NBA Fantasy Picks Today: DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Basketball Rankings

There is a great seven-game NBA fantasy slate tonight. With that, NBA DFS injury news will be a big part of tonight’s process. Be sure to check the Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page to see who is in, who is out and who is starting as news breaks, and look at the NBA DFS rankings and projections before making your NBA fantasy picks today for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA Fantasy Picks & Rankings

*Grades are ordered DraftKings, FanDuel. Initial grade indicates a player’s strength of output, with the value grade indicating their strength as a play in relation to their salary.

C Hassan Whiteside — Grades: B, B | Values: A, A

Since moving into the starting lineup, the last two games have not been as expected from Hassan Whiteside. He has averaged just 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and he has yet to top 21 DraftKings points. His poor play certainly has not deterred his ownership, as Awesemo’s ownership projections have Whiteside as the highest-owned player on DraftKings and second highest on FanDuel.

Not only is Whiteside one of the most popular players on the slate, but he has the highest boom percentage on both sites in Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool. The Jazz are heavy 12-point road favorites against the 8-30 Pistons. The Pistons allow the seventh-most points scored in the paint and the fifth-most rebounds to opponents this season. Whiteside should have his way in the paint, as the Jazz continue to play without Rudy Gobert.

PF Giannis Antetokounmpo — Grades: A, A | Values: C, B

The price tag may look high compared to the rest of the slate, but this is an elite spot to target Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis played the Hornets in his last game, and despite a 114-106 loss, he had 43 points and 12 rebounds. He finished with 70 DraftKings points and should have similar production tonight. This matchup against the Hornets has the highest total on the slate, at 234.5 points. Giannis will likely draw another start at point guard with Jrue Holiday still out.

The Hornets lead the league in Pace this season and allow a league-worst 116.3 points per game. They also allow a league-high 24.1 points scored in transition. Giannis leads the league in possessions and points in transition this season. He has scored at will in the paint in the past, and tonight should be no different. Their last matchup only had 220 points, but this game should be closer to 235 tonight. Do not overthink this one — play Giannis.

C Jusuf Nurkic — Grades: A, A | Values: A, A

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Awesemo’s NBA Rankings have loved Jusuf Nurkic for the past week or so, and he has delivered in a big way. Nurkic continues to be the only player with an A grade and A value on both sites tonight. Over the last four games, Nurkic is averaging 15.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game while recording a double-double in each. During that time he has also played an average of 32 minutes per game. His 38 minutes last game were the second most of the season for Nurkic. He also had a season-high nine assists in his last game. Nurkic is playing at an elite level right now.

The Trail Blazers are 9-point home underdogs, as they will continue to play without Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Nets certainly present some challenges, but playing this many minutes and being so involved in the offense, it is tough to get away from Nurkic given how well he is playing lately. Awesemo projects Nurkic to be the second-best value play on the slate on DraftKings, where he also has the second-highest boom percentage and second-highest ownership.

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PG Dejounte Murray — Grades: A, A | Values: A, B

Dejounte Murray is popping in Awesemo’s NBA Rankings despite the Spurs having the lowest implied total on the slate (103.25 points). Murray has been electric since returning from the COVID protocols. He provides upside combined with safety, which makes him one of the best plays on the slate. Over the last three games, Murray has averaged 22.7 points, 11 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. He has had over 53 DraftKings points in each game and a 31.9% usage rate.

Murray is also a triple-double threat, as he has had three of them in the past month. His last triple-double was against the Clippers, where he finished with a career-high 72 DraftKings points. He has averaged 22 field goal attempts per game in his last three, while the Spurs rank fourth in pace this season. Murray will push the tempo and put a lot of pressure on the Knicks’ below-average point guards. He is top five on both sites in boom percentage despite the low team total.

PF Bobby Portis — Grades: B, B | Values: B, A

Going back to the Bucks, Bobby Portis stands out as a fantastic play. On FanDuel his price is egregious. Awesemo projects Portis to be the second-best value play on FanDuel tonight. Awesemo’s ownership projections have Portis as the highest-owned player on FanDuel, and he has the third-highest boom percentage. He makes for a decent play on DraftKings as well, but on FanDuel he seems impossible to ignore. Portis is coming off of back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 22 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Not only are the Hornets pitiful on defense, but they also really struggle rebounding the ball. They rank last in rebounding percentage this season (47.6%). The Hornets have allowed their opponents to grab 48.2 rebounds per game, which is the second-highest mark in the league. Portis is second on the Bucks in rebounds, averaging a career-high 9.2 rebounds per game. He is also averaging a career-high 15.7 points per game. Do not be afraid to roster both Antetokounmpo and Portis in the same lineup.

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