the former first-round pick flourished when handling this type of workload. In the 41 contests that Oubre posted a usage rate north of 20% and received 30 minutes or more, he supplied 36.4 DraftKings points per game. Additionally, the Nets ranked inside the top 10 in pace last season, and this marquee matchup carries a slate-high over/under of 232 points. When Oubre competed in a game total over 230 points last year, he averaged 34.4 DraftKings points per game. Last but not least, Oubre is projected to be modestly owned on both sites, making him a preferred target for GPPs.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 15.9%, FanDuel: 23.5%
PF: Eric Paschall Grades: DraftKings: D, Values: A | FanDuel Grades: D, Values: A
With Green missing this season opener, Paschall is expected to draw the start at power forward for the Warriors. He should play 20-25 minutes against the Nets, and in his rookie season a year ago, the 24-year-old contributed 0.88 DraftKings points per minute. Green missed a plethora of games last season, and Paschall started on 26 occasions for the Warriors.
With the starting role, the forward averaged 28.2 DraftKings points per game. He is expected to be popular DraftKings, but based on Awesemo’s rankings, Paschall is the top point-per-dollar value of the night on that site. He is a strong value on both FanDuel and DraftKings but stands out as a cash-game staple on the latter.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 68.5%, FanDuel 29.8%
SG/SF: Luke Kennard Grades: DraftKings D, Values: A | FanDuel Grades: D, Values: A
Last night, Kennard and the Clippers agreed to a five-year, $64 million extension. Given that he has yet to even play a game in a Clippers’ uniform, this contract is a clear indicator that the Los Angeles coaching staff believes Kennard will be an integral part of the rotation this season. Going against the Lakers’ large starting lineup, Kennard most likely won’t start Tuesday, but he should see a sizable role off the bench with Marcus Morris (knee) sidelined.
Morris logged 28.9 minutes per game last season for the Clippers and with him absent, Kennard should obtain roughly 25 minutes of action. The 24-year-old is coming off a career season with the Pistons, averaging 29.7 DraftKings points per game and 0.86 DraftKings points per minute. It’s hard to imagine Kennard not out-producing his current price tags on both sites, and he is especially intriguing on FanDuel, where he is projected for a low ownership of 9.8% via Awesemo’s NBA DFS ownership projections.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 32.7%, FanDuel 9.8%
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