Welcome back, everybody. There are 11 NBA games to attack tonight and below are some of my favorite NBA daily fantasy picks for both FanDuel and DraftKings based on Awesemo’s grades and values.
[2021-New-Year-Promo]
[SportsbookAffiliates]
NBA Daily Fantasy: Awesemo Grades + Ownership | Jan. 6
Small Forward: Luke Kennard
DraftKings Grades: C, Values: A
FanDuel Grades: C, Values: A
Last night, the Clippers were without Paul George (ankle), and with the spot start in the All-Star’s place, Kennard scored 21.5 DraftKings points in a team-high 37.5 minutes against the Spurs. For tonight, Los Angeles is expected to hold out Kawhi Leonard with this being the second night of a back-to-back, and there is a chance that George will return since he is listed as questionable. Also, Marcus Morris isn’t expected to make his season debut with the nagging knee injury that cost him the first eight games of the season. Considering that the Clippers are favored to win tonight against a Warriors’ team that has won two straight (Clippers -1.5), I have to believe that Vegas is expecting George to suit up on Wednesday.
With George in and Leonard out, Kennard should remain a starter and play heavy minutes in this juicy matchup — Golden State ranks first in pace and 19th in defensive efficiency this season. Even with Leonard all but ruled out, this contest still presents a very healthy total of 229 points, which is the fourth-highest mark of this 11-game slate. Kennard is averaging 28.8 DraftKings points per game in his last 20 with 30 minutes or more, and he is a cash-game staple on both DraftKings and FanDuel this evening.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 33.6% FanDuel 21.0% as of 2:00 PM EST
[NBAContentLinks]
Point Guard: LaMelo Ball
DraftKings Grades: C, Values: C
FanDuel Grades: C, Values: C
Ball has been tremendous in his last four, contributing 37.6 DraftKings points per game. After only playing 16.9 minutes points per game in the first three contests of his NBA career, the rookie has received 29.1 minutes points per game across his past four, and the heavier workload off the bench has helped him to 37.6 DraftKings points per game. Ball was only one assist shy from his first career double-double Monday against the Sixers (37.25 DraftKings points), and the playmaker has recorded at least five assists in five consecutive games.
He ranks second on the team in assist percentage this season (29.6%), and a double-double is certainly possible tonight in a shootout with the Hawks. This contest currently carries an over/under of 231.5 points, and Hawks’ point guard Trae Young is one of the worst defenders in the association. Last year he ranked dead last in real defensive plus minus for point guards, and Ball is simply too cheap for his upside in this spot.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 19.0% FanDuel 3.1%
Small Forward: Kelly Oubre
DraftKings Grades: C, Values: B
FanDuel Grades: C, Values: A
Warriors – Clippers is one of the best games of the night to stack, and based on Awesemo’s projections, Oubre is expected to be a forgotten man in this high-scoring affair on DraftKings. Oubre struggled mightily in his first five of the season, only scoring 17.7 DraftKings points per game, but he has finally found some life, supplying 31 DraftKings points per game in his last two. The primary reason for his improvements has been his shooting. In those first five contests, Oubre was shooting a miserable 27% from the field. He has hit 50% of his attempts in his last two, including 45% from beyond the arc. The 25-year-old has made a combined five 3-pointers in his past two after only registering one made field goal from beyond the arc in his first five with Golden State.
Oubre is such an active player, and if he can continue to shoot the ball at decent clip, we should see some big fantasy scores from the wing going forward, possibly tonight against a Clippers’ defense that ranks 23rd in efficiency and will be without their top wing defender in Leonard.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 6.9% FanDuel 14.2%
Point Guard: Stephen Curry
DraftKings Grades: A, Values: C
FanDuel Grades: A, Values: C
Curry is the stud I want to pay up for tonight. He has been stellar in his last two (65.3 DraftKings points per game), and in addition to the high total, this matchup with the Clippers should be competitive from start to finish. In the five Warriors’ contests that have presented a spread of 5 points or fewer this season, Curry has produced an immense 56.1 DraftKings points per game.
As anticipated, with Klay Thompson (Achilles) injured, Curry has been one of the league leaders in usage rate, currently ranking fifth at 34.6%. Additionally, he is amassing a ridiculous 1.6 DraftKings points per minute, and while he may not have faced Leonard individually, the superstar’s absence weakens the Clippers defense as a whole. In the last 10 they have played without him, Los Angeles is allowing 112 points per game. Curry should top 50 fantasy points on both DraftKings and FanDuel and is a worthwhile investment for cash games and GPPs.
Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 5.1% FanDuel 6.7%
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Looking for more NBA daily fantasy picks content? We have loads of NBA daily fantasy picks articles, data, DraftKings and FanDuel cheat sheets and more on the Awesemo NBA home page. Just click HERE.
