NBA Fantasy Projections & Optimizer Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 12/28

On the schedule for Tuesday is an eight-game slate, and with 16 clubs competing, NBA fantasy lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel will be flush with high-level talent and value plays. The Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page will provide breaking news when starters are announced as well as a full injury report on players who might be missing in action. Below are some NBA daily fantasy options that stand out for tonight’s slate using Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.

NBA Fantasy Projections & Lineup Optimizer Picks Tonight

Boom: LeBron James: $11,300 DraftKings/$10,900 FanDuel

33.6% DraftKings Boom/29.9% FanDuel Boom

In these past four with Anthony Davis (knee) on the shelf, James has stepped up with 60.4 DraftKings points per game. Davis will be unavailable Tuesday, and when he has been off the floor this season, James has led the Lakers with 1.5 DraftKings points per minute, mostly attributed to a 4.3-percentage-point boost to his assist rate. Furthermore, James has topped 60 DraftKings points in five of the seven starts he has made without Davis this season. Tonight James will be going against the Rockets, who rank 28th in defensive efficiency and are on the second night of back-to-back. Both these clubs rank inside the top five in pace this season, and this game’s total is the highest on the slate (225.5 points). Additionally, no team in action Tuesday presents a larger implied team total than the Lakers (115.5 points).

James is a threat for a triple-double in this spot and is rating as the best value above $9,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel in Awesemo’s projections.

Boom: Nathan Knight: $3,200 DraftKings/$3,800 FanDuel

82.1% DraftKings Boom/69.9% FanDuel Boom

With the Timberwolves extremely short-handed last night, particularly up front, with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jarred Vanderbilt and Naz Reid out due to health protocols, Knight drew the first start of his career and delivered a double-double worth 45.3 DraftKings points across 29 minutes against the Celtics. Given the Timberwolves picked up the win with him playing a big role, Knight should remain a starter Tuesday with none of those players expected to be available. This season Knight is contributing 1.2 DraftKings points per minute, and Awesemo is projecting him for 29.4 minutes tonight against a Knicks defense that ranks 21st in defensive efficiency. Albeit a small sample of only four games, Knight is averaging 33.6 DraftKings points per game for his career when he has logged at least 20 minutes.

Neither DraftKings nor FanDuel increased Knight’s salary from last night, making him a core value for both sites at his near-minimum price tags. Not only is Knight the No. 1 value on the board, but he also has the highest boom score on the slate for both slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel in Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool.

Updated: Reid has cleared protocols and is being listed as questionable. If the center is available and starting, all our attention should shift to Reid, while Knight would be a fringe GPP flier. Before entering protocols, Reid got the start with Towns and Vanderbilt out against the Jazz last Thursday and scored 37.5 DraftKings points in 35.5 minutes.

Boom: R.J. Hampton: $3,200 DraftKings/$5,300 FanDuel

60.2% DraftKings Boom/10% FanDuel Boom

With the Magic down many key players Sunday, most specifically Cole Anthony (ankle), Jalen Suggs (thumb) and Terrence Ross (health protocols), Hampton recorded 29.75 DraftKings points against the Heat. While he did not get the start, Hampton finished third on the team in playing time with 31.4 minutes, including the final 17.1 minutes of a game that was competitive throughout. With those three players remaining sidelined Tuesday, Hampton should receive around 30 minutes against the Bucks. In all the minutes he has played with Anthony, Ross and Suggs off the floor since the start of last season, Hampton’s usage has seen a 1.6-percentage-point upgrade and his assist rate has jumped 7 percentage points.

Hampton scores 1 DraftKings points per minute in this situation and should smash value at his near-minimum salary on DraftKings. In the six games Hampton has cracked 25 minutes this season, he has produced 30 DraftKings points per game.

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Boom: Gary Payton II: $5,000 DraftKings/$5,500 FanDuel

37.5% DraftKings Boom/32.7% FanDuel Boom

With the Warriors without Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole due to health protocols for the last two games, Payton has started and generated 29.75 DraftKings points in 31.7 minutes per game. While Wiggins will make his return tonight, Poole and Lee will remain sidelined, along with Draymond Green, who just entered the league’s health and safety protocols Sunday. Payton should remain a starter in this situation and handle over 30 minutes against the Nuggets. In the 144 minutes he has played with Green, Poole and Lee off the floor this season, Payton’s usage has risen 2.3 percentage points, and he has supplied 1.1 DraftKings points per minute.

This matchup against the Nuggets carries the third highest total on the slate (217.5 points), and the Warriors’ implied team total is the fourth highest on the board (112.5 points). Payton brings a ceiling over 30 fantasy points tonight, and given the plethora of value plays available, he is expected to come with very little ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel, according to Awesemo’s projections.

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